KNEE ARTHRITIS - General principles of managing Osteoarthritis of the knee :

IS THIS PAIN ARTHRITIS? - - Posted by nmcbride (nmcbride), 28 July 2003

For years and years now I have had an awful dull aching right around the whole of both of my knees, it feels kind of like a really bad toothache which gets worse on cold damp days.  My knees also feel very stiff when I have this pain really bad.  Is this some kind of arthritis or is it just because of all the surgeries I've had?  Applying heat often helps slightly but pain killers don't tend to do much.  I also get the same kind of pain in my finger which I dislocated and in my toe which I broke, is there any connection, would it be the same thing causing the pain, ie, just because they have been injured?  I'm 35 years old and slightly overweight which I know doesn't help.  Anyone got any advice?

Natalie.
Posted by Jennie (Jennie), 28 July 2003

Hey Natalie

I don't have any advice as I am trying to gather info myself as I was just recently diagnosed with arthritis

I have the same achy fellings especially when it gets cold or rainy, more than likely I would say that you are experiencing arthritis.

Arthritis tends to set up after surgeries like on your knees,legs,ankles,wrist,ect.

I broke my wrist when I injured my knee and now have arthritis in both.

They have some great news drugs out especially made for people suffering with arthritis,like celebrex,vioxx, and bextra,oh yeah also a great one called mobic, that one has worked best for me!! So you may want to ask your dr about these to help with the achiness.

Hope you get some relief soon

Love,Jennie
Posted by nmcbride (nmcbride), 29 July 2003

Jenny,

Thanks for that, I think I'll make an appointment to see the Doc because today my knees are in agony, I can hardly walk so I think I need to get some sort of pain relief.  How long do these drugs take to start having an effect?

Natalie.
Posted by enuff81020 (enuff81020), 29 July 2003

Hi!

You certainly have described some of the symptoms of OA--but you n eed a doc to diagnose for sure.  Knee issues and injuries and problems can be such a wide variety of things that trying to "figure it out" is not a good idea.

Ignoring it, self-medicating, and putting up with it is also not a good idea.  That was my method of addressing my knee pain for a very long time--and then when I could no longer tolerate what my body was doing, I gave in and went to the doc.  I have been on a long tough path since then and believe that if I had sought out treatment sooner, some of this might have been avoidable.

Good luck with all of this--let us know what the results of your dr appt are.  Take care, Sylvia
Posted by nmcbride (nmcbride), 26 August 2003

Hi

Well the results of my blood tests came back negative for rheumatoid arthritis.  I don't know if they tested for any other kind of arthritis but my GP said she thought it was unlikely that I had arthritis.  So I seem to be no further forward.  I'm still in a lot of pain and don't really know what else I can do except keep taking the painkillers and put up with it - great!!    I am due to see my OS next week so I'll speak to him further then and hopefully get some answers/suggestions as to what is causing this awful pain.  I'll keep you posted on the outcome.

Natalie.

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