Has anyone here dealt with a Baker's cyst? | Arthritis Information

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My naturopath may have discovered the source of the bizarre swelling of one ankle - rather than assuming it was due to RA as 3 doctors have, she had me put on a gown and examined my leg up and down.  She says I have a Baker's cyst behind the knee!  Which is impeding the back flow of lymph from the lower extremity, hence the alarming swelling in the foot/ankle.

She told me the Baker's cyst is a protrusion of synovial fluid caused by the inflammation in my knee.  I will discuss with RD at my next appointment, but in the meantime - I'd appreciate any "real person" stories on this issue.

Many thanks!
Green~Tara2010-07-16 16:53:26I've had/got this and discuss various things about it in this thread
http://www.arthritisinsight.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=24883&KW=baker&PN=1

Since then it has decresed.
Tara,

 
I have suffered with bakers cysts practically from the time of diagnoses. Mine up until recently were the size of a golf ball if not a little bigger. If you can imagine taking a golf ball and inserting it behind the knee, inside the tendons and muscles, stretching those to great pain and them growing with fluid to the point that they would burst open, flooding my lower leg with fluid. My leg would look like I had elephantitus. Now with the rituxan doing such a good job of regulation the inflammation, my cysts are just smal and soft. I now realize that most of my knee pain was from the cysts. The cysts had stretched my tendons and mucles out so far that they actually would allow my knees to come out of the sockets. Nasty, painful little sacks they are and are apparently controled by inflamation.
 
LEV
Lev's decription is very true and to the point. Many thanks for the input, guys.  My God I didn't realize what nasty things these were (well to be honest I never knew what they were, though I'd heard the term).

Stephen, have you had the knee replacement?  So scary that when we think we're controlled stuff is still going on unbeknownst to us.

Lev, that's awful about your tendons being stretched, but good news the Rituxan got rid of your Baker's cysts. 

This disease is just one great big pinata packed with all kinds of "gifts," isn't it?  Green~Tara2010-07-17 14:57:34 [QUOTE=Green~Tara]

Stephen, have you had the knee replacement?  So scary that when we think we're controlled stuff is still going on unbeknownst to us.

This disease is just one great big pinata packed with all kinds of "gifts," isn't it?  [/QUOTE]No, I have not had a knee replacement and hope the hell I do not have to.
I saw the rheumy last friday and she reckons that by upping the attack on this disease we can stave off any thoughts of knee replacement for a while yet.

She wanted to start me on some sort of monthly infusion thingme bob but I bucked at having to enter a clinic every month.
Good luck with your decision Stephen.  I'm wrestling with the same thing, my RD wants me on Actemra or even Rituxan but I'd rather inject my Enbrel at home.   My co-pays would be HUGE and I really can't afford them or the time off from work for all the infusions.
I have just been dxd. with a Baker's cyst.  The option to have surgery is not going to happen.  When I can't move anymore I will entertain the notion.
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