Swollen Knees

[Guest guest]

Ursula

i would call the doctor but the PT should document it also

its good to be cautious and call annd tell the doctor

Robbin

[Guest guest]

hi ursula, i haven't been replying to many posts, but you got my attention.

i usually have problems in my joints in pairs. both knees, ankles, etc.

but i wanted to caution you about putting a pillow under her knees, if you

make that a habit she'll lose range of motion in her knees. by putting them

in the bent position(even though it is relaxing) over and over like that,

and leaving them like that(for sleeping, etc) even if it feels better that

way, she may end up not being able to straighten her knees after a while.

the muscles and ligaments will shorten to the length required by the bent

position. i speak from personal experience. i know how much the knees

hurt, i now have 2 steel ones myself, so please be careful not to make a

habit out of the pillow.

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[Guest guest]

I decided after I wrote this to call the doc to see if I could give her some

extra Naproxen tonight. I'm not sure yet just how this medicine works but I

thought if they are comfortable with giving supplemental Advil then why not

give alittle extra Naproxen. the on call doc said it was ok. She has just

now fallen off to sleep with both knees propped up on a pillow and miserable

most of the night. the right knee looks more swollen than the left but they

both look like softballs. she was pitiful. she just couldn't get

comfortable and then her back twinged every now and then.

When one area gets bad do the others seem to follow or do the flares stay

put for each cycle?

Her hands seem to stay swollen and red but they seldom hurt, her knees hurt

the most and they swell but they rarely get red. Her ankles swell and get

red but they tend to throb. and lately her back, it doesn't get red, it

doesn't swell but it aches. then there's her neck, it gets a crick, it

hurts only on the right and now its hurting in the front which tends to make

her hurt to breath. her neck is what they put her on the steroids for last

month. Has anyone heard of JRA of the neck? Of any children with

arthritis in the neck?

it's all so strange.

Ursula Holleman

Macey and 's mom

http://home.att.net/~maceyh

[Guest guest]

Dear Ursula, n sometimes had swelling, but her joints were never red.

Sometimes her joints hurt and there wasn't any swelling. n's pain

always has moved around. She would get it in her neck and back sometimes,

or even her shoulder blades. n has systemic JRA. She takes naprosyn,

but I really don't think that it has ever dented the pain. When she is in a

flare nothing helps for the pain. We finally had to go the steroid route

because of liver enlargement, and currently n has no joint pain at all,

and we have weaned her down to 2mg a day.

RE: swollen knees

>I decided after I wrote this to call the doc to see if I could give her

some

>extra Naproxen tonight. I'm not sure yet just how this medicine works but

I

>thought if they are comfortable with giving supplemental Advil then why not

>give alittle extra Naproxen. the on call doc said it was ok. She has just

>now fallen off to sleep with both knees propped up on a pillow and

miserable

>most of the night. the right knee looks more swollen than the left but

they

>both look like softballs. she was pitiful. she just couldn't get

>comfortable and then her back twinged every now and then.

>

>When one area gets bad do the others seem to follow or do the flares stay

>put for each cycle?

>

>Her hands seem to stay swollen and red but they seldom hurt, her knees hurt

>the most and they swell but they rarely get red. Her ankles swell and get

>red but they tend to throb. and lately her back, it doesn't get red, it

>doesn't swell but it aches. then there's her neck, it gets a crick, it

>hurts only on the right and now its hurting in the front which tends to

make

>her hurt to breath. her neck is what they put her on the steroids for last

>month. Has anyone heard of JRA of the neck? Of any children with

>arthritis in the neck?

>

>it's all so strange.

>

>Ursula Holleman

>Macey and 's mom

>http://home.att.net/~maceyh

>

>

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>

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>

>

[Guest guest]

- how did you know the liver was enlarged? by ultrasound? Macey has

one kidney that's larger than the other by 2 cm and she's had some elevated

liver enzyme results before (they say from the IVIG and constant Advil use).

has n had any problems with swelling around her heart? Macey has an

elevated heart rate and I've wondered if its from anything wrong or if its

just her. I've read this week where with systemic JRA there can be swelling

around the heart and/or lungs.

Ursula Holleman

Macey and 's mom

http://home.att.net/~maceyh

[Guest guest]

Ursula,

Kelsey's knees were the first joints to be affected and hers also looked like

softballs. Fortunately her pool therapy and Naprosyn have really helped

alot. I do feel lucky that the Naprosyn is working for her, and she is

taking 250mg every day. We go back to the rheum this friday, and I am hoping

she won't change anything. Really the only thing that gave Kelsey any relief

before we started Naprosyn and therapy was warm baths. Her right knee was

the first joint to swell, then later the pain started. Then it flared up in

her left knee, and about 2 months later her hands and ankles. It didn't all

hit her at once.

I hope Macey feels better soon. Take care,

[Guest guest]

Dear Ursula, n had tenderness in her abdomen, and upon palpitation the

doctor could tell that her liver and spleen were tender and enlarged. With

systemic you can have that and sometimes pleuritis (lungs) and

pericarditis(heart). The lymph nodes can also be enlarged, some kids can be

as big as oranges under their neck. I have told n that if she ever has

chest pains to let me know immediately, but sometimes the arthritis can just

be in the sternum causing chest pains. I guess they would tell by chest x

rays if the lungs and heart were involved. As soon as n went on

steroids the organ enlargement went away , and has stayed away. n also

had constant headaches and stomachaches. We at first thought it was from

the naprosyn, but now we can see that it was just part of the flare. She is

still on naprosyn and has no problems with it. Good luck. Praying for a

cure.

RE: swollen knees

> - how did you know the liver was enlarged? by ultrasound? Macey has

>one kidney that's larger than the other by 2 cm and she's had some elevated

>liver enzyme results before (they say from the IVIG and constant Advil

use).

>has n had any problems with swelling around her heart? Macey has an

>elevated heart rate and I've wondered if its from anything wrong or if its

>just her. I've read this week where with systemic JRA there can be

swelling

>around the heart and/or lungs.

>

>Ursula Holleman

>Macey and 's mom

>http://home.att.net/~maceyh

>

>

>

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>

[Guest guest]

Ursula

when melissas flared up it was only her left hip and left knee

then a week later her left ankle swelling

since feb 2000 i have found out this JRA is also in her fingers,

hands , wrists, shoulders, and neck and back

from what i have understood as with melissa

its a puzzle at first some doctors have to try this and that

then a bad flare up happens and they look back over the medical history

and they see the pattern

as with melissas case

but its a give take situation to

the knees and ankles and hips are the impact joints we have to walk

the hands and wrists elbows shoulders take less or hurt less due to we dont

walk on them the braces have helped alot with melissa because it also

keeps her joints warm and the muscles do alot of work her braces for her

knees have a metal joint on each side less impact to the joint

what i have done is let melissa soak in warm water when they swell

let me know how shes doing

Robbin

[Guest guest]

Ursula

do the joint test really this is what i do to see how melissa is doing

also

when your just sitting and yall are talking take her hands and with each

joint move it the fingers hand wrist elbow shoulder her back hip knee

ankle and toes

her neck this will show you how loose she is the muscle tightens up

or she will shaun away watch her walk see which she favors to keep close

to her

when she eats how she sits and watches tv

these can pin point alot i didnt know all this till the doctor showed me

even if she dont hurt they still favor something

with the joint move tecnic she will like it also like a massage

Robbin

[Guest guest]

your right the doctor said if we elevate melissas knees to straighten

them

and elevate the whole leg

Ursula

you may need to ask the doctor for the knee braces right know melissa is

wearing them to sleep every night these help alot because of the preassure

feels good also melissa also was casted and we have that to wrap her leg in

if her muscles start pulling back again

your daughter will feel a difference as melissa did with the braces

even when shes hurting or just the knees are swollen

Robbin

[Guest guest]

Has anyone used the knee high socks that one can buy even at Wal-marts for

tired swollen feet and better circulation? I had problems with swelling and

bought a couple of pair of these and swelling and alot of tireness went out of

my legs and feet, hope they work for you the same. Zoella

" The only people to get even with are those who have helped you. "

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[Guest guest]

I am interested in the responses to this one too. My son's two " episodes " have

both been swelling with heat, no fluid. But they did want to attempt an

aspiration anyway just to be sure (nothing significant showed up on x-ray).

Since the likelihood was so small, we opted out of the aspiration, and of the

mri at that time. Hope your son isn't having a major flare again.

Chris

---- Joanne <joannemartin727@...> wrote:

> Hi! My son, who is 10, knees seem to be swelling again after they have

> been quiet for quite a while. He has had surgery on his left knee last

> March for a severe flare up and is currently on Humira and MTX. When

> his knee was in a full blown flare last year, it was very warm to touch.

> The question I am wondering is it possible to have fluid build up in

> his knee right now without any heat? Is this the beginning of a flare

> as it quietly starts to inflame again? Last year he had been in

> remission for a long time and I hadn't even been watching for swelling,

> so when he finally started to complain it was really bad. So I don't

> know if this is the route it took last time.

>

> Thanks!

>

[Guest guest]

Hi, Joanne. My son had swelling in his ankles but there was never any

heat. Sometimes you could see the swelling in his various affected

joints, but most times the only real visible swelling was in his ankles.

The dr would feel the swelling in other parts of his body during an

exam. So I guess what I am trying to say is that a flare does not always

have visible swelling and heat. Even now when is flaring, it is

mostly pain that is noticeable and some swelling in his feet/ankles.

Your son is on some effective meds but perhaps he has grown some and his

doses need to be adjusted? I know that Chris' had to be as he grew in

his teens. I would definitely make note of what he is feeling and let

the rheumy know.

Let us know how it goes, Michele ( 21, spondy)

________________________________

From: [mailto: ] On

Behalf Of Joanne

Sent: Saturday, February 28, 2009 6:06 AM

Subject: Swollen knees

Hi! My son, who is 10, knees seem to be swelling again after they have

been quiet for quite a while. He has had surgery on his left knee last

March for a severe flare up and is currently on Humira and MTX. When

his knee was in a full blown flare last year, it was very warm to touch.

The question I am wondering is it possible to have fluid build up in

his knee right now without any heat? Is this the beginning of a flare

as it quietly starts to inflame again? Last year he had been in

remission for a long time and I hadn't even been watching for swelling,

so when he finally started to complain it was really bad. So I don't

know if this is the route it took last time.

Thanks!

[Guest guest]

,

Regrettably, swollen knees is a topic on which I have lots of

personal experience. Classical causes of swollen knees are reactive

arthritis, also knows as Reiter's Syndrome, and knee injury, such as

a torn meniscus. In this context, knee injury does not imply an

accident, but can simply be caused by wear and tear over time. Here

" wear and tear " is not just a figure of speech.

If there is no injury, draining the knee and injecting cortisone

should hold off all symptoms for at least 4 weeks. Since your

swelling returns in only 48 hours, I suspect a knee injury. The way

to diagnose knee injury is to first have the knee X-rayed. The X-ray

will be inconclusive, but may justify an MRI, which will then show

the injury. If injury is found, the answer may by arthroscopic

surgery through three small holes in the skin. This procedure only

takes 45 minutes, and you can literally walk away from it.

The most difficult part of the process is to have an orthopedist or

rheumatologist send the right written documentation to the insurance

company to justify an MRI. This is because MRIs are expensive and

often lead to arthroscopic surgery, for which insurance companies

would rather not have to pay. You may have to be forceful in

requesting an MRI, or switch doctors.

Sincerely, Harald

At 07:57 PM 6/28/2009, you wrote:

>Hello Group,

>

>I need help with my swollen knees, right one is buckling in and I

>can hardly get to the bathroom.

>

>I had an orthopedist extracting turbid, yellowish fluid from the

>knees, then injecting cortisone. In 48 hours the knees swelled up

>bigger than before and the labcorp testing did not grow anything.

>

>I will really appreciate any suggestion that someone in the group may have.

>

>thank you,

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

>

> Hi all, I have been having problems with painfull feet and tried D-Ribose but

it made me sick, I read that Bromelain could help so took my first tablet

tonight, I will see how it goes although not sure about the dose ? I have also

developed very stiff, swollen and painfull knees, has anyone got any ideas as to

what is happening to me, I can't kneel down and find it very painfull to squat.

I am trying to work while all this is going on and have to stand virtually all

day, could this all be due to undermedication? Luv Sue X

>

BUMP!

[Guest guest]

Sue

Can you provide more info about what else you are taking?

what dose is your bromelain, how - ie when- are you taking it? (should be on

empty stomach)

when did the knee problem start? what has your gp said about all this?

>could this all be due to undermedication

let us know what you're on?

C

> > Hi all, I have been having problems with painfull feet and tried D-Ribose

but it made me sick, I read that Bromelain could help so took my first tablet

tonight, I will see how it goes although not sure about the dose ? I have also

developed very stiff, swollen and painfull knees, has anyone got any ideas as to

what is happening to me, I can't kneel down and find it very painfull to squat.

I am trying to work while all this is going on and have to stand virtually all

day, could this all be due to undermedication? Luv Sue X

> >

> BUMP!

>

[Guest guest]

>

> Sue

>

> Can you provide more info about what else you are taking?

>

> >

>

High it started about 2wks ago, not been to GP about it as it happened to

my other knee just before I got a diagnosis and the GP said then that it was

probably due to my weight but that one cured itself when I started on the levo,

at present I am on 50mcg and they wouldn't increase dose because my TSH was 0.15

(0.3-4.6) t4 18.0 (12.0-22.0) even though I insisted my symptoms

continued. I wasn't taking the Bromelain 500mg 3x a day(for foot pain as you

recommended) on an empty stomach but will do from now on. I am also taking

2-3000mg fish oil, 200mg magnesium, 3000mg Vit C, 800iu Vit D, selenium 200ug,

100mg lipoic acid and 2x NAX. Hope I've covered all you need to know. Thanks

luv Sue X

[Guest guest]

Yes it seems all GP's say its either your weight or you have arthritis..........

Glynis

>

> >

> High it started about 2wks ago, not been to GP about it as it happened

to my other knee just before I got a diagnosis and the GP said then that it was

probably due to my weight but that one cured itself when I started on the levo,

[Guest guest]

Hi Sue

you need to take the Bromelain away from food because otherwise it'll just

digest the food protein - think of 'gammon + pineapple' (bromelain is from

pineapple)

to cure my PF, i took about 2-3 in the morning and night - that was viridian

brand i think, but i don't recommend you take more than what's on the label ,

though i thinnk that's what i did in the end.

chris

[Guest guest]

Hi Sue,

What you seem to be describing is a flare up of arthritis.

When it first starts you get a flare up, as there is

imflamation as the joints surface breaks down. This should subside

,but, you will probably get flare ups at various times. Hot and cold compresses

can help initially. I have hhad arthritis in both knees for years and am now

down to bone on bone, but get relief by taking Magnesium 400 - 800mg and

Magnesium oil on the joint and also large doses of MSM as a natural pain killer

(10grammes plus is usually required for this effect.)

Also since I lost over 2 stone in weight (HCG diet- see the chat room)it has

made a big difference to my mobility.

With regard to the Bromelain, you can get one with a harder shell

that will bypass the stomach and dissolve in the gut.

Kind regards,

Tina

>

> Hi Sue

>

> you need to take the Bromelain away from food because otherwise it'll just

digest the food protein - think of 'gammon + pineapple' (bromelain is from

pineapple)

>

> to cure my PF, i took about 2-3 in the morning and night - that was viridian

brand i think, but i don't recommend you take more than what's on the label ,

though i thinnk that's what i did in the end.

>

> chris

>