JONNY CLAYTON takes daily medication to prevent painful gout flare-ups but he admits it can just occur at the most unpredictable moments.
The Welshman, 51, hobbled through three games on Thursday as he
Jonny Clayton played through the pain at Premier League on ThursdayCredit: PA
The Welshman is suffering painful gout flare-ups and is taking medication dailyCredit: Getty
at various points over the past few years but it got significantly worse last weekend when he was competing at the UK Open at Butlin’s Minehead.
The issue in his left ankle grew more severe during the week, even though he popped pills to combat the problem.
When he got back to his hotel room on Thursday evening, he took off his shoe and the pain became more acute.
It is why he decided to pull out of this weekend’s in Goettingen, Germany – his spot in the draw was taken by Cam Crabtree.
Clayton said: “I do get flare-ups with gout. I take medication every day. But it started in the UK Open on Saturday. I could feel it. I was starting to limp.
“I was thinking, ‘please no’. I was taking medication and had hoped I had caught it before it got this far.
“I wasn’t expecting much because I was having trouble walking. So, it’s brilliant that I won.
“Funnily enough, it was in my elbow when we did my first year in the Premier League. So it’s moved now to my ankle.
“But the thing is, it is what it is. I have to carry on. I don’t want to miss these nights. I won now, so I don’t care about the gout.
“I was never going to pull out. It was always in my mind that I was only going to soldier on, strap my foot up, take medication and hopefully get through. And I did that.
“I try not to fail. I give it everything. Okay, I’ve got gout in my left ankle but my arm was okay. And I hit the doubles.
“It all depends (when it happens). You just take your medication. I could go back to bed tonight, wake up tomorrow as if there’s nothing there.
“It is weird, proper weird. It’s the same when it comes on, it gives you a little warning, and if you don’t catch it in time, then you know all about it.
“It attacks joints. It is not comfortable when you’re going to stand up there and play darts.”
Clayton leads the Premier League table with 19 points after six nights – eight points clear of second-placed – and is edging closer to securing his spot at the playoffs at London’s O2 Arena on May 28.
With two nightly wins on his card, he is justifying his position, particularly against those online who felt he did not deserve to be picked by the PDC and Sky Sports.
The world No.5 – who faces in Dublin next Thursday – said: “If someone had told me this at the start of the season, I’d have taken it and said: ‘Thank you very much.’
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“I’m at the top of the leaderboard and that’s all that counts. It’s a great start for me – hopefully it carries on.
“At the end of the day, we’ve all got haters and keyboard warriors, so I’m just up there letting the darts do the talking. Nothing else I can do.”
According to the, gout is a type of arthritis that causes sudden, severe joint pain.
Painkillers can help to soothe the pain and healthier lifestyle choices would also prevent future attacks.
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Eze Chidiebere Paul
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