Ulcerative colitis and joint swelling

[themiserychick]

Does anyone else deal with this? I'm having a UC flare, but it's calming down with medication. More often than not I end up with at least one painful swollen knee, sometimes it's both. Right now I'm stuck in bed barely able to move because my knee is so swollen. Friday morning I felt the very beginning of the swelling, and by the end of the day it had doubled in size. I went to the doctor to get prednisolone, and I started taking it yesterday, it seemed to work and I wasn't limping as much. But last night it got even worse, and I need my crutches to move around.

My UC has never been too severe, I only get flare ups once a year at most, often longer. I can cope with that as it's not as bad as others get it. But the knee swelling is incapacitating, very painful and unable to move around freely.

I do but it’s usually my hands, wrists and elbows I suffer with. I’ve not really found anything that helps unfortunately, just rest and it mine normally passes in a few days.
I hope you feel better soon

Have you ever seen a rheumatologist? I'd request a referral from your GP, or if already under their care ask for a review. UC and inflammatory joint conditions are linked

I have been referred before, but usually by the time I get an appointment, the swelling and inflammation is gone, and I'm told that there's nothing they can do. So I've kind of given up on that. The only thing I've found that helps is the prednisolone, otherwise I'd just be in pain and unable to walk for weeks.

My ankles swell up when I’m flaring but I’m hyper mobile so they tend to swell up fairly frequently

One of my knees has done this recently. Not happened to this extent before. Back in 40mg pred, which I needed anyway because the UC is so bad. I’m on my third pair of underwear today!

This happens to me though not at the same time. Rheumatologist told me they are linked and "of course don't take ibuprofen as you shouldn't for colitis" (or in my case proctitis) no one had ever told me that before so thought I'd mention it here.

Good luck, it must be rotten to have both flare up at the same time.

Joint pain is the worst part of my UC now. My finger joints swell most mornings . I did have a lot of lower back problems, not helped by my job (much of which is seeing joint injuries ironically).

I took up weight lifting and yoga to strengthen back etc and it helped greatly, and for Lockdown I have been running. I did pilates for a while but found it very hard on my wrists.
Rheumatology said I will definitely have associated arthritis. My dad is the exact same. Exercise, heat pads, hot baths all help. For a knee I recommend swimming. Kick strokes though rather than breast stroke type frog legs. That can be hard on the knees.

My bowel symptoms of UC are mostly in remission on Entyvio, but I still get joint pain, especially in my hands and wrists. I have taken ibuprofen in the past but it is not recommended with IBD. It can also have a bad effect on the kidneys.

Just needing to vent, here on my own thread good a place as any.

Trying to not fly into a panic as I'm having a UC flare and my knee is starting to swell again. I've tried to calm it down with low dose prednisolone, and it worked at first, but as soon as I tapered off the swelling started again. I went back on the pred yesterday, but the swelling is a little bit worse today. Every time this happens the swelling gets out of control, and I just can't do it this time. I'm supposed to be going on a holiday in a month with family, so this is the absolute worst timing.

I've been blamed by doctors in the past for not taking UC meds regularly, so it was always my fault that my knees swelled. This time I've been taking mezavant religiously, so I guess they can't use that. Is there any other treatment that works quickly for the swelling that isn't higher and higher doses of prednisolone? I'm going to see the doctor again soon. I've also had mixed recommendations on taking anti inflammatories, some say definitely not, others said that it doesn't matter.

I wouldn’t take anti inflammatory drugs, it can irritate the gut. However you should be okay with something like voltarol.