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Baker's Cyst

delmado
0 Recommendations

Anyone out there that has a baker's cyst and would like to comment about it? I just found out that I have one behind both knees-starting to really hurt more-hard to straighten out my legs sometimes. I'm54.

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Surgery Arthritis Pain

21 replies

delmado

dear mylifemkj

Thanks for the info-- I'll be seeing my doctor at the end of this month and I am anxious for him to look at my knees again. One is getting worsr. It's hard to stragiten it out when I stand after sitting for awhile. I have kept up my walking and have lost 6lbs so I'm hoping that by getting some more weight off this may help.

mylifemkj

I suffer from the bakers cysts on both knees. The RH Dr would drain it, and it came 3 to 4 weeks every time. He drains it now only if I have limits to my movements, or severe pain. I agree that if you are in so much pain you should have it drained. Might be time for a 2nd opinion.

looselinks

Yes, they do return, but draining the cyst gives you relief and can be done as often as needed. Some docs will inject a steroid as well, but this can't be done more than a few times a year. The steroids can cause multiple problems if done too often. Once every 5-6 months is OK. I found that there wasn't any pain relief just from the shots. The draining of the fluid was more helpful and I had that done every 2-3 months with no side effects. It is amazing how much fluid there is in a Baker's Cyst!

Mellowdee

I too have a Baker's Cyst behind my right knee. I honestly believe that's how all my knee problems started. The Orthopedic Dr. I went to does not remove them anymore. He says they come back too easily so it really does no good. I wish he'd let me make that decision.

krc423

They do make a drug to control uric acid called Allopurnol different strenghts.
Most of the time this is caused by Hard Alcohol, wrong foods but mostly not enough water in the body. I have suffered through this for years with both gout and bakers cyst's but the Allopurnol is a great help.
Pastor Kelly

delmado

Gosh every case is different. I seem to have the same pain in both knees, but most of the time it's either one or the other- thank goodness. I'm going to wait awhile before I go back to my doctor- meanwhile--- I'll do what I can- the garden may not be as big this year!! Thanks to all for all the advice!

Crittersnsuch

I don't know how much swelling there was...but it was very painful. Typically, my arthritis pain was on the front or sides...this was in the back...felt almost like a sprained tendon or ligament.

nettenoble

I also had a Baker's cyst. My entire leg was swollen so my orthopedist ordered a sonogram. That is how the cyst was detected. My orthopedist then gave me a shot of cortisone with some pain medicines mixed in, and the cyst drained completely and has not returned (this was over a year ago).

delmado

had you been swollen behind the knee?

Crittersnsuch

I had a Bakers Cyst before I had the "scope" done 6 weeks ago...they removed a lot of torn miniscus...scraped and shaved the bone and removed some of the arthtitis. The pain from the cyst we relieved immediatley..still recovering from the rest...but yesterday...even with all the rain...was the FIRST pain free day in almost a year!!! I am using a brace..and that really helps on the stairs.

looselinks

THe only thing you can do short of having a knee replacement is to have them drained on a regular basis. I never used a compression brace; I wonder if that might stop the swelling?

courtwilli

No, I was in the emergency room and they were doing all of these tests to try to figure out what was going on. I ended up being admitted. The next morning, during rounds, the doctor in charge figured out that I had had a Baker' Cyst which must have burst when the MRI was being done.

delmado

Wow- did you know that you had it before the MRI or were they looking for the problem- since it's behind the knee it's hared to see exactly how swollen it is!! Do you have it on both knees?

courtwilli

I was hospitalized because of my huge swollen knee and leg. It turned out that I had a baker's cyst which burst during the mri of my leg. That was several years ago and it has yet to re-occur. I do remember how much it hurt though.

Mellowdee

Doesn't it also hurt after you've been sitting for awhile and then get up??? Yeeeouch!! That hurts me alot. Hopefully together we can all find something that will help us.

delmado

Mellowdee, that is what I have heard- that they come back- I have the painn now behind both knees and will have to get it checked out again soon. Kinda hard to straighten my leg's out when I stand up- just when i was starting to walk the dog more! Oh, well, I have heard that they drain them if they are real full of fulid. thanks!

Mellowdee

Hi....I am also 54 and that was my major complaint when I went to the Dr. was the pain behind my knee. Oh, they thought I had a miniscus tear or something else and I had the arthroscopic (not sure how it's spelled) surgery and they found out I had alot of arthritis in my knee so they scraped it out. Whatever! I still complained of pain behind my knee that I still have today and was told that it was a baker's cyst and that my particular Dr. doesn't remove them anymore because they so readily come back. Well.......that's what hurts dangit!! But another Dr. I saw also doesn't remove them so I don't know what to tell you. I am also 54 and mine started hurting out-of-the-blue and still hurts terribly to this day.

delmado

thanks, I have heard that alot.

looselinks

I had Baker's cysts in both knees. My rheumie drained them sporadically, but they just came back again. The most liquid he got was about 175 cc's. eventually, both knees were replaced which solved the problem. I don't know of any treatment except having the liquid drained.
Looselinks

delmado

sorry, but none of that makes any sense to me- I'll stick to Web md.

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