Bad Knees

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

I've had bad knees most of my life. This week was a bad week for my right knee...I won't type out all the details, as it'll take an hour or two.

Anyway, after a minor twist incident to my right knee yesterday, and more pain then has ever occurred before (I couldn't put any weight on that leg), I would have fell to the ground, if I didn't catch myself on my car (happened at the dollar store parking lot).

I made a Dr appt this morning, they did some xrays...first time my knees have been xray'd. Not much cartilage left, torn meniscus is suspected in Right knee. They gave me, my first shot of cortisone. The Left knee looks far worse, but currently there is no pain there, so they did nothing about that...It's probably just a matter of time before I am needing a couple new knees?

Anyway, any comments about Cortisone shots?
The Dr said it may take 2 to 10 days to take effect and then how long it lasts is just a guess?

[lefty o]

cortisone is different for everyone. if it works for you could be almost immediate to a week to feel it. the "rooster comb" injections are less destructive to the existing cartilidge.

[Hickok]

Jon, I feel for you as I have been down the same road. Got my new knee last March, and go back in March 2019 to see about getting the other knee replaced.

The cortisone wont last.

May the Good Lord ease your pain!

[1911sw45]

Cortisone will eat what cartilage you have left and weakens the surrounding tissues. They not going to do anything for the tear?

[725]

similar history, here. aside from being a fat body that had to run excessively for work & sports, I did a "step in the hole" injury that really did me in. cortisone was marginal in my case. eventually, had the ravens doc (football team) clean out some of the debris and it got better. not new, mind you, just better. various treatments will work. good luck

[Walla2]

There is no hard and fast rule for cortisone. My left needed about a week for it to take effect. It has lasted almost two years before another injection was needed this spring. The right knee took effect within a day. It also has lasted for some time. My wife's knee injection lasted only two weeks and the pain returned. I hope you have success with yours.

[Preacher Jim]

John I lived on cortisone for 4 years in both knees finally getting to point it does not help. As to meniscus tear small surgery trim it great relief from pain. my next is 2 new knees.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

Cortisone will eat what cartilage you have left and weakens the surrounding tissues. They not going to do anything for the tear?

The tear is suspected, they'd need to do a MRI to confirm it's actually torn. Scoping it would be discussed after an MRI. Honestly, they gave me the choice today on what to do, ...I chose an injection and see how that goes.

[MT Gianni]

I had a cortisone shot in the bottom of my foot that kept me working on it for 18 months. Second shot didn't do a thing.

[Hickory]

any comments about Cortisone shots?

Before I had my knee replaced I had gotten nearly a dozen cortisone shots to it to help with pain.

My doctor told me that your body can only take just so much cortisone and I was "past the limit" I begged him for what was the last shot I have had. He said that he would do it on the condition that I have a knee replacement, so with that I agreed to have it done.
It's a scary thing to give someone permission to cut out part of you body and replace it with something that may or may not work.
Knowing what I know now, I would have had the knee replacement done several years before.

[JBinMN]

Anyway, any comments about Cortisone shots?
The Dr said it may take 2 to 10 days to take effect and then how long it lasts is just a guess?

The Dr description is accurate, IMO, has been the result for cortisone shots in my knees & my ankle. The knee ones "took" for a good while( been some time since I had those.), while the 3 ankle ones( left ankle/most recent, all at same time) lasted about 2 weeks, with the pain & swelling returning & then I just let it go for another 2 weeks to just let it heal on its own without more shots.

They are expensive, at least to me they are, with a result as described of not knowing how effective they are. I will likely not pay to have any more again unless it is the last choice for treatment. I felt as though, with the ones in my ankle anyway, that I just should have rested more & let the ice/heat/elevation/rest regimen do the work, rather than the expensive shots that are "iffy".


We are all different. I hope it works great for you.
G'Luck!

[Tom W.]

At different times I've had my shoulders lock up and had to have cortisone shots. The needles looked like they were for elephants or something. The first time was wonderful. The doctor told me to put on my shirt and go home. I didn't even know he had started, let alone finished. Haven't had a problem since.

The second time wasn't so easy. The injection was painless, but I had to endure P.T. for two months, and that was awful. I still have the rubber bands and pully thing that I was to strap over the door and pull. The Dr. that gave me the shot, in the Houghston Clinic in Columbus, Ga, said to take a dish towel and throw it behind my back, grab both ends and pull back and forth. A lot.
It worked.

[Preacher Jim]

Jon there is also shots of rooster comb that have helped several folks find relief. My knees are bone on bone it did not help me any.

[Dieselhorses]

I had a cortisone shot in right knee over 5 years ago from family physician due to popping, locking etc.. Never had a problem since. Back in May of this year I managed to tear the meniscus in left knee. There is a "red" and a "blue" area, red meaning where blood can access and heal and blue where it cannot thus virtually shutting down any hope of full repair. My options were to have it "scraped" or go to therapy. Due to arthritis, Dr. said neither would likely do anything. For some reason it's doing a lot better on it's own. Of course it's been 5 months.

[Grmps]

Sorry to hear that Jon, welcome to the "getting older and starting to fall apart" club

[bikerbeans]

In 1998, after an MRI, an ortho doc told me i needed my right knee replaced. I owned my own business at the time so i refused. I kept working and putting up with the pain and swelling for 11 more years until pulmonary emboli forced me into early retirement. The last 9 years my right knee has remained swollen but only one time has hurt so much i couldn't walk. I think the pain has mostly subsided because my activity level has dropped so much. I ain't running or driving 16 hours a day like i did when working. I assume the 65 pounds i dropped also is helping my knee.

I hope the coritsone helps you. It is a big deal having OEM parts replaced with aftermarket.

BB

[popper]

Don't get them. Uncle used to get them for a different problem, just caused more trouble. I had the rooster shot several years ago, lasted about a month. Dad was really bone-on-bone, shot didn't work either. Her BIL (Nashville area) got the knee replacement last week, seems to be doing fine now with a walker. Talked to him 6 mo. ago about it, seems his doc has a new procedure where they move all the joint tissue aside and do repairs vs cutting and re-attaching stuff where recovery is LONG.
Scope surgery is pretty good for cleaning stuff up.
Woke up with a real bad calf cramp couple days ago, she asked me today how I'm doing - well, the tongue works OK. Poor knees, shoulder, back, ankle & gut. Getting eyes fixed in a couple months. Sure is **** getting older.

[DerekP Houston]

My father is getting regular injections every few months now, sounds very similar to yours. Very little cartilidge in either knee and torn miniscus. One surgeon said he would slice an dice to fix, but the 2nd said once they open him up there is more likely too much damage to fix. The shots seem to work for him now, they get him moving again for 6-8 weeks until they wear off, then he limps for a month and schedules a follow up. They are not a long term solution but he is putting off the knee replacements as long as possible.

[LUBEDUDE]

It’s true that people react differently. Throughout my life, all of my buddies responded great to to C injections. I’ve had the injections in about every place you can think of and I don’t respond to them at all, except for my thumb.

Whenever I would complain to a doctor about a certain joint they would want to do a shot. I would tell them that I don’t respond. Their reply ALWAYS was, “well you didn’t have ME administer the injection”. I would feed their ego and let them do it. Of course it didn’t work.

You also have to be careful on the frequency of injections. Whenever you get one it suppresses your adrenal glands to make natural cortisol. If you have it done too much, you can suppress those glands to no effect. That’s why my thumb doctor would not do more than twice a year and would not go long term with the injections.

One other thing, the injections can cause bone loss in the hips, back and other other areas. Since most of us here are Seniors that is not something you want to sacrifice.

[Wheelguns 1961]

I had injections in my right knee a couple of years ago, and they worked great. I haven’t needed more. My lower back now that is a different story. I had injections on both sides of my spine. It didn’t help my left side at all. It helped my right side for about two weeks, and when they wore off, my back is now worst than it has ever been. It is so bad that I went to the ER on tuesday. I can’t get another appt with the “shot doctor” till nov 11. The ER doctor referred me to a spine surgeon. I saw him yesterday. He needs a couple xrays before he can make a diagnoses. I get them on monday and see him again tues. Right now, I have a hard time walking to the bathroom. I bought a cane and need it for every step. I guess I won’t be deer hunting this year.