Sudden onset joint pain (in 1 joint) & stiffness

[Frankiebeee]

I had a major knee op a few years ago and a year later I kept getting suddent onset pain in that area & stiffness. My knee became unstable and pain was quite severe. I managed to work through the episodes with a strategy (there's always a different strategy you have to think of) and lived with them. These episodes seem to have subsided thank goodness - they would last from a few hours to several days when at their worst. Now I don't have that going on (but prepared still if I do) I had an epsode on Friday where it affected my dominant left hand - I felt something was happening when I left park after walking the dogs and felt fibrofog coming on (disoriented, raging tinnitus in one ear) then a joint at the base of my forefinger starting becoming really stiff then intense pain (to move or to even lightly touch that area) - I was now only one-handed as I could do next to nothing with that hand. I then decided to chill on sofa for evening with a hotwater bottle for my hand to ease the pain (pain killers did nothing for it). 18 hours later it went completely.

I know it will happen again but its very worrying as am self-employed and can't afford to lose the work.

[Hidden]

Did you have a new knee joint Frankiebeee ? do you think its poss its moving out of place from time to time? ask gp or go A&E next time and ask for an xray/scan to eliminate that possibility.

[Frankiebeee in reply to Hidden]

I did and they do follow up quite often anyway (was followed up every 6 months for 3 years) but its fine as they always X-ray which is why I worked out re the FM problem - there has been a study re FM & knee replacements and suggestion is 60% will suffer pain more afterwards - plus if you think one of other main issues is nerve damage re this type of op, which is more likely to be the cause of this issue but we all know how FM & nerves can be sometimes re exacerbation of symptoms and probably why it becomes unstable. Orthopaedic centre weren't interested anyway as soft tissue isn't their area - they even told me off for wearing a back on track knee brace when it was really bad but the warmth and support it gave me was excellent. Now the problem is in a hand joint so it makes me wonder if its the FM exacerbating minor issues (and I mean minor but reaction is extreme). FM throws up such oddities at times that often seem to be an over-reaction.

[Hidden in reply to Frankiebeee]

Hi Friend & fellow sufferer...I was diagnosed in 90's with fibromyalgia & it's only been since a few years back (as you too probably experienced) that doctors have started to "get their heads round" just how debilitating & varied the condition is...However, I apologise for intruding on your post but something worried me a little...probably nothing...But you mentioned you got this pain after walking the dogs?....And after approx 18 hrs you got relief?...I appreciate you have commitments but from experience I think you would be wise to get a blood test at earliest convenience. The last thing I want is to give you any undue or additional stress,and it's a very good sign that pain passed. However,the pain in your left arm/fingers has "niggled at me" since reading??....Anyway,...I hope & pray for a speedy recovery & would ask you to contemplate the Prevention better than cure lines...Only Us Know Our Own Bodies & you've already been through a lot & again I don't think it's anything to worry over...I just feel a blood test may be wise to eliminate any other possibility....Wishing,Hoping,& Praying All Good Things To You.

[Frankiebeee in reply to Hidden]

I have a feeling all of it would've happened whether I'd been out or not (dogs are offlead the whole walk so don't have issues with heavy handed leads). Pain I had was around a joint (at base of forefinger) and am sure its more an exacerbation of what would be either no pain or little pain in someone else, especially as I've had myalgic pain in my arms for days running up to this (as happened in my knee area on and off for a year anyway) - I was talking to a friend when I was on the park and had said how my muscles always felt hard with pain for a few days then when pain disappears weakness in those muscles - my FM 'flair'. I have no worries re anything else but thanks for the concern - have only recently had bloods taken anyway

[Hidden in reply to Frankiebeee]

Happy Days!!....Thank You for your reply....as I said "Only Us Know Our Own Bodies "....and that's good news on bloods....I have had 4x Myochardial Infarctions(heart attacks) then bypass...Thus tend to overthink sometimes lol!!....Not a nice experience though along with fibromyalgia...Take Care....God Bless.

[Frankiebeee]

I can understand how you feel when you hear about that sort of thing in others - I also get sometimes ocular migraines and their description sounds like a person is having a stroke/brain tumour but sadly those of us who experience them know too well what they are. But I hate the fact that a lot of symptoms we get re FM could be masking something more serious so I often end up having blood tests just to check. The dogs though are the one thing that keep me sane and mobile - am sure if I didn't have them I'd be more sedentary and immobile

[penny]

If you had an operation on your knee then you will have scar tissue. Scar tissue is damaged fascia and very strong and inflexible. It could probably do with clearing with scar massage.

[Frankiebeee]

Yes but same issue has now happened in my hand (base of forefinger) which hasn't had an op on it, and to a smaller degree my other knee occasionally. Don't seem to have issues with the scar tissue on my knee and the main scar is across the top of the knee which doesn't have an issue with articulation but do have nerve damage in parts of the knee (as they said so many nerves were affected but orthopods not interested in those aspects post-op). I think like all things the FM exacerbates minor things affecting people, which some who don't have FM would barely notice or not even notice at all (let's face it I sometimes can't even stroke the cat/dog as the nerve endings brushing against their fur appear to be hypersensitive and so painful)