Hello to all of you.
My daughter is actually on enbrel. She has also tried remicade and humira. Although she is generally pretty well, for the last few months she has her right knee swollen and suffers a lot from it. She has had also a biopsy but nothing showed. Any idea? How can she be in such a strong treatment and still have a singlr joint in a flare?
Thanks in advance for any answer
Abyra
Hello Abyra.
Some joints can be very stubborn at responding to treatment, so tell your daughter to be patient and positive that her knee will eventually settle down. Also, knees are weight-bearing joints that take a lot of strain. Has your daughter had a cortisone shot into her knee (and fluid drained at the same time)? Cortisone shots often provide dramatic improvement for many weeks/several months. They have certainly helped me over the years!
All the best to you. I plan to visit your beautiful country (and one so full of history) one day!
Abyra, I'd too suggest you ask the doctor about a steroid shot into the knee. That can clear things up for months. Or there could be some osteoarthritis (wear and tear variety) in there. Getting a biopsy was a good idea - I'm glad it didn't show anything. Knees are hard - they can be the only thing going on for a long time, probably because we all tend to abuse them.
I'd love to see Greece too and also New Zealand!
It could certainly be a different problem than RA. I would try and get a consult with an orthopedic surgeon. She should have xrays and a MRI done.
Even with the biologics, you still get damage from RA. I have RA and OA in my knee and have been on the biologics for quite awhile.
But other conditions can exist. You didn't say how old your daughter is, but there are conditions of the knee that appear in young female teenagers that have no RA.
The only thing is get some films done and then a surgeon to review them. That doesn't mean she needs surgery. But they might give her cortisone or Synvisc shots, do physical therapy or surgery.