Bakers Cyst

[Dreamer85]

I have a really painful bakers cyst at the moment. The pain comes and goes, sometimes can be weeks inbetween but when it starts again it causes alot of pain in my calf. Sometimes I can't walk on my leg.

I found this out because I went to the doctors with my calf pain and they thought I had dvt, but after a scan the cyst was found and some fluid in my leg.

The hospital have told me once my arthritis is controlled the cyst will calm down. I'm hoping this will be the outcome.

Has anybody else had any experience of this?

Thank you

[hawker955]

I had one of these and eventually it seemed to burst after several weeks, and completely disappear without treatment. Good luck, I hope yours is as simple!

[Hidden in reply to hawker955]

I've had the same experience. I went through a spate of having a few. They are so uncomfortable and I have buckets of sympathy. I found ice very soothing and I needed to fully rest the bad knee.

You do need to keep an eye on them to make sure they don't burst and causing calf swelling though. Any calf swelling; red and hot, please make sure you get checked out straight away.

[Nettac]

Yes, I had a period of having them in both knees. Mine would burst and leave spectacular bruising in the backs of my legs.

[dwsurquhart]

I too have had huge baker's cysts. Mine after 3 years are starting to soften and go away. I was on all DMARDS to control Arthritis with no effect. Got onto biologics, Humira (bad reaction with no relief, anakinra daily sub q injections for 49 days with no effect, then onto Actemra with great effects). The surgeons i have had said that the reason they form is that there is mechanical damage in the knee and that the body is supplying a huge amount of synovial fluid to try and overcome the damage. Since it cannot, the fluid gets forced behind the knee. Yes, very painful. I could not bend my knees more than 45 degrees for 2 years. Now I can actually kneel down. Very painful still, but not behind the knees.

They surgeons can actually remove the cysts, however, they will not do it. It is extremely tricky behind the knees and they can cause more damage if they hit a nerve or sever an artery by accident. I have had this discussion many times with many different surgeons. All have said when the auto immune response is under control, the cysts will slowly be reabsorbed by the body. That is what the mri showed on both of my knees.

Also, if you get arthroscopic surgery to repair some of the meniscus damage, there is no guarantee that the body will stop supplying fluid to the joint. I tried it just to see if it would work. Now I have no cartilage left in my knees. Grade 4 chodromalacia in my knees now. All supposedly caused by the inflammation I had. CRP up as high as 159mg/L, supposed to less than 3.

Good luck with the cysts, keep your knees cool to cold. This will help keep degeneration down.

Scott

[Damaged in reply to dwsurquhart]

Wow ! Something to look forward to. I seriously hope it is resolved quickly! Hugs to all of you🙅

[LizzieR]

Me too- cysts on the back of both knees- they come n go. Mostly come! No solutions about what to do about them I'm afraid. I hope yours go down soon Dreamer85. X

[Dreamer85]

Thankyou so much for your replies.

Cyst is still causing me problems, can't walk on my leg without pains coming from my knee into my calf. Does anybody know if this is a normal symptom of the cyst or more likely due to the cyst leaking?

Kicking myself because I saw my rhumy recently and forgot to mention this.

Thankyou