knee swollen,turns out to be osteoporosis

Bones, joints and muscles
1

I had swollen knee on the right leg and went to my Rheumy,he took out the fluid from my knee and gave injection. But I still had swelling and pain can't walk.Rheumy gave me Arava increased Mtx dose .

Upon my friends request visited another hospital and was diagnosed problem in knee bone. Doctor said its osteoporosis in the knee. He gave me viatril -S and arcoxia (sorry if misspelled). I still cannot walk. Now my left knee and hip pains too. I'm feeling scared as to what's going on. The previous Doctor gave me treatment for Rheumatoid when the test showed sero negative. Taken treatment for 3yrs. But thing were still hard for me. So now changed the hospital and they found out that this is osteoporosis. I feel very depressed. Going to work limping. Do anyone have gone through this kind of problem,can you suggest or share please!

2

I too have sero-negative arthirtis, on the same as you, MTX & arava.  Does it help yes, but I have had side effects mainly from the Arava they have had to drop my dose to 10mg, as my blood pressure shot up so high, within ten days of starting the arava,

I also have osteoarthritis of joints, thanks Dad, NOT, Dad's family crippled with arthiritis, Uncle Bill Dad's brother had double hip replacement, great example of just how good hip replacements can be, very happy to have him there in the background, I kept saying to myself if Uncle Bill could do this in his 80's, I can do this Hip replacement in my 60's.

I had bone density scan every two years, and you can see the joints worse affected by the osteoarthiritis being worst affeected by osteopororis, so there must be a link.

I have had a double hip replacement, ortheopedic specailist not impressed with GP and Rheumo, have since fired GP and told him why in no uncertain terms, specailist said they said have notified him long before they did of my levels of damage to hip joints, now my kneee joints are showing signs of moderate osteoarthritis, and by the levels of pain I am suffering my shouders have been affected as well.   Brother has just had a knee replacement last Xmas.    GRRRR

3

😨 oh my god!

4

Sorry Ann - I hope I havn;t scared you silly, for me arthiritis within my family has been perfectly normal my entire life, saw various older members in wheelchairs when I was a child.

Interesting that the arthirits dosen;t seem to have affected the length of their life Uncle Bill passed at 97, and his Aunt Annie , my grandfather's last sister passed at 97 as well, I remember her being in a wheelchair from when I was a child. Two of Annie daughters are still alove in their 90's.

I am very grateful that we have hip replacements available today as well as MTX and arava, which have kept me upright and moving for the last 12 years or more since it hit me, but the rheumo is still not happy with my results, is going to try some of the biologiclas, seems to think they might help me, but here in australia you have to go through a process of trying other medications and having no success and or having such bad side effects you cannot tolerate,  before the Govt will fund the biologicals.

 

5

Thanks lyn. Now my left leg started to swell and I feel it stiff and heavy.I'm really worried. Maybe have to visit the doctor once again. Why is my swelling not coming down, that's my concern.

6

I'm wondering if your MTX is working for you, are you taking it as a tablet, and how much. 

There is a known side effect of MTX, your system refuses to absorb it through your stomach, my blood tests refused to come down even though  the dr had increased the doseage, and she said to me you may meed to inject, routine now, but at the time AGHHHHHH , I was a little needle phobic, she laughed at me, and said I know of children with diabetis that inject 4 times a day or more, get real, the shock did me a world of good.

Your ESR and CRP results will tell you if the inflamation levels are coming down, blood test that your regular Dr can do for you. 

My specailist has taught me to watch my monthly blood tests, I can almost judge without the blood tests, by the amount of discomfort and swelling I have if my ESR and CRP are going to be high our not.

I have been experiementing again with diet, just the last week, so no real long term results, I have cut out wheat completly, cook up a big saucepan of rice, and with milk for breakfast, and some sugar, savoury dish for lunch and dinner, but checking every thing for wheat content, last night forgot and ate some spagetti, noticed within about an hour, felt i was running a temp and just wierd, may be a virus, but think it was the small amount of wheat, but cutting out the wheat has helping with swelling in hands and shoulders, surprising how quickly it started to feel the relief, worth a try, It can't do any harm.

7

I'm taking Mtx in tablet form. I'm taking around 5 tab. As you said may be it not working for me. Yes,wheat is not good. But what about rice? Is it ok Lyn?

8

Rice works for me, keeps me much more comfortable with swelling. Am a little more suspious of oats, I can tolerate one meal a day, usually for breakfast with no side effects, in fact quite like oats, and makes a change from rice and more rice.

9

If you have osteoporosis you should have been prescribed some calcium sparing drugs like alendronic acid once a week and daily calcium tabs I would think. I hope it gets sorted for you.

You can be in pain even if your inflammatory markers are low.