I leaned down to clean up some dog vomit yesterday and my knee felt like it bent backwards. I had NO control over it and tipped over. I do have double jointed knees but I've never had this probkem before.
When I fell, I broke my finger and dislocated it. I spent from 10:00AM till 8:00PM in the emergency room and despite trying 2x's they could not get the dislocation back in place. I think the tendons are very tight now which would make it hard to put back in but the er doctor informed me that fibromyalgoa does not cause tight tendons, especially the fingers. I say BS to that! I will see a specialist on Monday (orthopedic hand doctor). I doubt they will know anything about fibromyalgia.
I need to figure out what to do about my knee because it feels unstable now like it could do the same thing again. I'm thinking I should see my rheumatologist? He does understand fibro to some degree.
Anyone have experience or advice with either a dislocation that won't go back in or a knee that bends back and is unstable?
Thanks, Terry
[ 09-11-2010, 08:25 PM: Message edited by: TerryK ]
Posted by Keebler (Member # 12673) on :
- Sorry to hear this Terry. No advice other than to avoid the E.R.
If you can, a knee brace for now. Rite Aid has some basic choices.
Too bad it's a Saturday. What out the LL ND? As an acupuncturist and one who is very LL, there may be something she can do. At least she may know of a specialist who would be at least more lyme aware.
Would your LLMD out of state have any suggestions?
The OLDN Yahoo board?
Lyme affects tendons, too, of course. But no doctor in Oregon would understand that. You are right, to most doctors, even fibromyalgia is just about being tired and down.
My tendons are very tight, nearly glued onto my bones, it seems, causing craters in my tissue.
Would your rife machine help at all - at least the 10K to reduce inflammation? Pack in ice (although Dr. B. says "no ice")? Warmth?
Homeopathics? Arnica (both sublingual and topical) can help with the pain but also help the tissue release.
Collagen support? Gotu Kola comes to mind for that - and it helps with wound healing. -
Posted by sammy (Member # 13952) on :
I agree with Keebler, try to find something at the pharmacy to help support your knees. Ace wrap is probably not enough, go for something stronger.
You might also want to schedule an appt the an ortho doc to examine your knees, especially since the weakness/falling is new. They could recommend proper support devices or physical therapy if needed. It would be good to know why you are having this problem now.
The hand ortho doc is your best option to fix your dislocated finger. Try some ice (20min on, at least a couple times per day) and ibuprofen to help reduce the inflammation. Inflammation is probably what kept it from popping back into place. This is common, especially since you had to wait in the ER way too long.
Once the inflammation goes down it will be easier to fix. I hope the ER gave you something for pain. Dislocations are terribly painful. If they gave you pain medicine, don't take OTC ibuprofen with it, stick with the RX.
I'm sorry you have to suffer with this all weekend. Hugs.
Posted by TerryK (Member # 8552) on :
Thanks Keebler! I wish I could have avoided the ER. I went to a clinic first but after they did the x-ray they wouldn't touch it because of the fracture right at the dislocation.
It was funny because they kept asking if I wanted somthing for pain. I told them no, I'm used to pain and this is nothing compared to the fibromyalgia pain I've had. I think they were surprised.
Thanks for the great suggestions! I did put a knee brace on today but it hurts to have it on. I've been using arnica cream on the finger but didn't thin about using in internally. I've been using a pekana cream for tendons but that isn't helping much. Maybe it will help relax the tendons. The doctor at the er said he thinks the tendon might be trapped under the bone which will require surgery. ugh!
The er told me to ice it. I didn't know that Dr. B said not to. I found a reference to no ice in his guidelines but he was talking about rehab and ice causing vasoconstriction. I assume that would decrease oxygen and maybe that's why? Do you think that would apply to an inury? I think the ice keeps the swelling down. It is terribly swollen as it is. Not sure what to do
I'll look into the other things you mentioned. I'll wait on anything healing to the tissue until they get the joint back in place. Probably the less tissue healing until then, the better. Good to know about goto kola too.
Sorry to hear about your tendons. This disease really does wreck our muscles and tendons (at least for some of us). Very strange that the majority of doctors don't know that.
Thanks a bunch!
Terry
Posted by TerryK (Member # 8552) on :
Thanks Sammy. You could be right about the inflamation not letting it go back in place. That sounds a lot better than the tendon trapped under the bone!
Been taking ibuprofen + very small doses of pain med. I'll consider swithching to pain meds. I just hate taking them because I feel so brain impaired on them. What is the reason for not taking them together?
Terry
Posted by Lymetoo (Member # 743) on :
Ugh, Terry!! I'm so sorry to hear this.. it DOES sound painful!!
Fibromyalgia may not cause tight tendons, but Lyme probably does!!
Dr B was not likely talking about an acute injury when discussing ice therapy. So I would go for it. You've got to keep the swelling down.
hugs .. I hope you can sleep tonight.... and I hope the orthopedic dr can help...He should be ABLE!
Posted by sammy (Member # 13952) on :
Terry, I just didn't want you to take 2 anti-inflammatories together. I figured the ER might have given you something strong like Toradol or Vicoprofen, then you wouldn't need ibuprofen.
You can run your RX med and ibuprofen through the drug interaction checker at drugs.com or call your pharmacist to ask if the combo is safe.
You can also break or cut your pain pills in halves or quarters if they are too strong for you. I wouldn't want to feel out of it either.
Posted by TerryK (Member # 8552) on :
Thanks tutu. I slept well last night. I think I was worn out from the day at the er. Hopefully I'll sleep well tonight. If not I can always take a full pain pill.
I think you are probably right about the ice. I don't want this swelling up more.
Love all the hugs!
Terry
Posted by TerryK (Member # 8552) on :
Good idea to run it through a checker Sammy. They gave me percocet. I just looked it up and I don't think it is an anti-inflammatory but not sure. I'll find a checker and make sure no contraindications.
Thanks! Terry
Posted by Lymetoo (Member # 743) on :
Percocet contains acetaminophen (tylenol) and the pain reliever. I think maybe it contains a little hydrocodone..not sure.
I'm also not sure you can take tylenol along with ibuprofen.
"Dr B was not likely talking about an acute injury when discussing ice therapy. So I would go for it. You've got to keep the swelling down."
Glad someone addressed that.
TuTu, you said: "Fibromyalgia may not cause tight tendons, but Lyme probably does!!"
So true. But in Oregon ERs, you will get kicked out if you even whisper the word lyme. The code, for hoping some doctor knows a bit more than the average bear, is to mention fibromyalgia as a factor. -
Posted by GiGi (Member # 259) on :
I was not able to depend on my knee for several years and learned not to use it when stepping up or bending down. My husband the same.
Mine healed along with everything else - took a long time.
Look into Prolo Therapy - by an expert, such as the one name I can't think of right now. He is in Washington State, however.Dr. K. treats him and he treats Dr. K.
I still take Hyaluronic Acid and also Jarrosil to support tendons and ligaments. At this point, I have two wonderfully functioning knees - I never feel them anymore. But I also had the blockages from my spine removed with AI, so the whole structure works like that of a young kid. Malfunctions of one body part often start elsewhere.
Good luck.
Posted by Rumigirl (Member # 15091) on :
Oh, Terry, I'm sorry to hear this. Yes, get it checked out first thing on Monday. Hopefully the orthopedist can help.
Usually I don't recommend ice, because it inhibits healing, but in this case, you surely do need it to inhibit the swelling (not to mention the pain).
And long term, Gigi is right, you need Prolotherapy by a good dr for your knees and any other joints that "go out" like that. It works wonders. But get a really good referral, as the docs vary in their expertise.
With the Percocet, I definitely cut it up and take a small dose, as a full dose would knock me silly. And you can take extra Ibuprofen or Tylenol with it, but check the amount of tylenol in the amount of Percocet you are taking (no more than 1,000 mg at a time max).
I wish you a speedy recovery to a most painful situation! Let us know what happens.
Posted by TerryK (Member # 8552) on :
thanks tutu - looks like there are no interactions.
Technically I have lyme not fibromyalgia but most doctors will have at least heard of fibromyalgia and hopefully know something about what it means to the muscles. I consider it to be lyme induced. I will tell a doctor that I have lyme if I have to but Keebler is right, best not to mention it if you don't have to. That ER doctor was not correct, fibro, lyme induced or not, can cause tight tendons.
GIGI- that's fantastic that you don't have knee problems anymore. I'll look into prolotherapy. Thanks for the suggestion. Hylauronic acid makes me burn all over but the jarrosil sounds like somthing I should be taking.
Rumigirl - good to have another endorsement on prolotherapy. Looks like the doctor the ER referred me to has no orthopedic training, just general surgery. Hopefully my rheumatologist will know of someone good. Thanks for the well wishes.
Thanks so much, everyone's help is very much appreciated
![[group hug]](graemlins/grouphug.gif)
.. I hope you can sleep tonight.... and I hope the orthopedic dr can help...He should be ABLE!