My knees started to become a problem 3 and a half months ago and since shielding 3 months ago they have got worse and worse. I haven’t been doing my usual walks taking my grandson to and from school and I think that has made them deteriorate .
For the last 3 days my right knee and a lot of the lower leg is considerably swollen . The pain in my knees is at the back of each knee.
I’m on 5 tablets of sulphasalazine and most days in the last fortnight 2 naproxen ( with tummy protector ). Any advice would be great.
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Kalimers65
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I’ve just had two total knee replacements and was finding they’d started to hurt as I wasn’t doing much exercise. I’ve started to do physio exercises - Dr Jo (female) on You tube although there’s loads. If you do strengthening exercises including Pilates that would hopefully help, although if it’s disease related then exercise is only part of the solution. Hope you improve. Rheumy teams are often good to talk to (mine always are!). Take care
Sorry your having trouble with your knees. Since lockdown I’m also having a lot of problems with my knees. Usually I do aquafit twice a week, which keeps my joints moving. But of course I can’t now 😞. So now I’ve been walking daily over the heath & my knees are so angry 😡. Both are bright red hot to touch & very swollen & painful 😖 I can’t take painkillers. It’s so hard to get the balance right. It really uplifts me to be walking out on the heath. So difficult isn’t it not enough isn’t good too much isn’t good either 🤷♀️
Yes you’re right about exercise Caza. It really uplifts me too but getting it right is hard when you’re in pain. I hope your knees improve soon for you.
Sulfasalazine , failed for me ,my knees were very swollen and painful and I couldn’t walk .An X-ray revealed that they had been destroyed by rheumatoid , I had 2 knee replacements and a new drug for the last 18 months and every thing is fine again .
It is essential that you keep the knees exercised. Have a look on the NRAS website, or a physio website for suitable knee exercises. You need to do them little and often and really build up the muscles around the joint to keep it stable and as pain-free as possible.
Yes you’re right. When they started getting so painful my exercise level dropped which I shouldn’t have done. I’ll give myself a good talking too! Thanks oldtimer.
Be careful with the exercise. It’s a balancing act between rest and moving. My knees just got worse and worse and they inflame much more if I overdo it. My body doesn’t tell me until after the fact if I have over overdone it 😔
It's like being tortured by a beast isn't it. I've had bad 3 years, for 6 months I couldn't lift my arms with the pain and stiffness in my shoulders but I said to myself, 'Well at least your knees have been spared this time round.' Aha thought the beast - just you wait! I'll show you!! How long have you had RA?
Officially only a month but my doc has suspected it since September. It really all kicked off last March when I had this blasted fall. I’m stuck with gutter crutches and various other aides to help me. Steroid injections into the knees and started Sulfasalazine just over three weeks ago and waiting for the miracle 😁
I can't remember how long Sulphasalazine took to kick in a bit, certainly 6 weeks. How old are you not wanting to be rude? I was 38 when in one hour my life changed and I could barely walk. I'm 67 now. I've had periods of remission with no meds, 2 of them from getting flu - within an hour of the symptoms I could feel all the fluid attacking my feet leaving me - it was like a miracle. My last remission was about 13 years. I've been very, very lucky. I hope it happens for you. I've found reflexology to really help, loads of fruit and veg, no red meat. I went 80% vegan last August when the level of inflammation hit 90 and I had 4 pain free months. Then I had another health scare and the beast unleashed itself on my knees. The best advice I was given by a counsellor on the RA help line when I was 45 was to walk through the pain. The counsellor also had RA. this forum is very supportive and stops the isolation you can have. I really hope you improve soon. When I've been relatively pain free yoga has been brilliant too.
Adding in... try and sit on as high a chair as you can ... get the OT to give you sofa/chair raisers. The pressure on the knees when going from sitting to standing is very very great and makes the inflammation much worse.
I had a bag of frozen peas on the back of my right knee (which is the worst of the 2 knees) several times yesterday and that helped. I’m going to take regular short walks at quiet times of the day because shielding has definitely impacted the state of my knees. I hope your knees improve soon for you.
Dear Kalimers....... I used to suffer with painful knees due to arthritis in both knees...... I now use..... Masons Dog Oil.... you can buy it on eBay, it comes in vaseline form..... I rub it into both knees before going to bed, and get to sleep pain free through the night. It may not work for you, but it wont hurt to try it.
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Any advice very much appreciated.Mattcass
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