Red hot knees EVERY night

[fvertk]

I've been having a weird thing happening lately. I'm a 29 year old male, rode my reclining bike a LOT, like an hour every night. Well, the top of my knees (the patella) started getting red and hot. No pain. I first noticed this after playing basketball. My face was hot and red and so were my knees. So I went to the doctor, they did an X-Ray, saw a lot of cartilage, tested for RA factor and other autoimmune diseases, and they came back negative. They maintained that they didn't think it was RA anyway because there was no pain. And it's weird, it's not really affecting my joints, I still have full range of motion and there is no inflammation there it seems like, just my patellas. Again, no pain. During the day they are FINE. Maybe barely slightly colder than rest of knees, but barely. Then at night, they just get inflamed no matter what.

So I took NSAID's for a bit. Then tried to ice them when it happened. Took a long break from working out. Nothing worked. It's been about 4 months. I started a strict anti-inflammatory diet. But guess what? It kept happening. Doctors had no idea. And a few told me to not worry about the inflammation. But I KNEW it could be becoming chronic. I started freaking out, dieting, then noticed my hands and bottoms of my feet getting inflamed too. This may not be related completely, it may be stress-triggered. Or it might all be nerve related.

I got tests back saying that I tested high in IgG tests for mold allergins for three different types of mold. This leads me to believe that MAYBE that could be related, and my body was trying to fight off internal toxins. But again, I have no idea if that's what those tests even mean. Neither do doctors.

So lately I've been taking 2.5mg of Prednisone (which makes symptoms vanish, even on low dose) and eating extremely healthy. I'm hoping it just goes away, but I have no idea how to treat it. Should I just let it be inflamed, as doctors say, each night? Or should I stay the course? Please help. :(

[fvertk]

UPDATE#2: Knees still getting warm/red towards end of evening if I stand on them, or even if I'm laying down. Not as much as before. I notice it more around when I'm making something in the kitchen for dinner. Or if there is pressure put on my knees, they get red/warm for a while and it fades.

Still no pain though.

[TessJelin]

Hi, do you know what causes your warm/red knees? It happens to me too. I am scared :(

[fvertk]

Hello Tess,
I think it's just Raynaud's, a common skin condition that people most often have with their hands. The skin gets really warm and sort of stiff (there is a lot of blood flowing through) and then it relaxes. Sometimes a response to temperature changes (not all that different from flushed skin).  As far as I know, it's not anything to worry about, but it can predate another condition. It's not very common in the knees but it's very common with hands.

I can tell you that mine hasn't happened super often lately, or it just isn't that bothersome anymore. So I wouldn't worry about it too much.

[fvertk]

UPDATE: I have been trying B12, vitamin D3, krill oil in the morning as recommended by someone else that had this issue. It seems to be slowly resolving. It still happens sometimes. But this is promising and may be related to my heterogenous MTHFR gene (as discovered by 23andMe) that 44% of people have. I also have had tests for lyme disease, but so far, I'm not 100% if that is what I have.

[Londres70]

I doubt it is Erythromelalgia because you aren't having pain.  Pain is usually associated with that condition.  You could be presenting with the condition atypical though.

[fvertk]

Some people report mild symptoms of Erythromelalgia, but I think you're right. There is a lot of gray territory though. Like, my condition gets worse nightly and affected by heat. This isn't typical of RA or Raynaud's. May be some neuropathy. But the question is how to fix it? Especially if I don't know what it is.

[Londres70]

Maybe your diet is too extreme?  I am not a fan of extreme diets.  The newest rage are these high protein diets which are rubbish.

Raynaud's can affect knees too as knees have a vascular bed.  

Well, I wouldn't recommend playing doctor google too much.  Have this further investigated by a Vascular Specialist.

[fvertk]

Well, I'm at the end of a two week detox. And I've been taking a lot of good supplements, like B12, magnesium, probiotic capsules. Nothing has really helped with the overheated knees/feet issue except 3.75mg of prednisone nightly. Which I've heard is such a low dosage that I may be fine for a bit, but I'm weaning off of it anyway and trying desperately to try to find some natural solution.

[fvertk]

I've definitely been drinking enough water to flood a small town. My diet is madman strict to the point where family is worrying about my sanity.

Just had a biopsy done on tissue at my knees, so I will update here in case anyone else is seeing this weird issue.

Raynaud's disease may be part of it. I haven't heard of it affecting people's knees though? I think I probably have something like that in my hands and feet, maybe erythromelalgia (sp?) but a MILD case of it. I am definitely affected more by heat than cold. And as it just popped up randomly in adulthood, it must be caused by something else...  

[Londres70]

Increase your water intake as well for the high uric acid level.

[Londres70]

Sounds like it could be Raynaud's disease.  I don't think it's Gout because usually pain is associated with Gout.

You should probably consult a Vascular Specialist and get his/her opinion.

[fvertk]

And also, uric acid level was 6.9 but then dropped to 6.3. Doctors don't think it's possible that it's gout due to lack of pain either. Is it possible, however, that it has just enough buildup to cause inflammation but no pain?

[fvertk]

I should say that right now, my hands and feet have improved now that I'm calm. They no longer have been getting inflamed as much at all.

[fvertk]

UPDATE: Just got a skin biopsy on my knee. Doctor suggested it didn't show any autoimmune activity, but it did show inflammation. Not sure what that means.