knee pain and weakness | Arthritis Information

 

I dropped a pill and squatted down to get it and the backs of my knees hurt so very bad I almost cried.  I fell to the floor on my butt and then my legs are too weak to get up.  Does anyone else have this extreme weakness?  I tried to carry a pitcher of iced tea the other day just for a few yards and barely made it, felt like I was carrying 25 lbs.  I understand the pain goes along with this but I am starting to get very concerned because I am so weak I can't do anything anymore, my husband has to help me do everything from drying my back to getting a cap off a bottle and I think he is getting tired of it after seven months.  Any advice is appreciated.  Im only 58 and feel 90.I remember feeling like that but I haven't in a long time since my RA has been controlled.

I feel like that all the time, I am 28 (will be 29 in a month). I am not Dx yet, still going through the whole process.  [QUOTE=patandpaula]I dropped a pill and squatted down to get it and the backs of my knees hurt so very bad I almost cried.  I fell to the floor on my butt and then my legs are too weak to get up.  Does anyone else have this extreme weakness?  I tried to carry a pitcher of iced tea the other day just for a few yards and barely made it, felt like I was carrying 25 lbs.  I understand the pain goes along with this but I am starting to get very concerned because I am so weak I can't do anything anymore, my husband has to help me do everything from drying my back to getting a cap off a bottle and I think he is getting tired of it after seven months.  Any advice is appreciated.  Im only 58 and feel 90.[/QUOTE]

Definitely talk to your rheumatologist and your regular doctor about the weakness.  In the meantime, try to find creative ways of getting things done yourself, so that you have a sense of self-sufficiency and your husband isn't overwhelmed.  There are many different tools available to get caps off of bottles; get a cart (we use Rubbermaid carts at work - they are indestructible, are strong enough to hold hundreds of pounds and cost well under 0) to move things from room to room in the house; get a wall-mounted hot air dryer (yep, like the ones in public washrooms) for the bathroom to dry your back.  If you have several tasks you need the husband's help for, see if you can get organized enough to have them all ready for him to do at once, rather than you having to keep asking him for help.  That will cut down on his frustration (and let's face it - it can be frustrating living with us at times!!!).
JasmineRain2008-08-07 10:46:32I've only had the weakness a few times, usually accompanied with a low-grade fever, during a bad flare up. I had 3 strokes in 2000 which affected my left side and every now and then, if I've been sitting too long or have been holding something heavy or opening a jar, my leg or hand on my left side won't budge. I have to wait about 30 seconds for the nerves to kick in.
Sometimes it's embarrassing when I go to stand up and I fall over because my left leg won't move!

I hope you get to the bottom of this!
Take care~
audrey
cachexia or muscle wasting is part of the disease process.  Besides getting the overall RA under scontrol the best thing you can do to prevent this is to exercise.  Talk ot your doctor, physicl therapist and learn what to do to prevent or minimize itYes, I understand. I can not carry a pitcher of water to my flowers, nor can i get up after stooping for a pan under the cabinet. Muscle wasting is part of this crap and hard to deal with. I can barely walk any more and it makes me so mad. I couldn't even pick up my 1 year old granddaughter today to give her a hug. Please talk to your DR. God Bless You. Thank you all for your kind words; I guess I was just having a bad moment there.  I definitely need to exercise more, if I could just get my ankle to quit hurting that would motivate me!!  My appt is in two weeks with my RA.  Wonder what if there is a really good exercise machine for people with RA to strengthen their legs especially (arms too maybe?)My sister had the kind of weakness you talk about, in fact at first she couldn't even get out of bed.  After her dx and the right mix of drugs, she was and is back to her old self.  Don't lose hope.  You're in the early stages of your journey and for most of us it does get much, much better.  There's no reason why it can't get better for you too. 
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