Hi Sandy

Sorry to hear you have such a swollen knee. That used to be my exact problem and I used to keep having the fluid drained off. Fortunately now, with different treatment it has been behaving itself.

I suggest you ring your rheumatology helpline/nurse at the hospital, if you have one and explain what has happened and they should be able to get you a nurse appt very quickly to sort it out.

If you haven't got a nurse helpline, ring the consultant's secretary (they are your key to most things!!!) - ask her nicely if she could arrange for you to see someone to take the fluid off as you can hardly move and are worried it will continue getting worse. Tell her you've had fluid drained off before (that'll reassure her you really do know what you are asking for). Hopefully, she will be helpful and ask the consultant for you what to do. They then will ring you back. The key is to be calm and polite - then they are usually very very helpful.

Either option - keep your mobile with you all the time so you don't miss their call back. I find they tend to ring vey early in the morning or early evening. My consultant has rang me back a couple of times - I even had a call from a nurse on a Sunday afternoon!!

They are usually keen to sort out swelling like this as quickly as possible, otherwise it might cause lasting damage - which makes lots of work and hassle for everyone!! My GP always says phone the hospital; so unless you have an experienced rheumatology GP - he is unlikely to do this for you. Some of the more junior Drs at the hospital can drain off the fluid as well.

Hope that helps and you get some relief as soon as possible - but definitely phone the hospital.

Anne

Hi Anne
Rang the nurse and she told me to up my Prednisolone and put a bag of frozen peas on my knee. She said she doesn't think the doctor would want to drain fluid off as he did it only two weeks ago. I have to give it a month and see how it goes then ring the hospital to tell the doctor what has been happening and he may decide to see me earlier than Sept.
Maybe tomorrow I'll feel better!
Cheers
Sandy

Hi Sandy,
interesting to read the Jenni's comments on this, partic follow up with hydrotherapy after rest.
I have been plagued with knee problems since first having ra 6 yrs ago and have had this procedure several times.
Like you the first time it did not last at all, but I carried on as normal without resting. I remember asking my rheumatologist at the time how long it would last and he said, may be for ever or may be not at all!!

The last couple of times I was admitted and put on bed rest for 24hrs, not even being allowed to get up to the loo!! That was 12 months ago now.
Resting certainly helps, but I think that the fact that fluid keeps building up may show that your ra is not as well controlled as it should be.

The main problem for me has been finding the right treatment to do the job. It can take so long because each time your dose of demards is either increased or changed its another 3months wait. There has been no quick fix for me sadly and now a new knee is in the pipeline
Thankfully I am now on my third biologic and that at last has been doing the trick.

I would just ring again in a month and push for a sooner appointment if it does not improve.
In the meantime rest it as much as you can, it helps along with the hot and cold packs.
Hope it eases soon, Zena x

Hi all
I was diagnosed in 2011, so relatively recently, and have had a bad time with my hands, shoulders and feet but no problem with my knees until recently.

I was prescribed MTX and hydroxy in the first instance but had to come off MTX in May 2012 as I was getting very breathless and it was thought that the MTX was possibly the cause. Having undergone extensive tests I was diagnosed with emphysema in Sep 12 and so when the consultants got their heads together in November it was decided that I could restart MTX at a smaller dose to see how things went. In Sept 12 I was also diagnosed with Barratt's oesophagus (with high grade dysplasia) so I had a really rough few weeks! An endoscopic mucosal resection was done in Jan of this year and the results were good, all the dysplasia (pre cancerous cells)appears to have been removed, I go back to see the gastro team in 10 days time to find out how often they want me back for monitoring endoscopies - hopefully every 6 months not every 3 months as I see enough of my local hospital as it is!!

The upshot of all of this stopping and starting has been that my RA is not well controlled and the consultant has increased my dose of MTX back to 20 mg weekly with the view that it can go up to 25mg weekly if necessary. I hate taking steroids as my weight has ballooned since taking them, I was getting the dose down but since my knee has started playing up the dose has been increased again.

My knee is getting pretty tight and I'm trying to rest it as much as possible but I'm sure you all know what it's like, things just don't stop because you've got a dicky knee!! I'm glad times have changed, sounds like a real barrel of laughs you had to endure in earlier times if your knee played up.

Oh well, such is life with RA I suppose.

Thanks for all your replies, it really helps to have your input. There are obviously people who are suffering , and have suffered, much more than me because of this dreadful disease. One day they'll find a cure I'm sure.

Thanks again.

Cheers
Sandy

Hi Merete - sorry to hear about your knee problems, and you too Sandy. It's not nice having a swollen, painful knee! I know about a ruptured Bakers'cyst - I've had that twice. Basically it's a bag of fliud that collects in the soft space behind your knee. It's very common and often doesn't give any pain or other trouble. BUT, it can be really uncomfortable if it becomes very large (mine was) - and eventually it burst and the fluid drained down into my calf. The first time it happened, the GP thought I had deep vein thrombosis and I had to have blood thinning injections just in case there was a blood clot - any way it was nothing of the sort, and I got all stressed out for nothing - but the nurse explained that it probably was a burst bakers cyst, and explained all the symptoms. She also said that it often recurrs - So when it happened again a couple of years later, I knew what to expect. I still had to have blood tests and it was very painful, but the steroids helped and eventually the swelling just cleared up. I still have the cyst but it's much smaller and not painful now. I make sure I get plenty of gentle exercise as the surgeon said that was the best thing for it - I've found that my dmards control the inflammation generally and that helps the knees too.

I found that ice packs helped as does elevating the leg for a while, while it was swollen. Alternating that with gentle movements and eventually it does ease - but it takes quite a while for the swelling to vanish. I've been lucky and have very little joint damage, so as long as the swelling is kept down the knee feels fine, and I believe that gentle movement is the best thing for it now

Good luck - best wishes - Sylvia xx

Hello Merete.

Catching up on your thread.
That is amazing having ra for 20 years and the time has come for knee replacement. I had replacement last month after having ra for only 6 years - you have done really well!
Last June I started experiencing swelling & tenderness in my knee (before rheumy & I knew my knee was bone on bone rubbing) rheumy nurse squirted my knee to numb it and put a long needle in to take fluid out....no fluid came out!
And had steriod injection in my knee (did wonders short term)!
As I was recovering from bunion & hammer toes op my knee just got more and more painful.

So glad had my knee done now - its the unknown! The first week I felt woo hoo floating and out of it! Now I feel "better" in lot of ways but on crutches till I see surgeon next month on partial weight bear because I had extra bone removed due to the decay.

Our joints have ways to alert us when all isn't well.
Take care,
Good luck when you get your new knee.
Jane
Xxx

I like bionic buddy!
I can't do the splits or can can yet!!! (Can't imagine with ra I could anyway)!
Its like being bambi on crutches

You make me chuckle Sylvia!
Xxx

Hi All - sorry haven't been around for a while

Sandy - sorry to hear the knee's no better. The feet must make life rather difficult - everything seems to involve walking one way or another - and in my experience they are a major indicator of active RA! As this is your second attempt with mtx and it seems not to be working you probably need to start discussing other possibilities with your rheumy. The good news is that mtx is just the first in quite a long list of possibilities, so there will be an ideal wonder drug for you!

When is your next appointment? Make sure you get a list of questions together so you know what to ask - best wishes - Sylvia xx