Reactive arthritis... damn

LeggyRunner
LeggyRunner Member Posts: 3
edited 25. Jan 2017, 13:07 in Say Hello Archive
Hello you lot. I have managed to pick up a case of reactive arthritis from a bout of food poisoning.

40 year old male. Went abroad. Got food poisoning. 4 weeks later my knee became a balloon. No pain, just solid fluid in the joint. Because I run, and run fast for my age, I put it down to a bio mechanical problem....

I rested it, iced it, elevated and compressed it, which had no effect at all. In fact whilst resting it got larger. Preventing me walking. Thats when I saw the doc, got my anti inflammatories, bloods taken, fluid drained and tested, MRI scan and x ray. All came back with no positive results. I binned the drugs straight away, as I never trust them (yes I am that stupid). Then a month later my eye picked up conjunctivitis.

Seeing a rheumatologist soon hopefully. But 3 months on from the initial swelling I am walking at pace, cycling gently and can do the odd canter over 100m. There is still swelling, which increases slightly with exercise, but slowly it seems to be getting better.

Thats my story. Anyone else have a similar one?

Comments

  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User] Posts: 3,635
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Hi Leggyrunner Welcome to the forum.You will find all people very friendly and helpful,just choose a forum and start talking.
    All the best Christine :sun:
  • dreamdaisy
    dreamdaisy Member Posts: 31,520
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Hello, it's nice to meet you but I am sorry you feel you need us. Who has diagnosed you with RctA? As I understand your post you have yet to see a rheumatologist, am I right?

    Arthritis is the umbrella noun which covers osteo arthritis and the numerous kinds of auto-immune inflammatory conditions. What meds were you given? Did you try them before you binned them? If so did you ask to try another kind? Has anyone offered to drain your knee? I ask because my inflammation solidified over a period of years, it didn't occur as solid fluid. The conjunctivitis is neither here nor there, usual ill health conditions arrive regardless of anything else which might be going on. DD
    Have you got the despatches? No, I always walk like this. Eddie Braben
  • LeggyRunner
    LeggyRunner Member Posts: 3
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    dreamdaisy wrote:
    Hello, it's nice to meet you but I am sorry you feel you need us. Who has diagnosed you with RctA? As I understand your post you have yet to see a rheumatologist, am I right?

    Has anyone offered to drain your knee? I ask because my inflammation solidified over a period of years, it didn't occur as solid fluid.

    The conjunctivitis is neither here nor there, usual ill health conditions arrive regardless of anything else which might be going on. DD

    Yeah I am booked to see the rheumatologist. He hasn't seen me yet. Apparently they may do a biopsy of the lining of the sack around the knee. I hope it's either gone by then, or they find something to confirm the issue.
    So yes the diagnosis has been one of the doctors ticking stuff off that it can't be. Do you think it is premature to think it is RA?

    I have been lucky enough to see one knee surgeon, private MRI, three GPs that have a good grounding in sports injuries and a consultant that specialises in biomechanical disorders. They have all given the joint a clean bill of health for the cartilage, meniscus, tendons, bone structure etc.

    I took Naproxin for about a week, but there has never been any pain. Plus it had no impact on the swelling size. If anything it got bigger.

    Knee was drained, lots of fluid came out and there was still more in there. The result on the fluid showed no crystals etc. When I say it is solid with fluid, that is my poor use of language. I mean it was packed tight and restricted movement.
  • stickywicket
    stickywicket Member Posts: 27,697
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    We don't get many people on here with ReA but I think they normally report pain. It might be that, somehow or other, your general state of fitness has saved you from that which would be a nice thought. Or, it might be that it's not ReA. Only a rheumatologist can really tell.

    I think, like you, if I had no pain I'd see little point in taking pain relief but naproxen is an anti-inflammatory rather than simple painkiller so, in your case, it might have helped. (Please tell me you took them back to the pharmacy rather than just binning them. If they go to landfill we all get a bit :lol: )

    This is what ARUK says about ReA.
    http://tinyurl.com/zwajexq

    You could also see past threads on here by putting the term, in full, in our search engine.

    Please let's know how you get on.
    If at first you don't succeed, then skydiving definitely isn't for you.
    Steven Wright
  • dreamdaisy
    dreamdaisy Member Posts: 31,520
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    The possibility of having an immune form of arthritis is a complex area. Many people think there are two kinds, osteo and rheumatoid and that only older people are affected; both of these common thoughts are erroneous. One of the 'benefits' of reactive is that it can clear (although that might take months) but may reoccur when another infection is contracted so not so bonny.

    I have no idea what is going on with you, sorry! I'm twenty years in and, oddly, it was the physios at my local football club (when I was three years in) who referred me to orthopaedics at the hospital. My GP had been far less than helpful and, in desperation, I made an appointment thinking that footy physios may know a little about fat knees. Mine intrigued them to the extent they all had a look. I lost a further year of possible treatment as I was referred by them to rheumatology who promptly referred me back. Twerps. I was eventually 'diagnosed' in 2004 with a form of auto-immune inflammatory arthritis then that was changed to psoriatic arthritis (in 2006) when my skin helpfully obliged with a bout of that on my palms and soles. Now I have OA too so I've won the creaky lottery!

    Please let us know how you get on when you see the rheumatologist. DD
    Have you got the despatches? No, I always walk like this. Eddie Braben