Orthovisc injection story

[SarahMN]

I had Synvisc and not a good reaction.  The fat pad on the inside of my leg swelled by the 3rd injection, and stayed that way for 6+ months.  It did nothing for my pain, but made my knees hurt more.

My reaction did not show up at the first injection round.  But by the 2nd, and definitely after the 3rd, it went bad with knee and fat pad swelling and a lot of pain.

I am glad to hear that someone did get a good reaction from Orthovisc.  I know about 6 aging athletes like me, and none of us have had good results or luck with Synvisc.  Maybe Orthovisc is different. 

I have read that a few people get good results w/Synvisc, but for me it was a major pain problem and was long lasting in my knees.  It did wear off but took a long while.   

[Lea50]

I had 1 synvisc and 1 orthvisc injection.  Neither worked.  Very bad reactions.  Did not have the 3rd.  I have had continued weakness in my leg, quad muscle and knee since the injections.  I was wondering if anyone has experienced this?  I just realized today I've had this and its been getting worse since the injections.  Any thoughts??? 

Thanks,  Lea

[neuf350z]

the one thing i would like to add about the injections( beside being a knee saver for me) is that my dr. knows me, all to well, after injections some go on with their day, he had me go home, , take the afternoon off, elevate, ice, let the goo set in and find a new home in the joints, i found as usuall my OS was right on the money, they seemed to last longer and give better results, hope the hint can help some of you who are going through the injections, moon

Good advice!  Wish my doctor had suggested this for me because I've been finding that I get the shot, go back to work, walk around, and am uncomfortable.  It makes sense to rest and ice it since a foreign substance was just shot into your body with a large needle.  Of course, it makes sense at this moment now that my knee is swollen and I've learned the hard way.  Sometimes I don't even listen to myself. 

[lady]

I go for my first shot of a series of 3 tomorrow at 8 a.m. Oh gee I can't wait. lol. I wish I could take the day off but I can not. I am prepared to take it easy as much as possible. I'm a preschool teacher and it is very hard to take days off and not leave the school short staffed, plus I'm a control freak. One good thing is I have an unloader and I'm hoping it helps, but I'm worried it one of the pads on it will rub the injection site and bother.

If I feel working was not a good idea (as I already think its not) I'm going to try to get the next one off. I did work it out so that the 3rd shot was on Good Friday and I already have that off. One big complaint about my knee is that it affects so much of my life including my job and responsiblities. Having to be late for work and possible not go in at all is so NOT OKAY with me. I also have soccer pracitce on these days but had to cancel and have 2 games the morning after 2 of the shots. Man its a bummer. God I hope its worth it!!! cross your fingers for me. Maybe your toes too!

Good advice as usual on this website. Thanks again.

[yzenabi]

Dmax5705  Where from Canada did you get the Orthovisc?  My insurance does not cover it and I've found that its really expensive here in the states.  Thank you

[KimmyZ05]

Hello,
I am new here. I am 28 years old. I have had a total of 6 surgiers on my knee. My left I have had 5. You can see what I have had all done. My right knee is just fine. I have gone to a few doctors and I am keep getting told that It am too young for a replacement. And that really there isnt much more they can do for me. I just saw a new doctor today and he is letting me try the
Orthovisc. I would love to hear what everyone has to say about this.
I am 28 I am very active but the knee pain has been stopping me from being a normal active 28 year old. The whole knee hurts not just one area. I know that I have bone on bone.

Thanks for the help I cant to hear from everyone.

[skierboy]

Since I've had three series of three hyaluronic acid injections ove the past 18 months or so, I guess I have some competence to respond here.  For me, the injections have been very helpful.  They have given me the extra lubrication I need in my left knee after two surgeries, including a microfracture.  I have been told that these injections are very helpful for some people and give others no relief at all.  And some people have an allergic reaction to them.  If you tend to be allergic to egg products, these types of injections are probably something you should avoid.  One of my orthopedic surgeons will not give Synvisc injections because of the increased risk of allergic reaction to this product, which is directly derived from chicken combs, I understand.  Other products, such as Hyalgan and Euflexxa, are made with synthetic hyaluronic acid and thus avoid the chicken/egg allergy risk.  But some of the results of Synvisc appear to be better.  Pick your poison.  I was able to get three Synvisc injections from another orthopedic surgeon I work with (hey, don't you have a "team" of these guys yet?), and I had no adverse reactions.  I had injections of Euflexxa a half year or more earlier, and that helped as well. So if you are some months post operative and your knee begins to grind a bit or feel "rusty", these injections are something you should consider.

For me, for example, glucosamine and chondroitin did no good whatsoever, even though I took them for several years.  Other people I know swear by them.  One of the keys here is figuring out what works for you--which may not be what works for others you know.

Final comment:  I agree with those who say take it easy for 24 hours after an injection.  If there is 6 months of "good" you can get out of these shots, don't screw it up by forcing the injection out of the knee before it can be properly absorbed & distributed.  Sometime we are our own worst enemy.

[Lottiefox]

Euflexxa works for me too. About 5-6 weeks post shot I find my knees feel way better - can bike longer, stand up in pedals, bend down more easily - etc. I have mild to moderate OA behind both kneecaps and on medial compartment left knee too. I get about 4-5 months out of them. I agree with the take it easy for 24 hours or so. I did too much too soon this time being all cocky, and my one knee went red and was puffy for a few days. After my first round I did very little in the way of exercise for 3 days. Pedalling hard 24 hours after dual shots this time was not good. I shall be redoing them around June this year. Definitely worth a try I think. 

[skierboy]

Well, it's time to update my earlier report done on this topic thread back in March of 2011.  Unfortunately the news is not good.

I did a series of Synvisc injections back in March.  I may have done an earlier series six months before that.  No problems, and they helped greatly in terms of lubricating the joint.  Several weeks ago when I had the first of a new series of Synvisc injections, I had to take a few aspirin that evening to sleep comfortably.  The knees had swollen a bit.  Last Thursday I got follow-on injections in both my knees, and by that evening I could barely walk.  I thought for awhile that I would be awake with the aching pain (particularly in my arthritic left knee) all night, but a couple of Aleve pills got me through the night.  I found, however, that I could only really sleep on my stomach.  For some reason keeping the knee caps pressed onto the bed really reduced the throbbing in the joint.

It is now the following Monday, and I can still barely walk around.  There is clearly a lot on inflammation in each knee joint, esp. the left one.  It is a different kind of inflammation than that caused by arthritis itself, but the net effect is much the same.

It appears that one can have no problem with Synvisc and then have an allergic reaction to the avian elements of the stuff come on months or years later when getting later injections.  What a shame.  I had taken Orthovisc originally and then switched to Synvisc since I did not think I would have any problems with avian byproducts.  That was true at the time -- but it ain't any longer!

Needless to say, I am not going to get any more of these Synvisc injections.  I only hope that I can return back to Orthovisc or an equivalent artificial hyaluronic acid product each six months to help keep my knees lubricated and w/o any adverse reaction to the injections.

What a bummer!

If you are taking Synvisc and are having no adverse reactions, lucky you.  But be sure to monitor your body's reactions carefully.  And if you find you are developing a sensitivity to the product, be very, very careful.  The body's adverse reaction to such an injection grows geometrically, not arithmetically, so your next experience with the product could be a whopper!