Having horrendous increase in knee pain

Kazwilli50 · 7. May 2020, 09:50

Hi I have been living with arthritis in both my knees for over a decade. I have had the odd flare up which has been dealt with by naproxen and topped up with codeine if needed.
I have had hydrocortisone injections which helped a great deal and removed the need to take codeine.
I had the last injection on my left knee in January but it did not help this time in fact my knee pain has increased so much that not only is it painful all the time it is agony at night. I now take double the amount of codeine but even that wasnt enough for night time I now take oramorph at bedtime!!
I am scared that when lockdown is lifted I will not be able to go back to work as it involves going up two flights of stairs. Worse the office is upstairs but the toilet is down!!
I have not seen a GP through all this just phone calls. I think it needs xraying urgently as it seems to have gone from a quite liveable 3 to an unbearable 10 in a matter of a couple of months. I know there is a lot going on out there but how insistsnt should I be with my GP?

AlanM · 7. May 2020, 10:27

Hi @Kazwilli50

welcome to the forum and thankyou for posting about your current difficult situation.

You have acute knee pain, which, having been managed over the past decade, is now excruciating and causing you not only pain but concern about your ability to return to work after lockdown. You also have concerns about accessing your GP.

You posted to our Helpline Team and they will get back to you directly. However, if the pain is unbearable and you believe it may need to be x-rayed, it may be worth considering visiting A&E. Although the advice during lockdown is to manage conditions at home and use digital and remote solutions such as telephone helplines, the NHS across the UK has recently adapted its message to say that, if you feel it's urgent, then make use of the health service as needed, including A&E. You would, of course, need to visit on your own. Hopefully another solution will be forthcoming and our Helpline Team will help you take the right course of action.

Your concern about return to work is shared by many people with arthritis and musculoskeletal pain. Please have a look at the information on our website. There may be reasonable adjustments your employer can make. Again, our Helpline Team may be able to talk this through with you.

https://www.versusarthritis.org/about-arthritis/living-with-arthritis/work/.

Good luck with finding a way forward and I look forward to seeing you on the forum.

Best wishes

Alan

Kazwilli50 · 7. May 2020, 12:30

Thank you Alan, I will look forward to hearing from the team. Your comment was really helpful I have put off attending A&E because of the current situation, but with primary health care being in virtual Lockdown it maybe my only option.
I am particularly worried about the speed of the pain increasing and the fact that it started to get so acute after my last hydrocortisone injection.

Having horrendous increase in knee pain

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