Anyone have knee pain as first symptom of bone mets?

Options

I am probably overreacting, but my knee is in pretty bad pain. My husband and I went hiking in Grand Canyon in October, when I was on a 6-week break from Femara. Had no problems with the knee then. Started hurting in December. I guess I could have injured it hiking in GC. Hurting so bad now that it has been waking me up at night. I just took some Percocet. Will call ortho doc tomorrow.



Has anyone had bone mets start out as knee pain? Thanks. :)

Comments

  • 37antiques
    37antiques Member Posts: 643
    edited January 2012

    Hi Sherry,

    My doctors tell me it would be extremely unusual for mets to present in the knee, if they were to be there it would be more likely they would be somewhere else first.  I have something in the knee that shows up in bone scans on the patella (sp) but they have ruled it unlikely to be cancer.  Lots of things can happen in the knee, such a busy joint.  My DH has two kneecaps on one knee and only found out about 10 years ago when it started hurting.  I hope you feel better soon.

  • apple
    apple Member Posts: 7,799
    edited January 2012

    i had knee pain long before i had cancer. mine were definitely from over use.

    ice and nsaids.

  • ali68
    ali68 Member Posts: 1,383
    edited January 2012

    I have hypermobility in my joints from being a teenager just had first chemo and the pain in my knee's are bad. Walking downstairs and one gives way and I'm screaming. Just had bone scan two weeks ago so I know I'm fine.



    Alison

  • karen1956
    karen1956 Member Posts: 6,503
    edited January 2012

    I agree with 37....my onc said that bone mets typically don't start out that far down the body...more likely to be the back or hip.....hiking in the GC probably aggrevated your knee....hope you get some relief from the pain

  • thankful4life
    thankful4life Member Posts: 101
    edited January 2012
  • SpecialK
    SpecialK Member Posts: 16,486
    edited January 2012

    thankful - are you back on Femara?  I have been on it for 6 months and both knees are very painful.

  • thankful4life
    thankful4life Member Posts: 101
    edited January 2012

    I'm back on Femara, and all joints hurt, but this is a different hurt. I called my on-call doc, and she wants me to go to ER. Not sure what to do.

  • SpecialK
    SpecialK Member Posts: 16,486
    edited January 2012

    Mine is worst upon rising from a sitting position and is different from the all-over joint pain too.  It is quite sharp and right on the front of the kneecaps.  Why are they recommending the ER as opposed to seeing a primary care provider?

  • thankful4life
    thankful4life Member Posts: 101
    edited January 2012

    Because the pain is so bad today. Has now gotten to the point that I can't walk.

  • SpecialK
    SpecialK Member Posts: 16,486
    edited January 2012

    Oh no!  So sorry you have having that level of pain!  Maybe the ER can give you some immediate pain relief.

  • kathleen1966
    kathleen1966 Member Posts: 793
    edited January 2012

    Perhaps you have a baker's cyst....there is another woman on here who got one and they are extremely, extremely painful.  I hope you get relief soon. 

  • thankful4life
    thankful4life Member Posts: 101
    edited January 2012

    Went to ER last night. Doc thinks it is torn MCL. X-ray showed NO problems with bone -- yay! So now I am sitting in recliner, wearing a brace from ankle to top of thigh, and will be on crutches for awhile. I'm surprised at how painful this is. Percocet dulls the pain but doesn't take it away.

  • reesie
    reesie Member Posts: 2,078
    edited January 2012

    Sherry, when ny son tore his ACL he couldn't walk either and he has an EXTREMELY high tolerance for pain (we had to watch him really close as a child because he could have a bad injury and not say anything unless he saw lots of blood).



    That being said, while it is rare for mets to present as knee pain - I thought I pulled a muscle in my knee but had mets in my tibia (even rarer to have mets below the knee). It's good you had it checked out.

  • suzfive
    suzfive Member Posts: 456
    edited January 2012

    If the pain does not go away, I would suggest asking for an MRI or bone scan. My mom had knee pain for several years and nothing ever showed up on an x-ray except for degenerative changes (she walked with a limp due to pain). She ended up having a metastatis to her femur just above the knee. She had a high pain tolerance and for years was told she had "arthritis" in her knee. She was not diagnosed with bone mets until her femur broke.

    Hoping that it is "just" a torn MCL and the pain goes away.

  • thankful4life
    thankful4life Member Posts: 101
    edited March 2012

    I forgot to give an update. Diagnosis was torn meniscus and bruised ligament. I had surgery Feb. 8 and now am doing much better!

  • Cynthia1962
    Cynthia1962 Member Posts: 1,424
    edited March 2012

    That's great that it wasn't mets!!!  Glad your surgery went well and you are doing better.

  • marlenet
    marlenet Member Posts: 345
    edited March 2012
  • thankful4life
    thankful4life Member Posts: 101
    edited March 2012

Categories