# Osteoarthritis Diagnosis



## Theatrmuse/Kara (Jun 19, 2007)

Osteoarthritis Diagnosis 

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I posted this a few days ago under the post "knee pain"; but only heard from two wonderful souls...I KNOW there must be more of us with this and would love to hear about your experiences!

Last week I made an appointment with my Orthopedic Doc for an opinion on what I THOUGHT was a knee injury...............turns out, after Xrays on both knees and ankles............I have pretty severe Osteoarthritis already at age 52....bone on bone in some places............Damn.

I knew that my supersize could contribute to this, environment and also heredity....but it has kind of left me in shock........I really didn't expect this before my 60s.

So, those of you diagnosed with knee pain.........are there many with this Osteoarthritis diagnosis. Has anyone had it for quite a long time.........what are some of the things to expect as it progresses? Suggestions welcome! 
Thanks for any answers,
Kara


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## Zandoz (Jun 19, 2007)

My route to the OA diagnosis was pretty similar, only younger. Thought I'd injured the knee...xrays...diagnosis...denial...it couldn't be OA, even with a family history, I was too young (40-41 at the time)...and I knew it had to be wrong because if it was OA it would have been gradual, not all of a sudden like an injury. WRONG!

For me...and by no means this has no bearing on what will happen to you...within a year it made itself known in the other knee...and a year or so after that in my lower back. My back is where it did the most quality of life damage...deposites around where the nerves to the legs come out of the spinal column started pinching those nerves when ever standing, walking, or laying flat on my back...it feels like someone is taking branding irons to the outsides of my thighs. I went from fairly active for my size to being basically seated bound in a matter of weeks...and quickly piled on another 100+ lbs because of it. By my late 40s, the OA had spread to my hips, making mobility...and the one thing I could do, sit...even more of a pain. Now I'm 50, and the OA is spreading to my upper-back/neck and hands. Both arms and hands, from the elbow down, spend a good amount of time feeling like they are asleep...again, the OA deposites pinching nerves. Anything even slightly repetitive or requiring a grip quickly becomes painful...if I persist, the hands painfully lock up and have to be manually straightened out. 

What can be done about it? As the doc put it to me when giving the back OA diagnosis...Lose weight and learn to live with it. Even though I have a number of relatively skinny family members who've also inherited severe OA to the point of multiple joint replacements in their 30s and 40s, it had to be caused by my weight.  Yeah, I know, the weight probably contributed to speed of damage done by OA...but cause, no...and no matter how much weight I'd lose, the damage would still be there.

The pain meds out there are a crap shoot...there's a good chance they'll screw you up in other ways. After several years on doctor prescribed industrial strength ibuprofen, which did help, I got the impaired kidney function diagnosis, and orders for no more ibuprofen. My previous doc recommended switching to Aleve, but it's not near as effective, and I only take it in the evening to aid sleep, to keep from quickly ramping up it's side effects. My previous doc did give me scripts for vicodin & percoset for when it is worse than usual, but so far the new doc has balked at renewing them, so I'm having to ration what I have even more than I did before.

Where am I today? Basically I have three chairs I can sit in for more than a few minutes at a time...two armless office chairs, and a bench I made for the front porch. My days basically revolve around alternating between those three every few hours.

FUN FUN FUN!


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## kr7 (Jun 20, 2007)

I was diagnosed with OA when I was under 20 years old, so it's been roughly 2 decades since my diagnosis. I've had pretty bad experience with my doctors, since I never heard any suggestions from them except "loose weight". Other than that I've been told that it is "slight", which is interesting considering the fact that I basically can't bend my knees.

I don't know if you would be in the same boat, but mine hasn't really changed much over all this time, or at least I don't think it feels any different. The only other thing I can add is that I basically learned to deal with it on daily basis, by putting as little strain on my knees as possible. Other than that I don't think about it. I don't take any meds, especially since I don't think they help much for the pain anyways. Sorry I couldn't be of more help.  

Chris


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## SocialbFly (Jun 20, 2007)

yup, me too, i have only had my back and my right knee xrayed, but both show osteoarthritis, i get great relief with use of glucosamine...but it isnt enough, and it isnt only my being big that has done this, 30 years of intensive care nursing (3 years as a nurse tech added to my 27 as an rn) and there you have it, some of my other nurse friends with fewer years have it too, but i think it is safe to say that as a ssbbw it is prolly increased....whatcha gonna do? i dont know...

a heating pad in the winter helps me, and in the summer, i ice my joints when they have issues....i know doesnt make sense, but it works for me...

i have thought of the joint stuff, what is it? synvisc or something like that, a couple of girls have had good success with it, but boy is it pricey...

ahhh, the pain...


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## Theatrmuse/Kara (Jun 20, 2007)

Thanks Zandoz, kr7 and Socialbfly........wow, I suppose this falls under the old phrase "your own milage may vary!" Each story is different to the individual. After having a few days to reflect, I am trying to stay as positive as possible and just.......well, just live my life, ya know. I will find different ways of dealing with the difficulty walking and the pain. I am guessing that some days are better than others, right?

Now, I have to find something to do with my treadmill! LOLOL! It's back to the water aerobics for me so as to help what little cartlidge I might have left!
Hugs, Kara


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## Green Eyed Fairy (Jun 20, 2007)

I don't have this issue but just want to say that I'm sorry to hear of this early onset for you Kara. I hope that there are things that can be done to alleviate your pain


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## kr7 (Jun 20, 2007)

It's definitely a personal thing, Kara. As you said, you need to go with the flow, and see what works for you. For me it appears to be ignoring the whole thing.  For you though, it could be completely different, including knee replacement surgery with all the bells and whistles. Everyone is different.

Unfortunately, for all the "advanced" medicine available in this country, we don't really have great solutions to this particular problem. I think that was part of the reason why you didn't get more responses to your other post. People just don't have a ton of different things to suggest. I know I read the posts, and was like "geez, I don't have anything to add".  

Chris


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## Sandie S-R (Jun 20, 2007)

Kara...

For 7 years I had excellent luck with cortisone injections in the knees. I would get them every three months, and they really relieved the pain and stiffness. I can't get them any more because of the knee injury, and I sure do miss them. You may want to give them a try and see if thye work for you.

As for synvisc...some get relief, and some do not. As mentioned, Synvisc is very pricey, about $500.00 (plus) per injection. And, how it should be done is a series of 3 injections (3 to six weeks apart) in each knee joint, then another series in 6 months, then follow up once a year. However, most insurances will not pay for that many injections, so people try a few and it doesn't work. Kaiser wouldn't pay for them for me, so I couldn't try them. I would like to have. 

Hope that helps.


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## Miss Vickie (Jun 20, 2007)

Poor Kara. I'm sorry you're going through this.  I don't know a lot about osteoarthritis but I do know that some people have had relief with glucoseamine and chondroiton, as well as injections called synvisc (sp?) Has your doc mentioned either of those things? Also, water work will definitely strengthen the muscles and supporting structures of the joints without damaging them -- definitely a good thing.


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## Zandoz (Jun 20, 2007)

Theatrmuse/Kara said:


> Thanks Zandoz, kr7 and Socialbfly........wow, I suppose this falls under the old phrase "your own milage may vary!" Each story is different to the individual. After having a few days to reflect, I am trying to stay as positive as possible and just.......well, just live my life, ya know. I will find different ways of dealing with the difficulty walking and the pain. I am guessing that some days are better than others, right?
> 
> Now, I have to find something to do with my treadmill! LOLOL! It's back to the water aerobics for me so as to help what little cartlidge I might have left!
> Hugs, Kara



Yup, everyone's experience is going to be different...as is the ways of coping. And yes, there are good days and bad days....and good one minute and bad the next. For me humidity changes are murder...yesterday we went from humidity levels in the 30-40% range in the morning/afternoon to 80-90% last night. It was one of my more miserable evenings.


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## Zandoz (Jun 20, 2007)

Miss Vickie said:


> Poor Kara. I'm sorry you're going through this.  I don't know a lot about osteoarthritis but I do know that some people have had relief with glucoseamine and chondroiton, as well as injections called synvisc (sp?) Has your doc mentioned either of those things? Also, water work will definitely strengthen the muscles and supporting structures of the joints without damaging them -- definitely a good thing.



Glucoseamine and chondroiton (in various combinations and strengths) are another one of those individual things. In very few cases will there be a quick noticeable difference...their effect will usually be gradual and long term. My doc back when suggested trying them for a couple months, then discontinuing to see if I noticed a difference. I did notice a difference, so I continued them.


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## SamanthaNY (Jun 20, 2007)

There's some new reports that glucosamine is being found to be an effective autoimmune suppressant... so be careful taking it if you have other conditions.


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## MissToodles (Jun 21, 2007)

SamanthaNY said:


> There's some new reports that glucosamine is being found to be an effective autoimmune suppressant... so be careful taking it if you have other conditions.



Samantha, I tried to google this but can't find any specific studies or information. Do you happen to have any links? I also heard that glucosamine can affect raise a person's blood sugar.


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## SamanthaNY (Jun 21, 2007)

It's muddy information, but from what I can gather, glucosamine is being found to help those with multiple sclerosis and possibly other autoimmune diseases where the immune symptom attacks the body. My question however, is whether it also across-the-board lowers immunity function, making patients more at risk for all sorts of opportune nasties (my initial guess is no). 

In terms of diabetes - my so-far light reading on it indicates that it can actually help type 1 diabetes, and shows no adverse effects for type-2 diabetes. But - there's conflicting info there. 

My suggestion for any diabetics interested in glucosamine would be to do some intense research and of course talk to their doctor. 

Glucosamine and autoimmunity: source source source google

Glucosamine and diabetes: source source source google


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## BubbleButtBabe (Jun 22, 2007)

Bless your heart Kara...I am so sorry...

I have had rheumatoid arthritis in my knees since I was 8 years old..Like Zandoz barometric changes kill me...I know when it is going to rain and for about how long it will rain..

I sleep under an electric blanket year round to keep my mattress warm..I turn the blanket on long enough to warm the bed and then off in the summertimes,but in the winter I seem to need it more during the night..I use a heating pad for when I am sitting up,plus I live on darvocette..Most of the time I try to just ignore it,not unless it gets to the point that I want to cry,then I double up on the darvocette..


The injections of cortisone work for a while but you have to be careful taking those..Over time the cortisone will make your bones brittle and cause even bigger problems..

I tried the glucosamine but my stomach couldn't handle it,but my brother takes it all the time..He swears by it..

Samantha is there a study being done on patients with MS that are taking the glucosamine?


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## Theatrmuse/Kara (Jun 22, 2007)

Thanks for all the responses! This week has been very interesting and challenging for me emotionally and physically. I am learning a lot about myself. That said, things are looking up and my hope is that through this journey I will be able to grow and enjoy life to the fullest!

Afterall.........that's what all any of us can do!

The love and support from you here at Dimensions and also my close friends at home means the world to me........it really does.
Hugs, Kara


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