Bakers Cyst anyone?

I had one a few years ago and it went on its own after about 3 months

This brings back a memory Grandyma, like your husband I woke one day with agonising pain in my right knee, I couldn’t walk and Mr C carted me off to the doctors post haste. This was 10 years ago when things were different so I was seen slmkdt right away. A lovely young doctor, newly qualified, took time and had the patience to thoroughly examine my poor knee while I literally sobbed. After consulting his computer and humming a few times he finally told me I had a Bakers Cyst, to go home, take paracetamol, use ice on it and rest for a few days and it would ease and in the meantime go to the hospital for x rays.
After two days there wasn’t much improvement so I went to the local hospital A and E where an x ray showed my knee cap had done something or other, it might have been slipped and I needed immediate surgery. Two days later I was in theatre and given a brand new knee, so much for Bakers Cyst.
I didn’t make a fuss, just made sure I didn’t see that doctor ever again, luckily there was another in the practice, but many times if my knee ached family member would ask if my Bakers Cyst was playing up, no but my arthritis is.

poor poor him. Baker's cyst horribly painful. I had one a few years ago - and when I had the knee x-rayed it had burst apparently. Think it cleared up eventually - but as I had other knee probs which were discovered after the x-ray its difficult to know if it went on its own as I was given a steroid jab in knee.
Hope he gets better soon one way or another.

Yes I have, excruciating, mine also haemorrhage. Leg was very swollen black & blue took about a month to improve but a lot longer yo get back yo normal. He has my sympathy, awful.

Thank you for all your helpful replies. DH still in a lot of pain but I suppose it will just take time. Thanks again

I had a burst bakers cyst four years ago. Was in extreme pain for weeks. After three months still didn’t know what it was as X-ray didn’t show it, went private, consultant wasn’t sure whether the cyst bursting caused me to have a meniscus tear or whether the tear caused the bakers cyst. Was on painkillers but eventually managed to come off them, I can still feel slight pain every day but can live with it. Hope your husbands pain soon subsides

I have had two in the same place. This time it’s lasted awhile the doctor from MSK did asteroid in my knee for arthritis and at the same spot drained the bakers cyst (didn’t hurt at all) but was warned it could come back and it did - within 2 weeks.

My sister had one, then after she’d had X-rays etc,she saw a muscular/skeletal chap who told her to squeeze it and pop it.It was behind the knee,very awkward ,but she did it and it’s been fine ever since.Previously she had been in agony.That was last week.

GrandyMa: I think many knee related conditions are horrifically painful, really. Our bodies are not always our best friends, unfortunately. I'm delighted to hear that your husband got early treatment. We knobbly knee folk...we must all stick together!

IanMcKlatchie

Your experience sounds horrendous! Luckily my DH got help at a much earlier stage than you did. The hospital doctor did tell him that it was one of the most painful conditions imaginable. We are, of course, thankful that it’s not a blood clot as first thought.
Pleased to hear you made a full recovery.

Yes. I've had a ruptured Baker's Cyst in my left knee joint - around 20 years ago. It started with a minor impact from something on the inside of my left knee joint. I thought nothing of it. Within days, the joint became tender and sore when I tried to fully straighten my left leg, or when I tried to bend it more than slightly. Being a coward, I ignored it and just decided it'd put itself right. Oh, boy...was I wrong. I'd erred on the side of giving it NO exercise and nothing but REST...not good!

After denial and medical fears set in, and around 5 weeks later, my leg had badly swollen - full length, ankle to top-thigh. When I sat in an armchair, my leg was so heavy, I couldn't even lift my shoe heel from the floor. The swelling made my left jeans leg almost too tight to bear. The skin on the leg began to "split" because of the swelling. The leg was impossible to bend further (it wasn't straight) and was impossible to straighten, now. The entire leg was now turning black. The pain was like nothing I'd ever experienced, before.

I finally involved the medical profession - something that I hate to do! My GP started being very afraid that I had a blocked blood vessel. I asked him if he had ever seen anybody's leg in such a condition before and he said, yes, but that it was after a person had been hit by a fast moving car, from the side, and thrown into the air, some considerable distance. That moved me quite a lot! By this time, I'd begun to have near-miss blackouts because of the blood loss into the leg.

Eventually, he scared me into going to the hospital to have it looked at. I was in the assessment bay, on a recliner. (1) The leg was X-Rayed...no break. They had to X-Ray through the jeans, because they were too tight to move and I wouldn't let them cut them off me. (2) They ultrasounded it - no sign of any thrombosis, but they'd still never seen anything like it. Students were brought from all over the hospital to see it. I was taken to the photography/imaging room and they took photographs of the front, side and rear of the leg, to go in the British Medical Journal. The eventual diagnosis was that it was caused by a ruptured Baker's Cyst.

During the blood tests, they discovered/calculated that I'd lost more blood into the leg than a man who had already bled to death! I was too exhausted to be afraid at the sound of that. So, they gave me some blood transfusions on that Monday and the following Thursday, and that was pretty much that.

I had zimmer walkers in the house, a toilet seat raiser and a few other things. A physiotherapist came for around 5 visits and helped me a lot. Slowly, the joint and leg just went smaller and smaller and the leg became movable again. The whole recovery (from first sign-onwards) was FIVE months, but the recovery was absolute and my leg went back to totally normal, again. Back then, that was the most scary physical thing that had ever happened to me, in the medical sense, and certainly the most serious - even though it wasn't really serious, in the end.

Baker's Cysts are moody-pieces-of-nastiness - ruptured Baker's Cysts are the leg's own version of the AntiChrist! Your husband should now look forward to full recovery and a return to dignity and movement and I wish him a very speedy recovery, indeed.

I still have an NHS walking stick which was provided when I broke my ankle years ago but must admit it has come in very useful for other injuries, knee replacement etc over the years!
A nurse once told me they threw away appliances like crutches and walking sticks even if they were returned as it cost more to clean and sterilise them all than to buy in new. Whether that was true or not, I don't know. I did return the crutches but she said no point!

Allira
So were we. A&E dept only had 2 wheelchairs - apparently people steal them. This is a busy London hospital!

😲

I'm horrified!!

Allira we did ask for a walking stick or crutch at the hospital but they said they don’t provide them any more 🤷🏻‍♀️ The one we have is an NHS approved one with the arm support.

Sorry, I see Grannynannywanny has suggested that already and physio; good ideas, GWN.
We can self-refer to the Physiotherapy Dept. here.

Grandyma

My main concern is that he is a big man and because this is affecting his mobility and agility he is more susceptible to falling. He is having to rely heavily on a walking stick that a friend has given us, and has limited movement in his affected leg. He does very well for his age, I am worried this will affect his confidence.

He needs a walking stick at the correct height; I'm surprised the hospital didn't provide one. The NHS ones are more sturdy than other types.

Alternatively, could he use two walking poles?

Grannynannywanny
Thank you for that. I will contact the GP tomorrow. 💐

Grandyma

My main concern is that he is a big man and because this is affecting his mobility and agility he is more susceptible to falling. He is having to rely heavily on a walking stick that a friend has given us, and has limited movement in his affected leg. He does very well for his age, I am worried this will affect his confidence

My GP practice has a self referral link to the physiotherapy dept. Hopefully you have the same. I used it last year when I was struggling to weight bear ( currently awaiting knee replacements) and had a phone call from them with 48 hrs. I think if you can access the physio asap it would be beneficial while your husband’s mobility is severely compromised.

They will assess him and provide a suitable walking aid. If he’s currently using a borrowed stick it’s unlikely to be the correct size and may add to his troubles. They might decide a crutch would be beneficial in the meantime rather than placing all his weight on a stick. During my one visit appointment I had a mobility assessment and was measured and provided with a crutch.

I hope he starts to feel better soon 💐

Go back to your dr they can come back they are painful

My main concern is that he is a big man and because this is affecting his mobility and agility he is more susceptible to falling. He is having to rely heavily on a walking stick that a friend has given us, and has limited movement in his affected leg. He does very well for his age, I am worried this will affect his confidence.

I had one a few years ago. When it burst it felt like boiling water was trickling down the inside of the back of my leg. I think it took about three weeks to heal.

Our friend had one recently and it did take time to improve I’m afraid, with a lot of pain.

I honestly can’t remember how long it to get better, sorry.
I do know the pain initially was very bad and my lower leg was swollen and very hot but I can’t remember how long afterwards it was painful.
I wish your husband a swift recovery and relief from the pain.

My sister in Australia had this in both knees a couple of years ago. From what I remember she was in extreme pain and had both knees drained.