Testing synovial fluid

[tpotter]

I just came back from the orthopedist, because my knee has been hurting for the past 1 1/2 months. I suspected it might be related either to Lyme or to the tx (maybe herxing), but the pain was not going away, although made somewhat better by the fact that I started using a splint I picked up at the drugstore.

 

Anyway, his nurse came out and asked me what tests I had done to dx the Lyme, because I had put that on my history form + all the abx I'm currently taking. I told her that I had had the regular WB done, and although it wasn't positive, my entire family was being treated by an LLMD, who had diagnosed us clinically. I was fully expecting a big discussion, but she said that she was wondering if I had ever had the synovial fluid checked, because he had actually found 15 patients with unexplained knee pain who had Lyme by testing the synovial fluid.

 

I spoke with him about it afterwards, and although I am going to have an MRI (because he wasn't seeing any swelling,) my DH who is still questioning his dx (despite the fact he has RA that won't respond to RA meds, he became less stiff and standing taller after starting abx, and his IgM on the Quest WB was definitively positive,) has agreed to have the synovial fluid checked. I think this is great that there's another way to check. The orthopedist said that the synovial fluid is apparently quite accurate!