Sweet Relief? Synvisc One, Osteoarthritis, Mixed Connective Tissue Disease

Synvisc One is new to me. The idea of one shot instead of the series of 3 shots of Synvisc, that I had in the past and LOVED, is very appealing. The lurking question is but is it really, when I think about it. When I got the Synvisc (series of 3), I had trouble with stiffness and pressure in my knee for 3 days after the each one of the injections. It was tolerable but very difficult to ambulate. I went from using my cane back to using a walker for those couple of days.

Synvisc and Synvisc One are used for the treatment Osteoarthritis, and for me, the treatment of both the Osteoarthritis and the Mixed Connective Tissue Disease. With Synvisc, the doctor would inject 30 cc of the medication with each of the 3 injections (3 x 30 = 90 cc total). With Synvisc One, the doctor injects me with 90 cc of medication, all at once. Once I understood this concept, I didn't think this was going to end well.

My doctor ordered the Synvisc (the series of 3); the insurance company would only approve the Synvisc One. I can understand they don't want the risk of three injections into the bone space and the potential for Osteomyelitis (very serious bone infection) that may occur. And frankly, I don't want that to happen either; but the risk is there with any injection into the bone space.

I got the Synvisc One injection on Friday. By Friday evening I was using a walker instead of cane. Saturday, I gradually got worse. I was feeling a lot of pain, huge amounts pressure and stiffness. Doctors tend to call pain pressure because technically you can't feel pain and pressure at the same time (the same nerve carries that sensation). The doctors called pain pressure when I was in labour. when I Well, I wasn't feeling just a little pressure; I was feeling a 10 out of 10 pressure. I can best describe the pressure I was and am currently feeling as I felt as if I was going to give birth through my kneecaps. Some relief, right?

Oh, I am exaggerating a bit. My left knee is actually usable at this point and I no longer feel like someone should be hunting for a stopwatch to time contractions; however, the right knee is not a happy camper. I still need help getting out of a chair and I am wondering why they don't have fancy wheelchair stores in malls....May be it will be better tomorrow.