I have had arthritus in one knee for about ten years also. It comes and goes. I found sleeping on the couch helped. Mine really only ever bothers me at night.

How is your weight? Too much may be a contributing factor. Yes. Pretty obvious.

I would suggest you have your Uric Acid level checked. Because many times Gout can present with Arthritic symptoms and the good news is that Gout is treatable with changes to the diet and some selected medications.

BTW, I have a brother in law prone to Gout flareups and they come on quickly with no conceivable cause. As in one day your foot or knee is just fine and the next day it will hurt so bad that getting to the bathroom can have you considering wearing diapers jut to avoid that trip.

PS; for my brother in law the primary Gout Trigger is Turkey so all he's had to do is avoid eating Turkey. Took him about 4-5 years to determine that but the good news for him is that beer isn't a Gout Trigger for him like it is for many others.

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Originally posted by anglertoo:

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find a good rheumatologist and let him/her help you

Agree with 'dwright1951' above.
It was the ONLY solution.

Not so fast. If it is RA, a proper solution is more complex. RA appears to be caused by a cross reaction to a low grade streptococcus infection. RA drugs usually suppress the immune system, so the body stops attacking itself. However the underlying infection then spreads more rapidly.

A better solution is to help the body fight the infection, so the autoimmune reaction does not occur. If it is RA, the first and most important step is to change your diet by eliminating sugar and most carbs, and all alcohol consumption. Usually this will produce a noticeable effect. Next there are ways to boost the body's overall health, and it may then be able to fight the underlying problem.