Just found out...

jade2011

Hey, im new to the site. Ive just been told i have arthritis in both my knees and theres nothing they can do at the moment except that i take ibuprofen, im allowed injections at winter to prevent me from falling on ice etc. Im completely devastated as before this i used to ride horses and now probably shouldnt. I have had to wait 5 years to get anybody in the hospital to see me as, my doctor and nurses told me i was just young and there was nothing wrong. I dont really understand what the different types of arthritis is and i have not been told anythig else apart from i have arthritis. Could someone please explain?

Thanks

cthornley

Hi Jade , welcome to the site
My initial thought is you need to go back to your Dr and say that that is not a good enough answer - ask them all the questions you have and keep asking until you get an answer you understand and are happy with. If you are not happy with what your dr tells you, you have every right to ask for another dr’s opinion
If it is an inflammatory arthritis which it sounds like if they are suggesting ibroprofen then proper early treatment can prevent damage from occurring and more serious treatment being needed later on. Saying that you are just too young is utter rubbish – arthritis can strike you at any age.
You don’t say how old you are but if your parents come to your consultations then get them to help push for an answer if not then get a friend or relative to come to your consultations for moral support. Write down what you want to ask , what you want to say and what outcome you are looking for. If they are suggesting an inflammatory type arthritis then you should at least get an initial consultation with a rheumatologist and then you can take it from there.
If its bad enough to stop you doing stuff then its definitely got to be looked at in more detail especially as you are young and you have your whole life ahead of you.
Sorry if thats a bit ranty but I know how difficult it can be for some young people to be diagnosed and get proper treatment and I get a bit worked up on the subject. Just to put it in context I was diagnosed at 19 and i’m now 31, I had to fight to get proper treatment but because I’m an awkward bugger I persevered and am very glad I did, just remember they are talking about something that may affect you for the rest of your life and therefore its worth making a fuss about now.
Hope that helps a bit
Chrissie

jade2011

Hi Chrissie,
Thanks for that it was a great help, i know i need to know more but i couldn't think of anything at the time as it was a massive shock to hear that i had arthritis, ill be sure to write some questions for next time and make sure i find out anything i can. Im only 19 but have had problems with my knees since i was 15/16.

Thanks again
Jade

louiserichard

jade2011 wrote:

Hi Chrissie,
Thanks for that it was a great help, i know i need to know more but i couldn't think of anything at the time as it was a massive shock to hear that i had arthritis, ill be sure to write some questions for next time and make sure i find out anything i can. Im only 19 but have had problems with my knees since i was 15/16.

Thanks again
Jade

Hi Jade

Its a lot to take in at first and I know its hard to be told you have arthritis at a young age (i've had it since i was a kid - i'm in my 20s now). Ask for another appointment and see if you can get more information on the type of arthritis they think you have etc. If the med you are on isn't helping don't be afraid to go back and ask for different meds - sometimes it takes a while to find the right one but once you do it will be worth it. It may be that you can still do horse riding it depends how much pain you have but with meds anything is possible.

Louise x

jade2011

thanks louise, i went to the physio the other day and she told me my knees are not that bad but i just have to maintain them from now on. Im understanding a bit more about it all now, i just think my doctor was a bit uncomfortable telling someone as young as me, ive been given leaflets about it all so ive been reading up and learning about it. when i go to my next appointment i may ask about different things i can take apart from painkillers as they dont always work and ask about different treatments that are available, i just could not think of any before. I feel so much better since being given the link to this website as i thought i was alone before.
Thanks
Jade

charlieb

Hi Jade

My names charlotte and i am also 19 , i have systemic onset J.I.A this means i have it in all joints and your story sounds exactly the same as mine except they gave me penecilin, it took a trip to bristol to get answers.

I fully understand the worry you may have felt as i was terrified and worried at having no answers!

I am glad you are getting somewhere , if you have any questions i will try and help!

Never give up on the horse riding , i had to sell mine at the start but after sorting out the best meds for me i am slowing getting back into it!

Take care
Char

carolanivey

Hi Jade,

There basically two different kinds of athritis: osteo arthritis (OA), which is caused by simple wear and tear on a joint. If you're athletic, it isn't unusual to show early signs of wear and tear at a young age, especially if you have an undiagnosed congenital deformity in a knee, hip or foot. Such a deformity might never give you problems unless you overwork the joint.

The other kind of arthritis is, in reality, completely different from OA. Rheumatoid, or inflammatory, arthritis is an auto-immune disorder, in which your immune system mistakes your joint tissue (cartilage) for foreign tissue or an infection. The immune system attacks the perceived threat, which causes pain and swelling and, eventually, joint damage.

Make sure you confirm with your doctor what kind of arthritis you have. The treatments are very different.

In the meantime, ice packs may help, as well as keeping your knees wrapped to support the joint and keep it warm. Wrapping it will also help reduce swelling by using gentle compression.

jade2011 wrote:

Hey, im new to the site. Ive just been told i have arthritis in both my knees and theres nothing they can do at the moment except that i take ibuprofen, im allowed injections at winter to prevent me from falling on ice etc. Im completely devastated as before this i used to ride horses and now probably shouldnt. I have had to wait 5 years to get anybody in the hospital to see me as, my doctor and nurses told me i was just young and there was nothing wrong. I dont really understand what the different types of arthritis is and i have not been told anythig else apart from i have arthritis. Could someone please explain?

Thanks