I have gout. Is it ever okay for me to drink alcohol?

It is true that people with gout should limit or avoid alcohol. Alcohol interferes with the elimination of uric acid from your body. Drinking beer in particular has been linked to gout attacks. If you are having an attack, avoid alcohol. However, when you’re not having an attack, drinking one or two 5 ounce servings servings a day of wine is not likely to increase your risk. Herbert S. B. Baraf, MD, a rheumatologist and a clinical professor of medicine at George Washington University, advises his patients with gout “to avoid alcohol during the first few months after treatment is initiated to lower uric acid. Once they are on a stable regimen they can resume drinking wine in moderation