Does anyone have suggestions for treating a gout flare in my big toe?

Medication: There are several medications used for gout flares and prevention. Nsaid medication, specifically Indocin (indomethacin) are often used for pain management. A lot of the approach to gout management is prevention of an acute flare with preventive medicine and dietary management/limitation of purine proteins. An approach is to avoid the flare with better preventive management.

First, you need to: Verify that it is indeed gout. A blood test will usually confirm the presence of a high or nigh-normal level of uric acid. If it is, then you will need some form of antiinflammatory medication. Each doctor has his/her favorite--colchicine, naprosyn (my favorite), indocin, sulindac, and more. Otc aleve, (naproxen) similar to naprosyn, can be good to try until you have your foot examined.

I disagree: I disagree with previous answers to a degree. Unless the great toe is involved the joint should be aspirated and synovial fluid examined to confirm the diagnosis. An elevated serum uric acid level does not confirm a diagnosis of gout. Unless you are diabetic, a course of Prednisone works faster and carries less risk than Naproxen or indocin (indomethacin).