My knee?

[Ausjen2.0]

Howdy all. Just wondering if anyone else has had flare ups in what feels like the anterior cruciate ligament? I'm in a ridiculous amount of pain, the worst I've had in a long time and I'm trying to decide whether I'm going to book myself in to the physio or just hit the anti-inflammatories for a few days. Oh and just to whinge a bit more, I work on the second floor of an office and the toilets are on the first floor...and we only have stairs to get up and down. I wonder if anyone will notice if I just scoot down the stairs on my butt? lol

[katie]

I've had lots of knee problems, but it's cartiledge so I can't help. I did want to suggest that you take a clothes brush to work so that after you slide down the steps on your butt you have something to brush off the dust. Oh, and we'd like to post a picture of that, too.

[Ausjen2.0]

Ahaha good thinking Katie, I probably would have just wandered around with a dirty butt wondering why everyone was avoiding me I promise that if I do resort to butt sliding I'll get you photographic proof If only I lived in a cold country I could bring a sled to work and slide down on it, I wonder if a McDonald's tray would do the trick? ehehehe

[Marty]

About a year ago I had a very painful ACL in my right knee. I could barely walk. This was before my PR diagnosis. At the time I was attributing it to a twisted knee due to running with my Jack Russell terriers on some uneven grass (JRT's can run really fast). I also had pain in the ankle of the same leg. However, I never could associate it with a particular event. I just assumed that I must have twisted it and it began to hurt later on. After my PR diagnosis I was a little suspicious that it might have been a PR flare up but by then the pain had gone away.

One year later, I've been on Plaquenil for 9 months. For most of that time I haven't had any PR pain. In the last month or so I've been feeling mild flareups in some old and new spots. One of those old spots is my right ACL again. I periodically try to go off of my anti-inflammatory Diclofenac. While I was off the Diclofenac I could feel the ACL acting up again. Now I am back on the drug and it has pretty much gone away.

[Ausjen2.0]

Thanks Marty, I'd been to the gym and that's why I wasn't sure if it was the PR or my own stupidity hehe. Must have been the PR because it's 1000% better today and the really good news is that the doc has given me prescription pain meds so I might be able to sleep through the next bad one! Yay! I never appreciated sleep as much as I do now

Sounds like we're in similar places with our drugs and pain! I've been on Plaquenil for almost 6 months now and had been going great guns until the last month or so. My GP did tell me yesterday that he thinks it's a good idea if I take Celebrex (anti-inflammatory) every day for a while to see if that supresses the flare ups. I get it but still am a bit bummed out about it. Had really wanted to avoid daily pills because of the potential long term effects. *shrug* Such is life though.

Just while I'm on a bit of a whinge fest, one of my cubicle mates was complaining about how much pain he was in from an "inflamed knee" and how he's had it for a month blah blah blah but when I suggested he take something (because even I wouldn't wait a month before dealing with pain) "Oh no, I have a real thing about taking dugs, inflammation is a good thing because it protects the joint while it's healing". I offered him a day in the body of someone with arthritis or rheumatism to see how much fun constant inflammation really is and why they take drugs to reduce it and for some reason, he declined! Tool. Arrrghhh. Another reason why I don't like people

[Marty]

My Rheumatologist said I didn't have to worry about long term effects of taking anti-inflammatory drugs daily. I try to go off them every once and a while anyway. He did say that persistent inflammation in a joint can eventually harm the joint however it is a long term issue. Separate from the ACL flare-up I had both knees swell up last summer to the point I could hardly walk and drive. A steroid shot help reduce the swelling. On balance, putting up with the swelling did not seem like a good decision. I don't like taking drugs either but I decided the swelling was worse. I am disappointed that some of my flare ups are returning but they are so mild that they aren't inhibiting my daily activities. I plan on sticking with the Plaquenil. Also, I don't have any side effects from the Plaquenil and the Diclofenac.

[Ausjen2.0]

Totally on the same page as you Marty