I'm in agony. What the hell's wrong with me?

[PersonalClown]

My right knee has been playing me up for a while. As the day wears on, it starts to ache and grind. It usually only really hurts when I have to bend the joint more than 90 degrees.
Today, it now hurts all the time, even to walk. Going upstairs, bending down cause great pain and my left knee is starting to ache.
On top of this, my lower back hurts so much that I've got a hot water bottle on it at the moment.
Am I falling apart? The next available routine appointment at my GPs is not till October 8th!!
Any clues on what is wrong? Should I try for an emergency appointment on Monday?
I don't want to drug myself up too much as I have Ds all weekend.

[LadyVictoriaOfCake]

can you take some neurfen? and get some deep heat rub as well.

[NotQuiteCockney]

Hmmm, I couldn't begin to diagnose from here, but I can give you some tips for getting through the weekend.

Is the knee hurting when you just move it, or is it having weight on it?

1. Maxdose iboprofen. It's an antinflammatory, so will actually help deal with the problem, a bit.
   
   
2. Sleep with your knee up if possible, and have it raised as much as possible, generally.
   
   
3. Experiment with shoes, to see if any are better than any others for reducing pain.
   
   
4. Try wrapping the knee up? Get a stretchy bandage thing, and tape it up - this often helps.
   
   And when you get to the GP, try to get a physio referral (or go to a physio privately, if you can do it)
   
   Hope it gets better, knee pain sucks.

[biglips]

my mum gets this and she got a mild arthiritis [sp?] and your back is sore cos youre angling your body to the side and not walking properly causing for your back to be sore

[PersonalClown]

That makes sense over the back pain. It's only the last hour or so that the pain started.
I can't lay on the sofa or floor to ease it as ds climbs on me!
I've tried shoes, boots, trainers, converse, heels. Less pain with converse on.
Knee did hurt when I put weight on it, now just aches constantly and GREAT pain on moving and weight.
I'm alternating ibuprofen and co-codamol. I'm out of my tree!
Thanks all. This should get me through the weekend. I'll go for an emergency appointment on Monday.

[NotQuiteCockney]

Hmmm, constant ache and great pain on moving worries me. If it isn't any better from rest, and being elevated, and iboprofen, I'd deffo do an emergency appt, if not A+E.

[PersonalClown]

It's been aching for over a week. The great pain started yesterday.
I'm trying to find a walk in clinc nearby. If not I may ring NHS direct.
It blardy hurts!

[NotQuiteCockney]

NHS direct not a bad idea.

I'm worried this may be a bone thing - if it's not, a medic will probably offer voltrol or similar (diclofenac), and the option of some sort of steroid injection in the joint. If you can get physio, they may be able to sort it with less intervention. (Although the voltrol will help, tbh. And unlike cocodamol, it doesn't make you spacy at all.)

[burstingbug]

I suffer from this.
The other pains could be a result of you walking slightly differently to compensate the pain in your right knee.

[PersonalClown]

The symptoms of that are all common to me.
My knee grinds. You can actually hear it when the room is silent. And when I get a pressure build up, my knee cap moves with a massive crack like noise.

[PersonalClown]

The pain's easing off a bit now. Right knee's still agony going up the stairs though. Back still hurts too.
I'm going to have a nice hot bath with Muscle soak bubble bath in it.

[misspiggy]

I get very similar symptoms with my right knee - it's blardy agony isn't it?!

As NQC has said, Diclofenac works wonders (only available on prescription from Dr) but it can play havoc with your stomach so always eat something at the same time as taking it.

Nurofen Plus is also fab - anti inflammatory with Codeine for the pain. Available over the counter so should get you through the weekend til you see the Dr on Monday.

BTW - I'm at 8 October for a routine appt...

Good luck this weekend and have a lovely time with DS.

[Haribosmum]

My DH gets exectly the same thing. He's having a knee x-ray in a couple of weeks to try and see the condition of the cartilage. But TBO the doctor has said physio is the only thing she can suggest really.

[Aero]

Me too burstingbug! I often get horrible pain when walking down stairs. I do find it's worse if I put on weight, so am on a mission to improve things on that score and the pain should ease, but it never goes away completely. I can't wear shoes with heels greater than about 2cm as this also worsens the pain considerably. It's been a problem since I was about 16.

You have my sympathy personalclown - knee pain is not nice. You don't have flat feet by any chance, as this can cause knee and back problems and can be eased with insoles.
NQC's advice is good, esp re the shoes. Do get a referral from your GP asap.

[bamzooki]

Hi - obviously your situation will depend on many factors and needs assessing in person by someone who knows what they are talking about, but I thought I would just share this with you.
My mum's knee started hurting - some grinding, pain, stiffness, swelling etc, and after a little while she saw GP who told her it was arthritis and told her to take ibuprofen. Didn't seem entirely unreasonable as she is in her 60's.
However a few weeks later she went to a local (and very good) osetopath/sports injury therapist about some back problems, and when he examined her knee, he told her it was not arthritis but that the cartilage in her knee had shifted. He fixed it that day.

My point being that GP's are not always best placed to deal with skeletal issues.
I'm not saying don't go the the GP tho - you probably should see a doc of some sort to check for other problems like infection etc, but just be aware that skeletal/structural injuries are not their area of expertise. They are after all general practitioners.

The other caviat is of course if you seek another type of therapist, make sure they are good.

[PersonalClown]

Thanks for the advice. My Gp surgery are fab. It just takes so long to get an appointment!
Still in a bit of pain this morning. Right knee still hurts like hell going up and down stairs and back still twinging. I can cope till Monday though.
Am going to write a few notes/questions to ask the Doc on Monday morning though.