Joint problems?

[Deb 27]

Has anyone else had damage to their joints from SJS? I am having horrible problems with my knees. First it was the R knee and now the L. Gotta get an MRI on the R knee Monday. Last year, I tore a meniscus on the L knee and they said it was from degeneration. I really haven't talked to my new rheumy about this, just the ortho. About two years ago, they cut my dose of plaquenil in half due to tinnitus. I wonder if they had any effect?? I've just been in a lot of pain and can't take NSAIDS. I use an anti inflammatory gel and also my tens machine. Not sure if it is helping much.

[irish]

Everything I have read speaks of damaged joints being from RA which is common to have along with the Sjogrens. Have you ever been tested for Rheumatoid arthritis. I have a lot of trouble with 2 joints that are very swollen and bent. I have a couple more joints that are starting to do the same thing. I know that when they are really bad and I have an increase in my prednisone or get my IVIG these big joints will settle down. They get really red and radiate heat during the bad times.

My doctors have diagnosed me with osteoarthritis. I do take the 400 mgm of Plaquenil daily. I would think that being on a 1/2 dose of plaque nil would cause you to have an increase in pain. It sounds like you need a good assessment of your joints and pain.There are a couple of other non opiod pain relief meds out there. Some of the antidepressants are able to help decrease pain. They don't really decrease inflammation but do change a persons perception of pain by affecting the pain receptors in the brain. It also helps a person to sleep better at night which has a great effect on a persons ability to cope with pain. Aso it helps to increase some of the brains chemicals which in turn improves peoples ability to manage the pain better. Hope this info helps. Good luck. irish

[Jenny]

I have a lot of damage to my joints...shoulders, knees, elbows, wrists. I have been diagnosed with severe Osteoarthritis, but I often wonder if Sjogrens contributes to it. Who knows?

[Carolina]

Dear Deb27,

I tore both meniscus(es?)and I have severe osteoarthritis in my hands, neck, shoulder, and knees.

I believe that autoimmune/immune disorders result in damage to joints and tendons.

Regards, Elaine.

[Deb 27]

Thank you for your replies and sharing, Irish, Jenny and Elaine. Sorry you are all plagued with this as well. It is painful.

I have been tested for RA, I was borderline with RF and in fact, my first diagnosis was seronegative RA! That rheumy retired and the others have kind of skirted around the issue of RA.  They x ray me and check for erosions. One x ray said I had some slight erosions in my hands. I have a new rheumy and I am going to take this up with him.  I can't take Celebrex. Sure wish Vioxx was still on the market here or Bextra........... I take trintillex and they just increased my dose. Maybe it will help with pain. I take some fish oil with turmeric. That seems to help a little. I don't sleep well and that definitely impacts my pain! I hate taking things as they often make me sleepy the next day.  Melatonin can do strange things with those of us with auto immune diseases too. The only person I know on either side of my family that has arthritis, had RA. No Osteoarthritis on either side! I am the only one!

Getting MRI tomorrow......

[SjoGirl]

Deb the short answer is yes. It was the sonograms of my hand that my rheumy ordered which showed damage in my hands that led him to diagnose me with seronegative RA (my RF factor has never been positive). I also have OA which right now seems to be more of my issue.

I have found that OA can damage joints. I have a thumb that has a protrusion and always will according to my hand surgeon who took two ganglion cysts and other arthritis out of that thumb a couple of years ago. I also recently had a repeat of a trigger finger, the orthopedist said I had a growth on my tendon (not the joint) at the base of my thumb and that it was from a combination of OA and RA.

Sorry to hear that you can't take Celebrex, it's been a game changer for me. I do know that the Arthritis Foundation reports that much more needs to be done to study and treat OA. Too many seem to think it's just a disease of old people and from wear and tear so either doesn't matter so much or can't be fixed. Well, geez, I'd like to function as I age so that just frustrates the heck out of me.