[Barefoot]

I recently had cortisone injections in both knees which worked marvelously, but only lasted for six weeks. My years of playing squash every day and jogging have taken their toll.

My doctor is now suggesting Synvisc injections. I'd love to hear some comments from people who've tried Synvisc.

[bluedog103]

Originally Posted by Barefoot

I recently had cortisone injections in both knees which worked marvelously, but only lasted for six weeks. My years of playing squash every day and jogging have taken their toll.

My doctor is now suggesting Synvisc injections. I'd love to hear some comments from people who've tried Synvisc.

Hi Barefoot,
I went the same route as you with my knee. Cortisone was fantastic but temporary. After awhile the pain relief only lasted for a few days. Tried Synvisc but it didn't work for me. According to some literature I got from the company they claim about 80% of patients get relief.
There are horror stories out there about the shots being extremely painful. I didn't have that experience. They stung pretty much like any other injection. Had they worked I would have kept getting them for as long as they were effective. Unfortunately my only option was a total knee replacement which I had done two years ago. The replacement was a good choice. Sometimes now I have trouble remembering just how much pain I was in.
Good luck. Hope the Synvisc works for you if you decide to go that route.

[784caroline]

I tried Synvisc trying to get away from anti-inflamatories. Synvisc was very expensive..had to get health Insurance OK before Dr could prescribe, and afterwards it did not work for me. I also had a reaction to cortisone where I could not walk or put weight on the knee for 2-3 days...now that was painful but then it subsided. Right now anti inflamatories is my route ...just trying to postpone the inveitable for as long as I can but I can walk with only mild discomfort....sports or other activities brings on something different.

[kathyzapp]

After trying cortisone injections in my right knee with short-term relief, I had Synvisc injections. These injections were very painful for me. I've talked to several people who had good results with Synvisc, but the injections did not work for me. I eventually had a unicompartmental knee replacement.

Good luck with whatever you decide.

[Ohiogirl]

Thanks for the info. I just made a dr appt. tomorrow, hoping she will give me a cortisone for my right knee. Cortisone has worked well for me in the past for tendonitis in shoulder and plantar fasciatis.

My knees (especially the right one) have sort of dislocated my entire life. A doctor finally told me I have "loose" kneecaps that dislocate easily. Weirdly, I have strong quads. Am sure I also have early arthritis, but not really diagnosed.

Have had 2 bad sprains as an adult, took weeks to recover when I was in my late 30s, months in my mid-fifties. This time (at almost 60), I have a babysitting injury - got up from a chair too fast trying to chase a 2 year old.

If I could stay off it, might not be so bad, but that is so hard to do. Has been 6 weeks and I started doing too much, thinking it wouldn't bother me that much. Stuff like moving, playing 9 holes of golf, shopping. Have been taking naproxen and icing and heating it, but didn't do the icing enough probably. Paying for it now. Everything just seems to take so much longer to heal now.

[FMF Doc]

I have never tried Synvisc. I had a cortisone shot in August that has helped but not completely eliminated the pain. I have opted to have a knee replacement done while we still live here and I can use a surgeon I really like. Actually that is the reason our place is not on the market right now.

I am also very active and in good health so I figured I would have it done now rather than wait till I can hardly walk and may also have other health issues that could complicate the surgery and/or physical therapy.

Good luck in whatever you choose.

GP

[Barefoot]

Yikes, so far Synvisc comments are 100% negative. I guess I'll rethink that one! My arthritis doctor swears by Cortisone shots and Synvisc. The surgeon thinks I need arthoscopy surgery, no mention yet of a knee replacement. Although I smell one coming down the road.

I haven't tried anti-inflammatories yet, perhaps I should be going that route. I just hate to take drugs .. but I guess as we age, it is inevitable. My doctor has been muttering about my cholesterol levels.

I guess we should all be grateful for every extra day we have on this planet. And especially for discovering The Villages for our golden years. After all, a long life hasn't been promised to any of us.

[rhsgypsylady]

My husband had the Synvisc shots 3 different times. And, yes for him they were extremely painful. And yes, they only lasted a few weeks. In fact, the 2nd shot didn't last as long as the 1st and the 3rd shot didn't last as long as the 2nd. And yes, they are quite expensive. With our insurance they had to be pre-certified.

He has needed a knee replacement for many years and he kept putting it off, saying when it gets to where I can’t walk I’ll have it done. Now he is at that point, but because of his heart (CHF) the doctors will not do the surgery. They don’t think his heart would make it thru the surgery and if it did, they don’t think he can endure the painful and necessary rehab. He’s wishing he’d gone ahead and had the surgery when he could. So if anyone is putting off knee replacement, my advice would be to get it done.

He also has arthritis in every bone is in his body so between the knee and arthritis he is in constant pain. He’s tried every anti-inflammatory medicine out there that he can take with his heart condition. He is now taking 7.5/325 Hydrocodone, which doesn’t really stop the pain. It just kinda numbs it some.

[tpop1]

Wife needs both knees replaced but pushing it out as long as possible (but not out til 2014 when Healthcare Act kicks in!)

Gone the same route - cortisone then Synvisc...just had 2nd round of Synvisc.($975 per knee- before health plan reimbursement)

When I saw this thread I asked her to comment. Here goes:

- Not painful at all.
- Not perfect but helped her a lot...2nd round attests to both above statements.
- EXPensive!
- She will do one more round to further stall replacement operation.

Next area of mixed opinions we hear is one knee at a time of both together. She's planning to have 2 done together and have only one rehab.

Hope this helps...at least one pereson here who has a good opinion of the shots!

[bluedog103]

Originally Posted by tpop1

Wife needs both knees replaced but pushing it out as long as possible (but not out til 2014 when Healthcare Act kicks in!)

Gone the same route - cortisone then Synvisc...just had 2nd round of Synvisc.($975 per knee- before health plan reimbursement)

When I saw this thread I asked her to comment. Here goes:

- Not painful at all.
- Not perfect but helped her a lot...2nd round attests to both above statements.
- EXPensive!
- She will do one more round to further stall replacement operation.



Next area of mixed opinions we hear is one knee at a time of both together. She's planning to have 2 done together and have only one rehab.

Hope this helps...at least one pereson here who has a good opinion of the shots!

Tpop, if I were going to go through this again I'd pretty much follow the same route your wife is taking. As long as the Synvisc worked I'd continue it. Then get both knees replaced at the same time.
Knee replacement rehab is pretty difficult. I don't think I'd want to do it twice either. I had one hip replaced 6 years ago and even though people told me the knee would be more difficult, I didn't expect it to be MUCH more difficult.
I actually found the rehab after the hip replacement to be a piece of cake. The knee was a different animal altogether.
At least we have options nowadays. Our parents would have had to suffer in pain for the rest of their lives. We are blessed to live in the time we live.
Good luck
Bluedog

[Barefoot]

Originally Posted by rhsgypsylady

He has needed a knee replacement for many years and he kept putting it off, saying when it gets to where I can’t walk I’ll have it done. Now he is at that point, but because of his heart (CHF) the doctors will not do the surgery. They don’t think his heart would make it thru the surgery and if it did, they don’t think he can endure the painful and necessary rehab. He’s wishing he’d gone ahead and had the surgery when he could. So if anyone is putting off knee replacement, my advice would be to get it done.

Gypsy .. I'm so sorry to hear that your husband is in constant pain. That makes life difficult for both of you.

That is great advice - to have surgery while you're physically still able. I hadn't thought of it like that .. I guess I assumed the longer you wait, the better off you are because new knees don't last forever. We all assume we've got unlimited healthy time ahead which is really nuts when you're "getting on". We all tend to procrastinate and delay such procedures. This is a good wake-up call.

I had no idea that Synvisc cost $2,000 for both knees. We have medical insurance, but that is highway robbery, for a procedure that appears not to work for a lot of people.

[villages07]

I know one person who went the Synvisc route. Helped him a lot at first, less as time went on and he needed the injections more frequently. It doesn't fix anything, just mitigates pain.

My knee was too far gone for cortisone, synvisc, or arthroscopic cleanup so I went directly to total knee replacement. For me, it was at least 4-6 weeks of real challenge followed by another 2 months of continued rehab. The first 4 weeks are pain, recovery from surgery, difficulty sleeping, and the initial physical therapy. 3 months after surgery I was cleared for everything (golf, biking, swimming, etc) but had to hold off on tennis till my leg got stronger. But, my knee was particularly bad. Now, I can do all my activities.

As a side note, I had right shoulder rotator cuff repair surgery 3 months after the knee replacement... that was far, far worse for pain, discomfort, and rehab/recovery. Relatively speaking, the knee was a piece of cake. Someday, I may have to get the other knee replaced and won't hesitate to do so.

From what I've heard, the recovery time and pain for arthroscopic surgery isn't that much less than knee replacement and you may just be putting off the inevitable.

Other pain management options are natural supplements ... glocosamine, celedrin; or anti-inflammatory like ibuprofen; or a TENS nerve stimulator device.

However, wait til you go back to your Canadian exile next spring to do any surgery!!! You don't want to spend your bubble time doing rehab.

[rhsgypsylady]

I (or my husband rather) would agree with Vollages07 about arthroscopic surgery. He had that done many years ago, which is why he put off having the knee replacement surgery. The recovery and rehab is basically the same for both procedures. My husband is a tough guy, but I watched this man cry during the exercises he had to go thru. By the way, if you don't do them, you might as well not have the surgery done because you will be worse off. Because he went thru so much pain and recovery with the arthroscopic, he figured a full knee replacement would be much worse. That's why he kept putting it off waiting until he absolutely had to have it. Now, of course, his knee is at that point and because of his heart, no doctor will do the surgery.

Barefoot - thank you for your kind words. Yes, between his heart, knee, arthritis, gout, depression, etc. we have been going down a rough road for quite some time now (several years). He almost died last summer, then in March of this year he fell so hard in the bathroom that he broke the commode. The fall also resulted in 3 broke ribs and 2 bulging discs. I never know when I get home from work what awaits me. But we take it one day at a time. That's all we can do. Good luck with your knee, whatever you decide to do!!

[bluedog103]

The amount of pain following arthroscopic surgery varies, depending on the procedure. Some people report very little pain following a scoping, others (my daughter for one) was in considerable pain following her procedure. It's best to discuss these things with your surgeon. Also, not all surgeons are created equal. Do as much research on your physician as possible and don't be afraid to ask him or her how many procedures, such as the one you are contemplating, has he or she performed.
I wouldn't postpone surgery because someone's neighbor's third cousin's boyfriend had problems. Your operation might be completely different. Find a doc you trust do your research and do what is right for you.

[rhsgypsylady]

I agree with bluedog103 - find a doc you like, ask questions, do research, and go with what is right for you. Don't postpone surgery or anything else because of someone else's issues. Each person, doctor, and surgery is different. I only mentioned my husband postpoing his because like bluedog103's daughter he was in severe pain and recovery took much longer than what he was told it would take by his doctor. And because of this experience, he made the decision to postpone knee replacement.