Synvisco one

[Nomoss]

Has anyone here had any experience with Synvisc one injections for Osteoarthitis?
My wife's orthopedic surgeon has suggested it for one of her knees as an alternative to an operation. He explained a little about it, but we're not sure we have the full picture.
We got the impression from the surgeon that there would be just one dose injected, effective for several months, depending on the individual, but on line information suggests 3 doses are required initially, at weekly intervals, to give up to 6 months protection.
Considering the cost per dose it's important to know whether one or three are required each time, and we'd like to know anyone's experience of the effectiveness and duration, and how much they were immobilised immediately after the injection(s).

[suein56]

It seems from here :
https://www.vidal.fr/parapharmacie/synv ... 87605.html ..
that Synvisc is a 2ml injection given a week apart until the max dosage of 6mls is reached. All 3 injections need to be given.
Synvisc One is a single 6ml injection given which lasts for 6 months.

Quote :
Synvisc :
Il est recommandé d'administrer Synvisc selon un schéma posologique de 3 injections de 2 ml dans le genou, à une semaine d'intervalle chacune. Pour obtenir un effet optimal, il est essentiel d'administrer les 3 injections. La dose maximale recommandée est de 6 injections pendant une période de 6 mois, en prévoyant un intervalle d'au moins 4 semaines entre les cycles de traitement.
Synvisc-One :
Il est recommandé d'administrer Synvisc-One selon un schéma posologique d'une injection de 6 ml dans le genou. Une seconde injection peut être pratiquée 6 mois après la première, si les symptômes du patient le justifient.

[Loup-garou]

I had the "one" injections into both knees at the same time. To be frank, they did little to ease the discomfort - if there was any relief it was in my head and wishful thinking. My problem was ill fitting joints worn away by too much sport in the past compounded by an accident on a flight of stairs. Subsaquently. my knees were cleaned up to remove damaged cartilage etc but this didn't really help. I need two replacements (just lack the courage) so perhaps your wife's case is not similar to mine.

As for the injections - given as an outpatient and not really uncomfortable. On my feet immediately afterwards the only concession was my wife went to get the car whilst I waited outside the hospital.

A french friend of mine had the injections about 8 months ago and felt they helped. He also was referred for "The Cure" at the local hydrotherapy spa.

[Nomoss]

Thank you Sue and L-G, that explains our confusion and helps our decision making.
We were wondering how much relief could result from what is essentially a bit of additional lubrication where there is no cartilage on some contact areas and extensive bone damage.
At €180 a pop from the local pharmacy plus the hospital visit for the treatment, my wife thinks it is maybe too expensive for a temporary fix, but she doesn't want to be laid up after an operation, which brings its own problems.
I think she should try the injection at least once. At least it's a lot less than the USA, where a price of over $1,000 is quoted.
I see lower prices quoted for online purchase, but they change each time I look, and I'm not confident the stuff will survive the postal system without getting cooked.
We recently received several packs of cheese, sent by the makers to compensate for a faulty pack we purchased.
It had been severely overheated and fat had separated from it and recongealed around it. It was still edible, but had an unusual taste, and was very crumbly.

[Blaze]

I see lower prices quoted for online purchase, but they change each time I look, and I'm not confident the stuff will survive the postal system without getting cooked.

Beware of on-line purchases of medication, you can't always be sure what you are getting, or as you say, what conditions the product may have suffered in transit.

[hughnique]

My OH suffered with extreme pain in her knee, our GP recommended an injection given by some quack in Angers, he also said that it could be up to three times a year. Don't know what the injection was, I know on one occasion we had to go to the pharmacy and from memory it was about 90€, then of course go back to the quack, we did get reimbursement from CPAM, but the GP's prediction was not right. She had a course of 5 injections over a 5 week period, he also drew of a load of brown fluid from her knee, she said it was not a pleasant experience, but touch wood, she seems to be somewhat better on the pain in the knee. The office of the quack was not a pleasant place to visit either, we had trouble with one of the other practioners there a couple of years ago, and this bloke wasn't that friendly either. Now she is getting over a unpleasant and extremely painful dose of sciatica in bed for a week on morphine, anything but going to that hospital in Saumur, horrible place.

[Nomoss]

My OH suffered with extreme pain in her knee, our GP recommended an injection given by some quack in Angers, he also said that it could be up to three times a year. Don't know what the injection was, I know on one occasion we had to go to the pharmacy and from memory it was about 90€, then of course go back to the quack, we did get reimbursement from CPAM, but the GP's prediction was not right. She had a course of 5 injections over a 5 week period, he also drew of a load of brown fluid from her knee, she said it was not a pleasant experience, but touch wood, she seems to be somewhat better on the pain in the knee. The office of the quack was not a pleasant place to visit either, we had trouble with one of the other practioners there a couple of years ago, and this bloke wasn't that friendly either. Now she is getting over a unpleasant and extremely painful dose of sciatica in bed for a week on morphine, anything but going to that hospital in Saumur, horrible place.

We were told by both the surgeon and the pharmacy that the cost of Synvisc is not reimbursed.

I read that fluid has to be drawn off to prevent existing liquid leakage (épanchement)

[Blaze]

La gamme Synvisc® - Sanofi Arthrosehttps://www.sanofi-arthrose.fr › gamme-synvisc › la-ga...
Synvisc sur www.sanofi-arthrose.fr
Synvisc® et Synvisc-One® sont des dérivés de l'acide hyalorunique, un produit d'origine naturelle.

OH has had one infiltration of cortisone and one of hyalorunique acid fairly recently, having had some fluid drawn off a while ago. The meniscal fluid has squirted out sideways and crystalised, causing a lump. Two more recent attempts to draw off fluid have failed. The first infiltration was in May and worked brilliantly for about a month then suddenly "went" and the second one (the hyalorunique acid) in July didn't work at all. He's got an IRM next week (after a 6 week wait) which will hopefully reveal what the problem is.
The pain is sometimes unbearable and painkillers don't really help (he hates taking them ...). He's never been overweight, more underweight so his knee hasn't suffered extra strain.

BUT .... this has been a nagging problem for a few years, gradually getting worse. He refused to go and see anyone about it, and when he did, didn't follow up and try to get the thing sorted out. He listened to 2 friends' problems after being operated on and became squeamish. It has to be said that of the 2 friends, one is vey large and has other health issues and the other is nearly 20 years older than OH ......

The medication was not reimbursable but the act of administering it was.