[SharonMV]

Hi All,

I've had tendonitis in both my Achilles tendons off and on for years. Also have attacks off tendonitis in various other places during my Lupus flares. well, my Achilles tendons have been acting up again for the last few months & got worse during a bad flare i had last month. Then the right one suddenly ruptured (you could hear a loud pop!). It didn't tear all the way through. Now I'm in a cast for 4-6 weeks, hoping it will heal & I can avoid surgery. I was wondering if this has happened to any of you.

Sharon

 

[Stacielee1967]

I have tendonitis too! Very long responce!

Hi Sharon,

Sorry to hear about your rupture. I hope it heals so surgery is not needed!!!
Here I thought I was all alone with tendonitis. I have tendonitis in both feet in all the major tendons and some of the minor ones along with achilles tendons. I also have it in both knees, the tendons that attach the knee cap. I can no longer stand on my tip toes, walking causes excruciating pain and I can’t rotate either foot side to side, going upstairs takes me forever because it hurts really bad (my toilet is upstairs, what a pain in the back side). Well, this list goes on and on and on! This has been going on since June 07 and I continue to hobble and shuffle to get around. Have you had difficulty getting to see an orthopedic doctor for your tendonitis prior to your rupture? With your tendonitis, what have your doctors done to help? I am at my wits end and I can’t understand why I can’t be referred or at least get an answer as to why they won’t refer me. Saying it won’t help is not an answer!! What evidence do they have that it won’t work? Can you enlighten me or someone else?

This is my story on the run around I get for what I consider to be basic treatment!

I have had cortisone injections in both feet, taking large doses of prednisone (60 mg a day) for 2 months and then decreased, anti-inflammatories, codeine and morphine. Still the pain continues. I can not get referred to orthopedics. My GP feels it is up to the rheumatologist and my rheumatologist thinks she can cure it. I saw her on Tuesday and she is insisting that orthopedics it not the way to go. I am on Methotrexate 25mg and she has just restarted the plaquenil. She has said there is too much tendonitis that has calcified and fibrosed to be surgically repaired and said casts won’t work. She wants me to re-start my prednisone but I said no because it made no difference to my feet or just slightly compared to the side effects. I am a nurse and I can no longer work. I loved my job and I find it really hard to get my head around all this and yes I am upset and discouraged. Anyway, she feels that I am angry and depressed and if I was less angry and not depressed then I would have a higher pain tolerance. I have done research papers on pain and yes, what she says is true, however, I am not depressed and my family and friends also agree that I am not depressed. I told the rheumatologist that a dog would not be allowed to continue on with this, they would be put down. I have even asked her to have both my feet amputated and she thinks I am being unrealistic and silly. I can’t work or walk, if my feet were gone then I would prosthetic feet and be rehabbed and then able to walk and work again. Is this really unrealistic when you consider that nothing will work to repair the feet and knees?

 

[lazylegs]

Hi Sharon,

Six years ago I ruptured my achilles trying to stand up. That pop is unmistakable. I was put in a boot for 6 weeks and told to stay off of it. Things at work were a disaster so I continued to work part time. Big mistake. At the end of 6 weeks I was casted for another 6 weeks. When the cast came off I was back in a boot and started physical therapy. It took almost 2 years before it was back close to normal.

My advice is to stay off of that foot especially in the beginning so the healing has a chance to start. Watch for swelling. Applying heat and cold really helps. When you do start physical therapy do the exercises at home religiously. It will hurt and burn but the exercises work. When you start wearing a regular shoe get pads to put under that heel so it is not flat on the floor. Once it starts feeling normal at that height put in a smaller one. Doing this will stretch the tendon more slowly and be less painful.

Good luck. I hope you can avoid the surgery like I did.

Take care,
Lazylegs

 

[SharonMV]

Hi Stacielee,
I'm sorry to hear about your tendinitis problems. It must be awful
to have it in your feet. I have it it one shoulder, knees & few other joints. I've had injections in some places. For my Achilles tendons, I did see an othopedist years ago when it first flared up, was in a boot/brace for the right one. Had some improvement. Then had some physical therapy through my primary doc. After that mostly just NSAIDS & sometimes prednisone. It started acting up more the last few months & then I had the rupture & was referred to the orthopedist.

Lazylegs, thank your for sharing your experience with me. I will bear your advice in mind.

Sharon