Synvisc Nightmare

[kathyjo53]

Any class action suits out there? In an attempt to be proactive in maintaining my knees, i took my doctors advice to have Synvisc injections in my right knee. After the second knee I had severe swelling, pain and complete instability when trying to walk. My doctor aspirated 30 cc of fluid from my knee. She then shared with me that the UPMC system insists that they use the Synvisc, a protien from chicken combs instead of a new synthetic shot that hhas less "pseudoseptic: reactions such as what I was experiencing!! I was just aspirated this morning and have as much swelling as I had before. I scoured the package inserts before I agreed to prodeeded and saw NOTHING evn close to the pain and symptions I have...Bewre!

[seraphimdelphinium]

On 9/11/19, my husband had a complete hospital physical and was found to be in excellent health. On 10/22/19, he received Euflexxa "gel shots" in both knees. That same afternoon, his left knee swelled and turned bright red causing excruciating pain and debilitating swelling in his knee, leg and foot. He was forced to hobble with a crutch. Doctor advised to apply ice and avoid walking. On 10/29/19, he received final series of shots. Since then, he has  experienced extreme systemic complications: severe shortness of breath, nausea, loss of appetite, excessive gas, stomach pain, loss of nearly 30 pounds, never-ending fatigue and weakness, extreme lethargy, insomnia, hypersomnia, an angry red body rash on legs, back, stomach, shoulders (like shingles), pervasive itching, continuous swelling of knees, feet and ankles, and hot flashes. He was slowly dying right in front of my eyes. Everything was shutting down: his respiratory system, circulatory system, digestive system. Doctor was unresponsive. Requested doctor to report these severe adverse reactions in FDA Maude database. Never heard a word--not a peep--from the doctor. It's been 4 months now and he is still swollen and debilitated and continues to have breathing difficulties, extreme lethargy, and hypersomnia. How long is this going to go on? Will he heal in time? Is there any way to get this stuff OUT of his body? Is anyone aware of any lawsuits regarding these gel shots?

[rocckandy]

Get the Zilretta injection. Synvisc didn’t work it cushions and made my knees fat but still painful.

[Ttoms]

http://blog.arthritis.org/news/synvisc-one-injections-recalled/

[Ttoms]

I read somewhere recently that there was a bad batch of the injection so there may be legal action taken.

[Dee1956]

Thank you all for sharing.
There is information on here www. synviscsurvivor. blogspot. com

[Jo_n_co2004]

I received this shot a week ago. I have not been able to walk since. We are on vacation and I have to be in a wheelchair, and now the swelling is making it to my ankle.

[mmdimler]

I received SynviscOne on Dec 21, 2016.  I am now having a similar experience of severe pseudospetic reaction to Synvisc since Dec 26.  One ER visit and knee aspiration later (45 cc fluid), I'm going to see my Orthopedist again (for the fourth time) to discuss options. I may need to opt for knee surgery to remove Synvisc, sooner rather than later.  I have been suffering with severe pain, swelling, and immobility for two weeks now. It is still a mystery to me why only my left knee reacted when I was injected with SynVisc in both knees??

[Smite2012]

I have decided to have the Sinvisc removed with surgery next week - it has been a nightmare for a month since the injection.

[painintheside416]

AGREED I AM IN HUGE PAIN.  RUINED MY VACATION AND THIS HAS BEEN A NIGHTMARE SINCE SHOT 6 WEEKS AGO.  I AM IN SO MUCH PAIN AND NONE OF MY DR'S WILL HELP ME!  I AM MISCIBLE!  

[CarolKnox]

Anyone found a lawyer yet. Would love to get this drug off the market. After my 3 shoot I had to use crutches for 4 day. I begged to not have the 3rd shoot. Doctor did it anyway.

[karenDonofrio4]

I have been in agony for 14 days now my last  of 3 injections was 11/13 2015.  Muscle cramps severe syatic type pain up my leg . Numbing tingles and sleeplessness from the pain that wakes me up.  I had these sweats also but did not relate that to this till I read thieves blogs.  What am I to do this is worse then the meniscus surgery.?.
I am going back to my acupuncture tomorrow the dr told me not to go when I had the surgery.
Any advise ? I would like to to join any class action suit. They obviously are doing more harm then good

[Patddd]

Synvisc is classified as a medical device

[Myawfulexperience]

I had a 3rd injection of synvisc one. Driving home, my eyes were closing from lethargy. I made it home and went to bed only to wake up with my knees misshapen and swollen and I couldn't walk. I called the rheumatologits who said take tylenol and use ice. I moved on after the pain and swelling went into my hips and back. I got cortisone twice into both knees and cortisone twice into the hip bursa. (never had this bursitis before). I was told I had an allergic reaction. I saw several specialists. Lat one gave me a methlperdnisonone pack.
It is a high dose to begin with and tapers down to nothing. First morning my pain was gone. It seemed like a miracle. As the dose was decreased the pain returned.  No one seems to have an answer to this. I think we should all report this to Dept of Health and human services and have this investigated. We can't all be nuts.

[angelrobert]

If the doctor does explain the pros and cons and if in good faith he tries to treat till he goes for Total Knee Replacement it is fine.

[angelrobert]

The cardiologist said my arteries & heart were fine (after heart cath) but that too much stress had been put on my heart from the allergic reaction.

[75RAIDER75]

My symptoms was VERY similar to yours. I heard drug companies spread out their "batches" to prevent bad reactions to that batch all i one location. I also had uveitis/iritis in my eyes as well as joint pain and autoimmune suspicions.

[75RAIDER75]

my situation is almost exact as yours from november of 2013 and still recovering

[Vcode455]

Gvd,

My experience is so similar to yours. I would love to chat and compare notes.

Please email me at ***@**** is you would like to discuss your experience.

James

[gvd]

My experience is similar.  I had a synvisc one injection in Fall of 2011.  2 months following, both knees, my shoulders, hips, all my major joints and sciatica were so painful I could not get up from a chair, could not roll over in bed, or even lift the covers up over me.  I would wake every 1.5 hours, have to get up and walk around awhile so that I could go back to bed and rest another 1.5 hours.  It was like my body blew up within 2 months.  My doctor sent me to a rheumatologist, who diagnosed me with many autoimmune diseases and said it absolutely could not be the synvisc one injection.  I complied, believed, went on some heavy medication, methotrexate, hydroxychloroquine, diclofinec.  I was on maximum doses and it took 6 months for my pain to begin to subside.  I continued another year with the meds, my inflammation levels dropped considerably.  Aside from the side effects of the meds, my pain level was so much less.  It wasn't perfect, but considering I am 59 years old, I don't expect to feel 25.  Then in January of 2013, I developed a terrible asthmatic cough, caused from the methotrexate.  The doctors took me off all the meds cold turkey and sent me to the U of WA in Seattle to a specialist.  I waited 6 months before I could be seen, waiting for my pain to come back.  Nothing.  I saw the specialist in Seattle.  No autoimmune disease.  Nothing in my blood work to suggest I have an autoimmune disease at all.  I told the doctor of my initial suspicion of the synvisc one injection.  He would not say, but he did tell me never to have it again and it would not be necessary to go back to my rheumatologist.  He said to follow up with him in 6 months.  I am convinced it was a reaction to the injection, but one would never know unless I had a second injection.  I still have aches and pains, not fully back to normal, but I would say I am probably at 75% of where I was before the injection.   The lesson here is to seek other medical advise if you can't get answers from the doctor that is treating you.  Go to the top doctors in your State.

[babsy55]

I also had horrible experiences with Synvisc. In 2006, had both knees injected and had to have the left one aspirated. We waited 2 weeks, did the last injection, and both knees swelled up so bad I ended up in the hospital and had to have both knees aspirated. Ended up with 2 TKRs 2 years later. Dr said it was unusual to have such a reaction to the first round of injections.

[kjohn168]

babsy55, I've been suffering this synvisc nightmare for almost a year and have succumbed to the fact that my knees will never get better on their own, but I have a question for you. With my knee pain and swelling, I also have pains shooting up my thighs and down my calves, along with heavy calf and toes cramping; I was wondering if after you had your total knee replacement, if you had these issues prior, did they go away  with the replacements?

[bell1961]

My husband had the Synvisc One shot in June 2011 a month after his knee surgery. He had to be admitted to the hospital for three days and he could not move from the shoulders on down. He then gt shingles from all the predisone. It is now on year later and he was diagnoised with reheumatoid arthritis. He takes all kinds of medications and still in alot of pain. The doctors said it was because of the shot. He was doing great after the knee surgery and the doctor said he had to have the shot for a lubricant . He has been through hell and still is. We have incurred so many medical bills. We waited a year to see if it would go away but now he has a permanent disabiliy.

[SuperPatient]

I have had three weekly injections with Synvisc with great success. Than my Rheumatologist offered to use a new product, Synvisc One, and all I would need is ONE injection.
After years of successful injections, after the Synvisc One, I experienced a similar reaction as Jathyjo53.
DON'T BE TEMPTED TO USE THIS PRODUCT. IT WILL NOT WORK AND CAUSE YOU A LOT KNEE PAIN,

[baybabenal]

I had o Synvisc-One injections only once last December (2009) in both knees. My knees swelled up with fluid one month later (I hadn't even gone to the gym or done anything to bring this on) and I had to have an aspiration to try to relieve the pain. It was so painful, I could only have the doctor apirate one knee. It took weeks before the swelling and fluid subsided.  I was in so much pain and could hardly walk.  I am generally active, 53 yrs old, tall, thin female, and I couldn't do anything and went into a depression.  Although I have osteo-arthritis in both knees and chondromalcia, I NEVER had fluid in my knees before.  My knees hurt every day now since I had this experience with Synvisc-One and I keep getting fluid buildup which is painful, and I am not able to exercise.  I am so sorry I ever agreed to get these shots as it has exacerbated my condition!  Something should be done about this to hold Genzyme responsible!  If there is a CLASS ACTION suite being held against Genzyme, someone, please let me know.  You can contact me at ***@**** also.  DO NOT GET THESE SHOTS if you are thinking about it!

[angelkslv]

I also had a severe reaction after my 2nd series of Synvisc injections.  I developed leg cramps, a horrible case of hives (no previous allergies to ANYTHING), swelling throughout my whole body, blood pressure plummeted 50/35 and finally a episode with my heart.  The cardiologist said my arteries & heart were fine (after heart cath) but that too much stress had been put on my heart from the allergic reaction.  Luckily I was in my family Dr's office when this happened.  I had 3 nights in the ER, 3 trips to my family doc, an ambulance ride, admitted to the hospital, a heart cath & a trip to an allergist before my ortho doc agreed to surgery to remove the Synvisc.   I am now looking for an attorney to go after the makers of Synvisc.