I have bakers cysts behind both knees. I'd been having alot of pain whenever I got down on the floor and yesterday discovered lumps the size of golf balls. Damn. I had problems with my knees several years ago but started lifting weights to build up the muscle around my knees and haven't had a problem since, until now.
My question is this, does this mean my RA is still totally out of control? I'm on Humira and sulfasalazine. Or is this from osteoarthritis?
I know there was a thread about this in December but it didn't answer all my questions. Thanks for your help.
I've had them before and a shot of cortisone took care of it. They haven't been back since. MAYBE ask your doctor about that. It doesn't help everyone....but it might help you like it did me.I thought it was RA related and would wonder the same thing about whether things are under control. Have not had the baker's cysts. Hope you get some good advice.I had bakers cysts when my knees were bad. Doctos kept saying I had them but no-one actually did anything about them. When I had my knee replacements I never had any more trouble but maybe thats because I can't bend my knees right back now. I know I had mine when my knees were out of control but that was years before I was dx'd, they just said it was OA. They are from excess fluid so one way or another they are arthritis related. Get them checked out, usually an ultrasound. The doc may be able todo something about them.
I have them too, both knees and they seem to wax and wane. Some days big and quite painful, other days just noticeable.
when they are bad I stay off my feet and apply heat.. It seems to help. I have never had them drained, that just gives me the willies.
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/bakers-cyst/DS00448
Miles and all others with concerns and questions about bakers cysts should go to the above site from the Mayo Clinic. On about the third page is a very good inside and outside image of the knee and cyst. After studying the inside image it appeard to me that the cyst looks like an over-fill tube. My cysts were about the size of a medium lemon and as hard as hard balls. Very painful. I have been taking supplements that contain glucosamine, chondroitan and msm, supplements that help produce synovial fluid which is the fluid that actually fills the cysts. Some time back, I cut way back on the above named supplements and my cysts went down to a non-painful level. Whether because of the cutback in supplements or for some other reason, you may decide to cut back some on the above supplements after you study the cyst image at the above site. Hope this is of some help to someone. I hate pain.
P.S. I forgot to mention that my cysts used to actually break open and run into my legs, easing the cyst pain but enlarging my legs like elephantitis of the leg causing pain in the leg.