Bleed into knee - anyone else had this??

[MaryH]

Further to the question I asked on the 25/07/12 regarding knee pain. Know what it was now, I had a bleed into my left knee and the joint locked. Just been discharged from hospital, no real treatment apart from elbow crutches. No aspiration as did not want to introduce any infection; the worse pain EVER. Anyone else had this and how long did it last, please the usual help from our wonderful group. Much love Mary H

[annie330]

Hi Mary

Last year whilst on holiday in France I got sudden pain in my knee, the knee started to swell and became inflamed. I went to a pharmacy who said it was an insect bite even though there was no evidence of a bite. The pain and swelling got worse, I was struggling to walk about I ended up going to hospital after a couple of days but there weren't sure of the cause, they gave me antibiotics as a precaution. When I got home it was still really bad and I ended up going to my GP's twice in about 4 days, finally I was told that the likely cause was a bleed and that I would have to wait for the blood to disperse before the pain would go.

Sorry but it was at least 4 to 5 weeks before it started to feel better. I ended up having to get some strong pain killers from gps, I normally take something every morning for my head pain but that wasn't touching the pain in my knee.

Sorry prob not what you wanted to hear but if mine was a bleed as GP said that it could be 3-4 weeks before you are pain free.

Louise

[CountryGirl]

After having an inr of 7.9 I started to develop pain in my ankles. If i was still for any period of time (even up to 3-4 mins) when I started to move I had severe pain, very hard to walk. Went to Emerg. had all kinds of test, inc. mri. They could find nothing. I always swore it was a bleed into the ankles, but my doc said that it was a 1 in a million that I would get a bleed in both ankles, so it couldn't be that. He could not come up with another solution. It took about four weeks to gradually go. Not really sure if this is any help to you, other than it might take 4 weeks as Louise said.

[MaryH]

Bless you both and anyone else who has an answer regarding this matter. The pain I had was the worse ever and I have had major surgery and three children including a breech delivery naturally. I know I have forgotten a lot of the previous pain but it took two ambulances and 10 cc of morphine, the gas and air did not touch me, just to get me to the ambulance. After two nights in hospital and careful use of elbow crutches i am now feeling a little better, the surgeon told me it could take up to 4 weeks to recover so we shall see. In this world why should you not have had a bleed into both ankles!! My other knee hurts as well but that is my stroke side and I need the left leg/knee to help me mobilise so you can imagine the type of pain and problems I have been having. Once again thank you both xxx

[iwantsimple]

I am so sorry for all the pain you all have gone through (and are going through)!

I'm curious, if any of you know, can you tell me how a "bleed" happens? I mean, what would cause you to start bleeding into your ankle or knee suddenly?

[TreyBon64]

I've just had a bleed in my left knee and left calf. Pain was awful and had painkillers upped, told to rest with my feet up as my inr was 4.6. It's doing much better now, although I still have the bruise on my calf that is very black and purple,. and no I haven't knocked it. It happened in the night, woke me up and I couldn't get back to sleep because of the pain. I've had dvt's but never bleeds like this, this is the first time and I would really like it to be the last.

My gp told me that bleeds happen where the blood vessels are already weak from where it has previously been knocked and healed. That is the place where I had the bleed, the knee was unexpected. All because my INR was nearly double what it should have been.

[MaryH]

Dear Iwantitsimple, According to people in the know a bleed can happen because of high INR which can mean that blood is just too thin. A trauma, you know a fall, bump or doing something one should not do. Or, if, like in my case I also have OA and they said it may be an ostephyte that has broken or is a little bit sharp and started an unavoidable bleed. Or, like TreyBone64 perhaps the blood vessels are already weak from where it had been knocked and already healed.but like TreyBone stated they do not want the pain to come back. I mentioned the severity of the pain to the Orthopaedic surgeon and he simply said that I had never had a knee full of blood before, good point. Sorry to sound wet but I NEVER want to feel that sort of pain again. The good point is that I am sitting at the computer at the moment and managing to type, so there is an improvement but I have had a real fright and I shall be more careful in the future and take things steadier. I am sure that we were all warned prior to starting warfarin that a bleed was always possible and , in my case, without it I shall probably have another stroke. Good luck all of you, at least we all have each other. Love Mary H xxx Oh one more thing, I am sure the bleed was started a bit back as I have had unusual pain for weeks.