hi .not sure what to do

otis12

hi , i'm not sure if i have artists ..

over the years the symptoms of artist as been on ongoing after a injury to my left knee ligament torn .. over the years put up with it with few drains of fluid on the knee , this last few years both knees and ankles have been getting very poor , been seeing the gp a few times , all i got is pain pills , but still no answers at 50 years old .. it as got to stage i wake up all with stiffness and pain in the legs and i can't hardly walk .. then after a bit the stiffness goes a bit but their is still pain , same with sitting down . plus i'm having great trouble walking outdoors as well .. i start of with normal strides all with pain ,then about 100meters or so .. then baby steps start with great stiffness and pain .. until i can't cope with it . forcing myself forward to the points of crying . anyhow i booked another appointment with the gp that took 2 weeks .. but this time i was sent for a xray ..for both knees joints .. i got text from the gp saying , your recent test is satisfactory ,no further action is needed at this stage . i thought to myself this can't be wright .. so i looked at my recent tests myself online .. for which i still don't understand . below is what is said from the xray .. i haven't a clue what to do .

Pathology Investigations

Plain film XR KNEE BOTH
Report Summary
Clinical History :
Increasing pain and stiffness in both knees ? OA
XR KNEE BOTH
XR KNEE BOTH : Comparison with previous left knee images of
2007, no previous right knee images available. No joint
effusions. Mild degenerative change noted in the lateral and
patellofemoral compartments of the left knee with slight
loss of joint space and marginal osteophytes. Appearances
have progressed slightly since previous imaging. Small
marginal osteophytes noted at the right patellofemoral joint
however the joint spaces are preserved. No other significant
findings.

General Information
Service Type: New
Status: Unspecified
any advice would be nice , thanks

Please note this message has been edited by the moderators to remove names

[Deleted User]

Hello otis12 and welcome to the forums from the moderation team.

I am very sorry to hear about the pain you are describing and your lack of a diagnosis, it sounds as though you don’t know which way to turn. We, as moderators, are not medically trained, but from the symptoms you detail as well as your Xray report I would have thought you have every reason to want to see your GP to discuss the results.

If you have not done so before we usually recommend that you take someone with you when you see your GP. This is useful as it provides someone else to back you up when telling your GP how significantly the pain and stiffness is affecting your life. In addition that person will be another pair of ears to remember what your GP says to you.

It might be wise to spend some time reading up about arthritis prior to the appointment as well as making a short list of symptoms to take with you to the GP.

I attach a link to Arthritis Care’s information about Osteoarthritis as well as Arthritis Research Uk’s :

https://www.arthritiscare.org.uk/do-i-have-arthritis/a-z-of-types/62-osteoarthritis

https://www.arthritisresearchuk.org/arthritis-information/conditions/arthritis/diagnosis.aspx

Some people find self-help options such as using heat, (wheatbags), tens machines really helpful. Your Dr can refer you for physiotherapy, steroid injections etc. You might also wish to ask whether there is a pain clinic in your area.

We have a great community here, who have lots of experience of arthritis, I know they will make you very welcome and help in any way they can.

I look forward to seeing you posting in future.

Best wishes

Ellen.

stickywicket

Hello Otis, I'm sorry you're in so much pain. Kneea can be very painful joints as I well know.

We are not qualified to interpret x-rays. It seems your GP doesn't think yours mean surgery is appropriate for you right now but, like Ellen, I would book in to have a chat with him about the results.

Have you had any physiotherapy? It can help a great deal to ease pain and help us to walk further. I have to do exercises regularly to maintain my range of movement and atrength.

I hope your GP can help.

otis12

hi morning thanks all :-)

yes i've made appointment , being the only time i could see a gp was about what's going on with the xray and the ways to move forward with this .. is the start of 2018 . i just wished the text they gave and the online service was a more informative in what to do "next steps".

i was given the opportunity to see a physiotherapy a few months back , sadly after ringing up a few time's i could not get appointment , i live on my own , with no friends to help even to get their . my world as become so small and isolated . costs of taxis it just gets too much , as a point resorted to online food shopping for the most , i'm really trying hard not to feel down about it all .

As this morning the same again , took some time for my legs to come round .. baby steps to the toilet " if i may saying" then so on to make a coffee to wake up and continues through the everyday matters . my ankles the same as well . the day is just playing catch up on the day to day living .

anyhow .. yes .. thanks for your replies much appreciated , take care :-)

stickywicket

Things seem really tough for you right now, Otis.

I don't think the x-ray read-out can give 'next steps'. The person writing it might not be qualified to advise on that.

I'm sorry you had such a hard time of getting a physio appointment but it really is worth persevering with this. Is telephoning the only way? Can you book online? They often have long waiting lists but, if you can take a cancellation (ie go at short notice) you can often get in much quicker.

I don't suppose you could manage a private physio? I've just seen one as our NHS waiting times are so long. OK, she cost me £45 for an hour but it was well spent. She listened very carefully to all I told her, explained what she was sure was wrong, gave me some exercises and said I almost certainly wouldn't need to see her again. And I don't. Things are improving rapidly.

Arthritis Care has a large section on exercise. Check here https://www.arthritiscare.org.uk/living-with-arthritis/exercise-and-arthritis . And, at the bottom of the page, are publications with exercises. It's better to have a physio guiding you but, if that's not possible, this is the next best thing.

You sound pretty isolated, Otis, and that's not good as it can be so depressing. Why not ring our lovely Helpline people for a chat? That might have all sorts of suggestions to make life a little easier for you.

otis12

Hi ,

well yes depressing , for which i been dealing with for some time , with a few other matters , that's why a cancelation appointment is a very difficult to take on board , with no support .

i've bought one of them tens machines , should be here on Friday , for which that will have to do for the moment . until i get to see the gp early hours on the 8th next year and see what the conclusion is , or find out what is the next steps to find out whats wrong with my legs from the hips down .

sorry for being self indulgent , but everything seems a battle these days , with one things and another .

i will take on board what as been said , wishing you all the best for everyday . be well take care form me :-)

dreamdaisy

Hello, you are not being self-indulgent, being in constant pain is tiring, not knowing why is distressing, dealing with it on your own is very hard, especially at this time of year. I began my arthritic years back in 1997 when I was 37, my left knee started to swell and didn't stop: by 2002 surgery was required to remove all the solidified and liquid swelling and, as soon as that was all gone, it started again. It was finally decided I had some kind of auto-immune inflammatory arthritis and that in turn has led to osteo. Around forty joints are affected, some have one, some the other and others both. Knowing why things are as they are is a help but managing the day-to-day malarkey is not always easy despite my years of experience.

Stay in touch with us, we all get it because we've got it. The other boards may be of interest, Living with Arthritis is the busiest but there are others too. I wish you well. DD

otis12

Thanks for your post , and compassion , i can't even begin to know how much you have been through and that at a early age as well , so sorry . my life is passing by so fast , and half way through building a campervan for me and dog , to have sort breaks form the everyday confinement . i just wanted to get it done , if i have it or whatever it is get any worse , so me and otis " my pet friend " have some sort of quality in life while i can still walk a bit , but the last two years my legs have got worse to a point i can't move forward , tears flowing down my face as i walk the dog , he's 2 and bit and all i have really .

anyhow hes looking at me to go out , so thanks for your help and being honest with your story . best wishes in everyday take care through out the holidays from otis and i

dreamdaisy

Is that Otis? Ah, bless him, isn't he lovely? I bet he keeps you very busy. Thank you for your kind words, I have never known good health and regard it as a blessing because that prepared me well for this malarkey: it must be far harder coming at this from a healthy background.

After my first big knee operation (not a replacement) back in 2002 I had to use crutches for months as I recovered and they soon became a necessity; as the years passed I graduated to using a rollator, wheelchair and a mobility scooter (for the very bad days).

To cut a long story short I am now working with a personal trainer to try to improve my physical well-being and I am sure that my continued use of walking aids is now reaping rewards in that my hips have maintained a good range of movement. Do you use any walking aids? If not, please consider doing so because they can ease the strain on affected joints. They will not diminish the pain of movement (pain relief will only dull matters, the underlying twang will remain) but they will stop the arthritis spreading as rapidly. If we continue walking without aids we change the way we move to reduce pain thus putting our other joints under stress, throwing them out of kilter and so the arthritis can move in there.

I hope the TENs helps, personally they did nothing but others swear by them. Please let us know how you get on - and walk Otis a little but often. DD

otis12

Yes ,that otis , this may sound somewhat stupid but i class him as my son , no having any kids , this being down to mental health problems at a early age .

but yes i just wanted be better quality of live for us both in a sense, until this that as been creeping up form a old injury to the left knee , then putting more weight on the other leg , and plodding along with it until this last two years , anyhow the gp as just given me some Naproxen 500mg tablets - 28 tablet to take the swelling down , and for the pain . depending on pharmacy2you for the delivery before xmas , until i get to see the gp in the new year . and only getting a few hours a sleep at night . and it's alot to take on board for me at the moment . and all i can do is try and keep positive , like yourself over the years and not to give up . like many others .

yes i have used a sick when i first got the injury in 2007 , then my pride stopped me , which as made it worse like you said . and know it's baby steps with both legs needing help . today as completely tired me out .

hope all is going well your way .. thanks for the good advice must appreciated . best wishes from otis and i take care in all that you do .. time for coffee .

2006 picture of otis

dreamdaisy

I too don't have children but that's through choice: my genetic heritage is not one to envy, the asthma, eczema, psoriasis and now the arthritis have condemned me to a life spent swallowing and injecting medication and, as medical understanding improved about why things ran in families, I couldn't bring myself pass on the dross: how selfish would that be?

I hope the TENs arrives - it's a very strange sensation and not one I found soothing but others find them very helpful and I hope you do. Dig your sticks out too - look around you when you are out and about and you will see how many people use them or other aids: some will be younger than you and some older but no-one will take a blind bit of notice when you use them because they are too wrapped up in their little lives. Vanity is not a useful life aid, don't use it. DD

otis12

hi

i went through a lot of thoughts myself , about such matters and couldn't bring anything to sit well in my sense of being a human being , but anyhow , had a do with the tens machine , and even on the low setting it would amplify the pain and the only sense of pain relief is when turned it off , i will still keep having a go , for the next few days .

again thanks take care , best wishes from otis and i ,

otis12

This morning as been better regarding pain with taken 500mg of naproxen and couple of tesco ibuprofen 200 mgx2 , yet the popping /cracking is still evident ,legs still the same when i move around . but i am so happy not be in that much pain for the time being ,

thanks paws and co

stickywicket

Otis, I'm sorry to be the bearer of bad news but PLEASE don't mix naproxen and ibuprofen. They are both, essentially, the same medication and you will be taking far too much. Stick with what the GP prescribed and, if you need more pain relief, ask your local pharmacist what will be OK to take with what you're already taking. I'm sorry but this is really important.

dreamdaisy

Ye gods, be careful Otis, both are anti-inflammatory medications and both are processed by the liver: take one or the other but NEVER the two together. Take the naproxen as prescribed by your doctor, that is the more powerful of the two and so will be more effective but it takes time to build in your system.

I hope your doctor has advised you about pain relief, as far as I know you can take paracetamol with Naproxen but again no more than recommended due to the risk of liver damage. Naproxen will reduce any further inflammation, and hopefully reduce your pain levels but things will still hurt and your legs will still feel the same - it will not repair the damage that is already done. DD

otis12

HI thanks for your concerns in the way i take some sort of pain relief , it was a case of being so desperate to have relief . that it self gave me fulfilment even at risk , normal predecessors will take place .

that aside , i had wonderful day with a good sleep for once at night, for which i so desperately needed for my own sanity .

it was kind of you all to have concerns and for that i can only say many thanks :-)

all the best from paws and co christmas02

his first snow 2 years ago

stickywicket

Phew! I'm pleased to hear from you. Pain does seem to dictate its own solutions from time to time but doubling up on anti-inflammatory meds is not one of the ways to deal with it. For your lovely little dog's sake please don't do that again.

I suggest you get rid of the ibuprofen and remove all temptation. As I said, if you can't get to the doc your local pharmacy will advise on what is possible and what isn't - just ensure he / she knows all the meds you're currently taking.

I wish you both a Happy Christmas and a better New Year. christmas02

dreamdaisy

Hello Otis, how are things going now? Is the naproxen helping to ease matters? DD