First, I would like to thank this group, because it made me feel empowered knowing that I am not alone. It took almost a year before I was diagnosed with PsA. My right knee started swelling, no injury/trauma. Ortho did draining and cortisone shots, and it kept flaring up until he referred me to Rheuma .
Knee xray was normal, my HLAB27 negative, labs normal, no skin issues.... until my doc ordered a second round where my CRP and ESR were up. The only predisposing factor that was seen on me, my brother has Psoriasis. It was hard to digest. I am a field RN, and it pained me, having that fear that I may not be able to drive and see my patients again.
But I kept going!!! :) My doc started me on Methotrexate 15mg once a week now am on my 8th week plus prednisone 5mg daily, , and I see so little improvement. My right knee still swelling, never got worse but I think it is the prednisone that's keeping it at bay. It has never gone back to normal. The only thing am thankful for, I can walk, and I am still working.
My thoughts;
1. Is my knee ever gonna be normal again? no swelling and fluid build up?
2. Am I going to be on these medications all my life to control the symptoms?
I am a mom of three, passionate about my profession, and 43 y/o with dreams of giving my children a bright future.... Until this. :(
Thank you everyone, I know in my heart that this forum group will be with me in this journey. :)
I was where you are, knee-wise! The damn things were so swollen, stiff & painful for so long that I was prepared to settle for any improvement, my expectations were low. After a few months on Mtx they did limber up enough for me to be able to walk and the improvement continued, though not evenly. But overall I got to a point at which I still had big knees but could walk really quite easily despite some damage to both knees and the pain was minimal. After a couple of years I started Humira and the swelling went down in about 6 - 8 weeks. In the last few months (i.e. over 6 years since the first knee swelled) I've started to be able to crouch down again rather than always bending from the waist to pick things up etc. I can dance around the house like a nutter if I so wish! And I can run, after a fashion. All of this seems well-nigh miraculous to me.
Recently one knee has started to swell and hurt again but I'm hoping that's just a blip. I would think that without damage you should dare to expect considerable improvement. I've found that walking and any non-twisting knee / leg exercise helps considerably as the knee joint needs to be well supported by the muscles and tendons and any wasting of these soft tissues can hasten damage.
You may need to take medication for the rest of your life. Perhaps you will move onto biologics which so often seem to be the gold-standard for this disease. I am sure your children will have a bright future and so will you from the sounds of it. We're with you for sure!
Oh, and changed my profile picture recently .... picking my way across a river last March. No way I'd have tried that manoeuvre a few years back, which is why I chose it.
Ah, yes, knees! Way back in 2012 I kept telling myself that so long as PsA left my knees alone, I'd be fine. At that time I was still running my business and doing a very physical job that depended on being able to squat, kneel, lift and generally be on my feet for 16 hours a day. Then, of course, the inevitable happened. I woke up one morning with terrible knee pain; got stuck sitting on the toilet because I couldn't bend them to stand up.
They settled a little after a while and I made accommodations to how I worked to avoid the squatting/kneeling. I think I had a brief spell when leflunomide improved them but as that waned the problems all came back and worse than before. It was intractable, nothing not even a biologic (which was working VERY well elsewhere) or intra-articular steroid injections helped. X-rays and MRI's didn't shown anything that really accounted for my pain, an orthopaedic knee surgeon refused to go near them to 'take a look'. I was resigned to this being how things would be, I started to use a cane and steps and stairs filled me with dread, I booked wheelchair assistance at the airport for my holiday last November, 2015.
But then my rheumy 'tweaked' the dose of my biologic and slowly but surely my knees have got better and better over the past 4 - 5 months. The swelling has all but disappeared. Functionally and in pain terms they are the best they have been in four years. I get tweaks of pain but nothing like I had before.
So yes, it can take a while. And I expect to be on medication for the rest of my life. But it's possible to get there and I feel brighter about my future than ever.
I was where you are, knee-wise! The damn things were so swollen, stiff & painful for so long that I was prepared to settle for any improvement, my expectations were low. After a few months on Mtx they did limber up enough for me to be able to walk and the improvement continued, though not evenly. But overall I got to a point at which I still had big knees but could walk really quite easily despite some damage to both knees and the pain was minimal. After a couple of years I started Humira and the swelling went down in about 6 - 8 weeks. In the last few months (i.e. over 6 years since the first knee swelled) I've started to be able to crouch down again rather than always bending from the waist to pick things up etc. I can dance around the house like a nutter if I so wish! And I can run, after a fashion. All of this seems well-nigh miraculous to me.
Recently one knee has started to swell and hurt again but I'm hoping that's just a blip. I would think that without damage you should dare to expect considerable improvement. I've found that walking and any non-twisting knee / leg exercise helps considerably as the knee joint needs to be well supported by the muscles and tendons and any wasting of these soft tissues can hasten damage.
You may need to take medication for the rest of your life. Perhaps you will move onto biologics which so often seem to be the gold-standard for this disease. I am sure your children will have a bright future and so will you from the sounds of it. We're with you for sure!
Oh, and changed my profile picture recently .... picking my way across a river last March. No way I'd have tried that manoeuvre a few years back, which is why I chose it.
Hi Sybil! This is the reason why I chose to be a part of this group. Your positive story keeps mw going. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. I have a follow up on June 1, I will ask about biologics/ I will keep you posted. Right knee still swelling but nevertheless, am mobile. :)
Hi Jules! That's awesome! I have a follow up on June 1. I might ask for biologics but you gave me an idea about how dosing may help. My right knee still swelling but nevertheless, still mobile. Am on 15mg Mx, and 5mg Prednisone. I will keep you posted. :)