fluid on knee

[gallini]

My knee has been full of fluid now for 3 weeks, keep thinking it will go down, used the ice packs, rested it, I cant have steriod as not long had one, they wont drain it as it will only fill up again. The pain is worse than ever, even on resting it pain goes into my calf, and i feel there is something not right in the knee, maybe bones catching. I really dont know what to do, has anyone had this ?? do you think i need to see orthepedics?? doc mentioned once that maybe i might, i have even thought of going to A & E.. HELP....

JULIE

[helixhelix]

Poor you, that's horrid. I hate it when knees go as makes everything so hard. I think you should ask your rheumy doc/nurse again about getting knee aspirated. My doc says that removing the fluid helps as it makes less work for the various medicines, as with such a build up of inflammation then it's hard for chemicals to combat. I wonder whether the other feeling of something being out of place in your knee is an underlying thing, obviously it's not helping but could be a separate bit of osteoarthritis so worth also going to your GP. Hope you feel better soon. Polly

[gallini in reply to helixhelix]

Hia Polly, thanks for your advice, sometimes i feel my rhumy nurses, arnt much help, sometimes think should i go straight to consultants secetary, to get refered to orthepedics.... think your right about my knee maybe an underlying problem. i have to ring them today, Thanks again.. Julie x

[Hidden]

On my phone so keep this short.

When mine are like that between waiting for draining I buy cohesive wrap from the chemists and wrap it around my knee I get some instant relief my ot advised this for me As I get fluid in knees a lot.

IT'S worth at try x take care x

[gallini in reply to Hidden]

Hia thanks for your advise, not heard of them wraps, but will give the a try.

Julie x

[Hidden]

Hi Julie ... URGENT!

I've just responded to Steph's question before reading yours!

I had this very problem three weeks ago. First off I would suggest (as was suggested to me and I followed through) you either arrange urgent appt with GP or visit A&E to rule out possible DVT. I understand your pain do please don't dally it could be serious. It's more likely to be a ruptured synovium (a hole in the lining of the joint often caused by the pressure of a build up of fluid) or Baker's Cyst as they are sometimes known. The fluid leaks from the knee down into the back of the calf causing immense discomfort and pain.

If it isn't a DVT (and it does need checking urgently), the treatment is aspiration of the knee and injection with steroid to effect repair of the rupture. I had my eyes aspirated and injected several times recently but my rheumatologist was happy to do it again as it is really the only immediate treatment for the problem. If it is left it can lead to vascular problems in the leg including DVT. If the problems continue it may require a synovectomy to remove the lining of the joint so you have a new start. It does grow back but it gives breathing space and a period of relief!

I did a post on the NRAS forum about my recent experience. I'll copy as a blog on here, give me a couple of jifs!!

Lyn

[gallini]

Hi Lyn, thanks for your reply, my word you have been through it...sounds frightening... iam waiting for r nurse to ring me back.. so hopefully should get something done today, if cant see her, i will go gp..

Julie

[Tiasteph in reply to gallini]

Hi Julie

ditto what Lyn has said.

I always suffer with bad knees, however when the pain goes into the calf you must get it checked.

I had a bakers cyst burst too & it was the calf pain that got me to the doc's then to A&E.

Hope you get it sorted xx

[helixhelix in reply to Tiasteph]

oh yuck....sounds awful. I've never heard of this before, so nice to know there's something else to keep an eye out for since my knees do go from time to time. Shame there isn't an instruction manual with this disease - but then maybe it would be too big and too scarey. Polly

[Tiasteph in reply to helixhelix]

Hi Polly

yep too scary would a manual be! I only had this happen once thankfully!!

[Gina_K]

Julie,

It won't go away, Its RA fluid, my consultant did my knee there and then when I had this all over Xmas a few years ago, the cure was instant and it never came back. Try get to see a Consultant, GPs can't drain fluid from joints can they? well maybe in U.K. but not in Ireland!

[Tiasteph in reply to Gina_K]

Agree with you on that one Gina. I will not ever let anyone other than a Specialist near my joints again, been there, done that, not nice!

That said sat with my feet up after a sore injection yesterday, by the main man himself, must have been an off day

[Gina_K]

ugh! poor us we at the mercy of the system. I have big lump of inflammation on arch of foot at the moment n flying to Stolkholm tmoro, its so not fair boo hoo! Will have to get an action plan when back on Tues! although working wed & thurs and then having a party Sat night, maybe I doing too much

[Tiasteph]

Hi Gina

I know!

Rest & pace…you know the score anyway…have fun

[cherry2]

Hi, I too have had this problem, did have it drained and then steroid injection, was in hospital at the time and was told that having had knee injected that i must completely rest for next 48 hours to get maximum benefit and it did last for longer. Had had it injected by gp previously without the instructions to rest for 48 hours so had immediate relief but didn't last long. I too was asking for ortho assessment as thought there was underlying cause but was refused and told that it would be due to RA. Did have referral for physio who then gave a course of hydrotherapy which was great and has really helped- see if you can access that-i'm sure it will help.The physio was also good to show me exercises to help rather than make things worse. But if you do have calf pain too that needs to be checked by gp asap to exclude DVT. I know how misrable it is, at one time it was so swollen than i couldnt get into any trousers. So push for urgent physio assessment, take care, x

[dfff]

Hi Julie, I know this i many years on since your original post but I wondered how your knee is now? I had fluid build up in my left knee, had it drained with a steroid injection but it has started coming back again 4 weeks later. Concerned on how I treat this longer term