Strange back ache and behind knee pain

[ingemlb]

Just wondering if I should be following this up but lately I am getting these sharp pains (take my breath away) just very fleeting in my back, right hand side around near the waist under the ribs. Sometimes I can bring them on by moving. They don't happen often, maybe once or twice a day at most. They go so quickly that I have been ignoring them but was wondering if anyone had any ideas?

Also for some weeks now have constant mild pain behind my right knee. I don't believe it is a FLARE as it hasn't spread. Seems to be increasing in intensity. So was now wondering if I should get it checked. I showed my Rheumy earlier in the week and he looked at the knee and noticed no swelling so wasn't worried about it.

I am assuming it is totally unrelated but then again ... I don't have any experience with Wegener's other than recent. Last time I had a flare in hospital it started under the foot, then the ankle then the back and side of the knee then the shoulder. My shoulder is fine so are my feet.

This started a few weeks ago long before I reduced the pred. If anyone has any advice would be appreciated. Thanks

[Alysia]

Hi Inge.
I am sorry for your pains. are the pains around the joints ? if so, then they may be wg-related. so I think it is better to ask your doc.

[ingemlb]

Hi Alysia. The knee is a joint but the back pain is not near a joint. I did show the knee to the Rheumy and he looked mainly for swelling and as there was none and the pain is at the back of the knee he wasn't concerned. But I think I will get it checked out as it's been going on for weeks now and seems to be getting stronger.

The other pain in the back I guess I was wondering if it could be the kidney. it's mainly on one side. There is a small trace of blood and protein in the urine but again the amount didn't worry the Rheumatologist at the time however I didn't mention the back pain during the visit. Forgot as it is infrequent.

[windchime]

Good Morning Inge,

I'm sorry you are having pains. They can be so annoying at times. The knee--could it be because you've just started walking on the treadmill? If you have arthritis in that knee it could rear it's little head with the working out. It could be a worn out meniscus (I have one of those and it gets achey). I don't know how far you are walking, but maybe reducing how far you are going to see if it reduces the pain. Other than that a visit to the orthopaedic for an X-ray and/or MRI.

The sharp side pain could be related to the kidney, but could also be other things. A visit to your PCP might put your mind at ease.

Sorry I couldn't be of more help. I hope you feel better soon.

[renidrag]

Definitely get the knee pain checked out. I had stinging pain and went to Doc's but of course it didn't hurt when there. Two days later in emergency they did an ultrasound and found a clot just above the knee. Just so you know for being part of the Wegener's club you also receive a 23% greater chance of clots then the average bear.
Dale

[ingemlb]

Thanks Cindy. I do have a torn meniscus but on the other knee however in that particular knee I have a baker's cyst. Apparently they can start to play up as well. The pain started long before the treadmill arrived and it wasn't getting worse until the last couple of days so I didn't think moving it aggravated it much. I manage most days to do 20 to 30 (max) minutes walking at 4kph so it's quite a slow walk (usually do it over 2 to 3 sessions)

Think I will take this to my GP and ask for a referral back to the Orthopaedic Surgeon. He is very careful. Didn't want to operate on my torn meniscus due to my immune system situation so we agreed i would lose weight and exercise all of which helped at the time. I am a bit heavier again and need to build up the leg muscles again now so it could just be due to being unfit that the pain is returning.

Re the back pain I will mention it to the GP. When I asked him after he did a Urine test and found a slight trace of blood if I should go to a specialist he seemed not to be concerned. But at that stage I didn't have any pain or other symptoms. Just looked up PCP we call them GP here in Australia was trying to figure out what kind of specialist that was.

[ingemlb]

Definitely get the knee pain checked out. I had stinging pain and went to Doc's but of course it didn't hurt when there. Two days later in emergency they did an ultrasound and found a clot just above the knee. Just so you know for being part of the Wegener's club you also receive a 23% greater chance of clots then the average bear.
Dale

Thanks Dale. TOTALLY forgot about clots. I have had this pain for several weeks. Would that not have gotten a whole lot worse if it was a clot? And it's not above the knee it is right behind it. But you are right. Best not to take any chances. When I think of all the X-ray's they did at the hospital I must be ticking with radiation by now

[MikeG-2012]

When I think of all the X-ray's they did at the hospital I must be ticking with radiation by now

I agree!

But, the upside is that with the radiation glow, you don't have to carry a torch (flashlight for us over here) to the loo at night! LOL!

[Lilly]

Hi Inge, I have also been having pain behind my knee, I have a total knee replacement on the right one, because I had surg to remove cartlidge floating around, and they did arthoscopic surg to remove it. That should have been the end of it, but it was just the beginning. It kept swelling, I had it drained every 2 weeks, it would swell like a grapefruit. The dr thought it was because he missed some cartlidge, so we did the same surg. And the swelling started again, then my meniscus began tearing. Dr thought he may have missed this from the beginning, my knee just started swelling so often, I was known by my first name to everyone in the office. Each draining contained more and more blood, and the next xray showed my minuscus just getting worse. By this time, I had a brace on my knee and walking with a cane. My knee totally confused my dr. And he was one of the best. I lived in Tuscaloosa, Al. and he was the Orthopedic for the football players for the "Roll Tide" football players. He was pretty popular among the best of the best there. So he was gonna "Fix Me", come hell or high water! Well, He did a total meniscus replacement, with a cadaver meniscus. So as I was healing, It began swelling again. I went to see him, and he was not smiling. He was pretty tired of seeing my face! Or should I say my knee! I knew something was wrong. I told him, its not healing, I can tell. It does not feel right. So they did an MRI. I returned the next week for the results, he came in, read the report and said....."No Way, this does not happen, the meniscus never comes unattached after surg. It is too strongly sewn in there"...... So he immediately pulled up the MRI on the computer in the room, and his face dropped. His work had failed, the meniscus was floating freely and my knee cartlidge was just "going away". He looked at me, and said....Mrs.Brantley, I don't know what to say. This has never ever happened to me, nor have I EVER SEEN anything like this. Your knee is turning to jelly. I just cannot do anything else. I am sorry. Im sending you to a buddy of mine, the best of the best at UAB, you need a total knee replacement, but I don't feel I want to do it. So by this time, I was walking with a walker, and I went to UAB. The dr came in, put me on the table, asked me to lift my leg, as I tried it trembled slightly, and I lifted it about an inch, in intense pain, and he simply said. Can u come back Tues for a total knee replacement? I said yes, but I asked him if it would heal? He felt it would, but he said my entire ordeal with the other surgeries was my wegeners, eating my cartlidge after every surgery. My body just eats cartlidge, so we needed to get it all out. Surg went well, I recovered beautifully and have been fine ever since. But now, 4 years later, my left knee (not the one with replacement, my REAL one) is hurting behind my knee, an aching pain. It also is doing just what my other knee was doing before my first surg. I know I have floating cartlidge. I can feel it. I feel the pain behind my knee is also from the issues from knee damage from some of the athletics I did years back. But do you think I am going to let a dr touch that knee? No No No!!!!! Lol. Not unless it becomes an issue where I cannot walk on it. I am leaving it ALONE!!!! But the pain behind my knee is coming through the pain meds I have to take for my face (sinuses are gone,) so I know if I feel that knee pain through morphine, it is pretty bad. I have thought about having an MRI just to see whats going on. But I don't want to know unless I absolutely have to. I told you my story because, although we are all different, I think its important to make decisions based on having as much information as possible. What I went through would be something you could tell your dr if he suggests surg, even arthoscopic. I hope your pain is not related to wegeners, and I worry about blood clots too!! We sure have a lot to worry about, don't we? I wish I knew what was going on INSIDE my body. Wegeners is a mean disease. We just have to hang tough. Listen to our bodies. And personally, I pray a lot. I pray for peace, so I don't dwell on my disease, but stay extremely aware of it. I get extremely tired after yard work or a whole day out, running errands, in and out of the car, walking a lot, and I just take lots of "power naps", and my friends and family are all aware of this. Often drive me places because of the meds, they sometimes make me tired on top of the wegeners. But I am enjoying life and I hope you are too. That knee could be wegeners flare, or just simply floating cartlidge. I would get it checked out just for your peace of mind. I hope you are feeling better, and possibly, whatever it is could take care of itself. I wish you the best, and look forward to knowing how it turns out.....Take care! Lilly

[ingemlb]

Hi Lily. Thank you so much for sharing your experience. I am shocked that Wegener's attacks the Meniscus and cartilage in the knee What doesn't it devour? I am now wondering if that's what is behind my torn meniscus. If yes then I am ultra lucky it somehow settled again a few years ago.

Looks like I can't afford to ignore any kind of pain now. The pain in the middle/side of the back got worse too so I need that looked into. What a horrible experience for you. Luckily my orthopaedic surgeon already didm't want to operate last time I saw him due to my immune system status. So I know he is ultra careful.

The other issue I need to keep an eye on is Bactrim DS / Methodextrose interactions. The pain in the back I think only started this week when I started on Bactrim but I need to check my notes. The knee pain has been there for weeks. I was thinking it was unrelated as it seemed a constant mild pain but again yesterday that too got a bit worse.

Then right now there is the prednisolone withdrawal on top. I dropped 10mg a few days ago so maybe that is why yesterday the grumblings became a bit louder.

Oh well I already have 2 appointments this week. Opthalmologist and ENT specialist so better book in whith the GP (PCG).