1. Community
  2. Bones, joints and muscles
  3. Osteoarthritis

Knee feels like it's giving way!

Posted , 8 users are following.

lesley73033
lesley73033

Hi, I am 55 and have bad osteoarthritis in my big toes and mild in my hands and knees.  At least I thought it was mild until this week.  My rght knee became very painful on Tuesday and has worsened as the week has gone on.  Today it felt as if it was going to give way especially when I'm going downstairs.

Does anyone else get this?  It seems a very fast deterioration and I'm concerned that it may be something other than my OA.  Especially as my gait is starnge because of my bad feet.  I walk on my heels and the outside of my feet to avoid putting pressure on my big toes.  Now I am wondering whether this has caused me muscle damage.  The top of my tibia is very painful when I press on it.

I have a GP appointment on Monday but I'm wondering whether it's more urgent than that and what I should do in the mean time

2 likes, 20 replies

20 Replies

Next
  • svs0802
    svs0802 lesley73033

    Posted

    Hi! I feel your pain! I have OA in both knees and the right one is the worst and yes pain does go down a little farther from the knee. My ortho said its all related like bursitis. Mine hurts worse when I drive. I'm trying to do water walking and losing weight plus meds. We are too young for knee replacements. I know I will have to have one someday but I'm using other methods first. Ice helps! Hope you feel better.
    • lesley73033
      lesley73033 svs0802

      Posted

      Thanks.  It just seems to have happened so quickly.  This time last week it was a bit stiff and achy.  Now it hurts like hell when I turn it a certain way and I have to hang on to things when I get out of bed.  I'll try the ice 
    • svs0802
      svs0802 lesley73033

      Posted

      I noticed over a period of a few months that I would wake up in the middle of the night and both of my knees would be hurting right below the knee. So weird. Then this past January I was walking to get a salad at work and I felt this twinge in my right knee that didn't go away. I have psoriatic arthritis so I went to my rheumatologist and they did X-rays of both knees and the MRI on the right one that was giving me the most trouble. Sure enough OA in both knees bone on bone.

      I went to an orthopedic doctor and tried the gel on in April. It did nothing. I always drive with ice packs on a little cooler. My commute is long and the ice does help. The gel ice packs are easier when you are driving.

      It's good to have a place to talk with others that are going through similar things.

    • lesley73033
      lesley73033 svs0802

      Posted

      It's scary how quick they go.  I don't drive so I don't know how I'l manage if this doesn't ease up.  Plus I'm on my feet all day at work.  I also have a horse who I won't be able to manage like this!

      This coulld mean such big life changes.  I may still go to a and e tomorrow as I'll get an xray quicker.  I don't have a rheumatologist, just a biomechanic for my feet.  He did warn me that my gait would impact on my legs and back and when  I see him next month we are discussing fusion for my toes.  I might have left this too late.

      It is lovely having somone to understand and who has been there

  • lesley73033
    lesley73033

    Posted

    My knee is worse when I go downstairs
  • Justali65
    Justali65 lesley73033

    Posted

    your right when u say it`s nice having some one who`s been there.I joined last wk after a diagnosis of OA in my knee. Already have it in my body and up untill 6mnths ago only affected my hands I`ve been to skeg today from nottingham and as we took my inlaws I was relegated to the back seat as my mother in law is disabled so has the front. omg the pain in my knees was unbearable. stoppped hlf way to allow me to stretch my legs. As in the other day when I could only manage a 6 hr shift my whole body seeems to be stiff and aching when we got home. 

    I may be wrong but I think a rheumatologist only deal with RA. I see a orthopeadic surgeon. 

    • lesley73033
      lesley73033 Justali65

      Posted

      It's an awful illness.  I get so tired but I put it down to doing a constant balancing act in order to avoid putting any pressure on my big toes.  This, apparently, is what has caused my recent aggressive knee pain.  My gait is so odd that it is having a detrimental effect on my ligaments.  I went to the urgent care centre today as I had to hang on to things to avoid falling over when I got out of bed.  

      The Dr said that I need to see a physio and that with a balance of rest and simple excercise like walking I should be ok in a few days but it will come back repeatedly until my feet are sorted out.  I see my biomechanic next month and I'm going to have to agree to seeing a surgeon about getting my big toes fused.  So I will lose my job as I have had other health problems recently and they will definitely not allow me any lengthy sick leave.  My only hope there is that I might be able to take a year's unpaid leave but I have my doubts.

      But it could be worse.  My biomechanic is very positive that a surgeon will agree to operate.  Plus if my OA in my knees had worsened then I'd lose my job and my horse.

      I hate being like this as I get bored stiff stuck in the house.  When I'm out I look at people 20 years older than me who seem to be bombing along the pavement and think it's just not fair.  Totally selfish I know but I don't know how I have this.  I've never been overweight, I exercise (when I'm up to it) and my parents never suffered from it.  I didn't even wear high heels very often when I was younger.

    • Justali65
      Justali65 lesley73033

      Posted

      It's completely demoralising isn't it. Today as in the other day I've been resigned to my bed. I thought it was only ra that made u feel ill. Yet it seems the past 3 times I've been on my feet for a few hrs I've later had flu like symptoms. Temp. Feel sick and whole body aches. I worry about my job too. I know disability is so hard to get and pays a pittance
    • lesley73033
      lesley73033 Justali65

      Posted

      Exactly.  Plus retirement age is being raised and raised which is ok if you're an MP and can just go to work and sit and doze off when you feel like it
    • Carolb13
      Carolb13 Justali65

      Posted

      Hia, I can certainly agree with you the pain it can be horrible there's nothing like it, I have Osteoarthritis in my knees too more painful in the left, but it is starting to ease after starting on Methatrexate which I was prescribed for my Psoriatic Arthritis which is staring to ease that no end, and it's also kicking in with my Osteo too.

      I attend my Rheumatology clinic where they deal with every kind of arthritis not just RA, and even certain conditions that are similar to arthritis too, I sure hope you manage to get some pain relief sorted very soon

  • hope4cure
    hope4cure lesley73033

    Posted

    HI Lesley,

    what u describe could be OA or a torn meniscus. Your GP can do either a X-ray or other tests for a solid diagnosis.

    GOOD LUCK

    HOPE

     

    • lesley73033
      lesley73033 hope4cure

      Posted

      Thanks, Hope.

      I saw my GP today and he has referred me for physio.  He still isn't keen on surgery and my biomechanic is much more clued up on my OA so I'll talk to him next month.  It's damage to a ligament.  The GP doesn't seem to understand that if I have damaged it through walking on the sides of my feet to avoid pain in my toes then it's not going to heal properly until the pain in my toes is gone.  It sometimes feels like I'm banging my head against a brick wall.

    • grandmaDylan
      grandmaDylan lesley73033

      Posted

      I've been having problems with my knees (initially just Mt right knee ) for some time. I went on holiday to Dubrovnik a couple of weeks ago and can barely walk at all now. There were 180 steps and a steep hill from our apartment into the town which has completely wrecked my knees. We have been home almost 2 weeks and they're not feeling any better.
    • lesley73033
      lesley73033 grandmaDylan

      Posted

      My Gp told me that steep hills and stairs are the worst for damage to the inside ligament and that I must avoid them for now.  I am on 30mg codeine and 2 paracetemol every 4 hours and that is helping but my knee is agony when I get up and still feels as if it could give way.  

      Is it you knees of ligaments?  The inside of my knee has swelling beneath it but is not red or hot so he decided that it was muscular and not arthritis

  • grandmaDylan
    grandmaDylan lesley73033

    Posted

    I have OA in both knees and a torn meniscus in my right knee. I also take codeine and paracetamol plus naproxen but it doesn't really touch the pain. I take dihydracodeine just before bed too. I am seeing my orthopaedic surgeon on the 23rd june qnd hopefully he will list me for a tkr of my right knee. I'm getting quite down as I feel almost housebound as even walking a couple of yards or standing for more than 3 or 4 minutes is agony.
Back to top
Next

Report or request deletion

Thanks for your help!

We want the community to be a useful resource for our users but it is important to remember that the community are not moderated or reviewed by doctors and so you should not rely on opinions or advice given by other users in respect of any healthcare matters. Always speak to your doctor before acting and in cases of emergency seek appropriate medical assistance immediately. Use of the community is subject to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and steps will be taken to remove posts identified as being in breach of those terms.