I have sudden joint pain, swelling and purple discoloration in my big toe what could this be? the pain came on suddenly and i cannot really walk. i did not injure the toe or foot, i am not diabetic or in poor health. the only health condition i have is hy

Hello. : Hello. I can't diagnose your symptoms. However, it does sound a lot like podagra which is when the base of the big toe contains uric acid crystals. If you have not been evaluated for possible gout, recommend that you do so. In the mean time you might consider pain control through a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medication like motrin. Hope your pain is relieved soon. Take care.

Dr. : Dr. Fowler took the words right out of my mouth. Sudden onset of pain, redness, heat & swelling involving a big toe is the typical presentation of gout. Considering you have high blood pressure, and since non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medication like Ibuprofen have the potential to cause fluid retention (and therefore raise blood pressure), i would most definitely seek your doctor's advice on this. Hyzaar (losartan and hydrocholorthiazide) contains a thiazide diuretic that is well-known to raise uric acid levels. If this is a gout attack you're having, it might be advisable to switch blood pressure medication to something else. Just as an aside, we no longer consider diet a factor in gout. The three biggest offenders in precipitating a gouty attack are aspirin, beer and certain medications (like the one you're on). Feel better!

Many possibilities: Your pain could be as a result of many different things. Causes of pain may include: trauma (fracture, sprain, arthritis), infection (ingrown nail), metabolic conditions (gout), musculoskeletal or biomechanical abnormality and neurologic conditions (neuropathy). A thorough history and physical exam and possibly some laboratory and radiology exams are needed to determine the exact cause.