My mahjong friend Brother Siu say his gout flare went away after he drink a glass of water with half teaspoon baking soda every morning. He say baking soda is alkaline so it neutralize the uric acid in the blood and dissolve the crystal, cheaper than any medicine. His wife also put baking soda in his soup every day. Now I also drink the baking soda water twice a day for two weeks, I stop my allopurinol tablet because doctor medicine make me dependent they say. Last week my toe pain come back at night but Brother Siu say that is the acid leaving the body, keep drinking. My ankle also become swell again but I scared to tell my daughter. Is baking soda water really can cure gout so I never need to take medicine again?