What to do next

Jo_p79

Hi everyone,

I was originally diagnosed with mild osteoarthritis in my right hip 11 years ago when I was 33. In December 2023 I had an orthopaedic consultant appointment as I have a torn meniscus (2nd time I’ve had this issue) in my right knee. He did a number of x rays and told me that if he saw the x ray with no context he would have thought it be that of someone much older. He told me I have lateral compartment arthritis which is almost bone on bone and I need a total or partial knee replacement. Except I am 10 years too young.

Anyway, I have joint pain in my wrists, my ankles are painful and swelling and have various other joint issues (I have joint hyper mobility syndrome too). How do I make my GP take me seriously!? He says.. well you do have arthritis (only confirmed in hip and knee) live with it basically. Can I / should I push for a referral to rheumatologist? Feeling a bit alone at the moment and wondering what impact this will have on my life

Nurina

Maybe you need to change your GP. Your condition would need to be treated by a rheumatologist. Good luck.

helpline_team

Hi @Jo_p79

Thank you for posting on our Chat to Helpline forum and welcome to the Online Community. We are a friendly and supportive group and I hope that will be your experience too. I hope you found @Nurina post of some help.

I am sorry to hear about your knee injury and recent diagnosis of advanced osteoarthritis (OA) in your knee in addition to osteoarthritis (OA) in your hip which you have had for many years, and the pains you are now experiencing in other joints too . Any injury, such as a torn meniscus, can make you more susceptible to developing osteoarthritis (OA) in that joint.

It is understandable that you are feeling alone with your condition after such an unhelpful consultation with the orthopaedic specialist. I am also sorry to hear that your GP is not very supportive either. It may help to consult a different GP in the practice. Referral to a rheumatologist is certainly worth considering. A second opinion from a different orthopaedic surgeon may be worth considering too. Joint replacements are sometimes carried out for younger people of your age if it will significantly improve quality of life.

In the meantime, pain medication, the right kind of exercise, a healthy balanced diet and keeping a healthy weight may make a difference to how you feel. NSAID gels, Capsaicin cream on prescription (current shortage) or Flexiseq bought over the counter, may help to reduce the number of pain tablets you are taking. A heat or cold pack may help too. Your GP may consider referring you to a physiotherapist or the musculoskeletal (MSK) service.

If you would like to talk things through informally and in confidence about your arthritis, you are welcome to call our Free Helpline on 0800 5200 520 9am - 6pm weekdays.

I hope the information given below will be of some help.

https://www.versusarthritis.org/about-arthritis/conditions/osteoarthritis-of-the-knee/

https://www.versusarthritis.org/about-arthritis/managing-symptoms/

If you would like to have more replies to your post, you are welcome to repost on our Living with Arthritis forum which is another source of support to ask questions and share experiences with others facing similar challenges.

Please keep posting and let us know how you are getting on and I am sure that others will connect with you to share their support and experience as well.

Best wishes,

Fiona, Helpline Advisor