Hyaluronan and Pain: What Users Say

• Jen...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 12, 2019

For Osteoarthritis "I have had bone-on-bone osteoarthritis in both knees for about 4 years. On disability. The pain without an anti-inflammatory is unbearable. Cannot walk. Refuse to take opioids. I take 2400 mg of Ibuprofen every day. Really worried about continued use of that amount - my poor stomach. I got my 1st Orthovisc injection in both knees 4 days ago, the injections were nearly pain-free, but the result is now I can barely walk. I seemed to be having an improvement of about 25% the first couple of days, though the injection site was sore. But over the past 24 hours, my worst knee is much more painful and worse than it was before I went. It feels like the gel did not reach the inside of my knee, where my damage is. I am going back Tuesday for the 2nd shot but before I do, I am talking with the doctor. This is terrible. Just terrible. The pain from Orthovisc is constant and nothing helps. Has anyone else experienced this?"

• Jen...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 12, 2019

For Osteoarthritis "I have had bone-on-bone osteoarthritis in both knees for about 4 years. On disability. The pain without an anti-inflammatory is unbearable. Cannot walk. Refuse to take opioids. I take 2400 mg of Ibuprofen every day. Really worried about continued use of that amount - my poor stomach. I got my 1st Orthovisc injection in both knees 4 days ago, the injections were nearly pain-free, but the result is now I can barely walk. I seemed to be having an improvement of about 25% the first couple of days, though the injection site was sore. But over the past 24 hours, my worst knee is much more painful and worse than it was before I went. It feels like the gel did not reach the inside of my knee, where my damage is. I am going back Tuesday for the 2nd shot but before I do, I am talking with the doctor. This is terrible. Just terrible. The pain from Orthovisc is constant and nothing helps. Has anyone else experienced this?"

• Sue...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 27, 2019

For Osteoarthritis "This can take up to 12 weeks to work, which is the case with me. It gets worse before it starts to feel better. Your joint will be inflamed, and I ain't going to lie, relief is NOT immediate. My doctor told me it takes up to 6-8 weeks to work, but from what I read online, it can take 8-12 weeks. I had a baker's cyst behind my knee - I noticed it started to feel better a couple of weeks after the injection. Seriously, a couple of days ago I couldn't move my knee at all, but now it moves so easily and practically no pain. It was like a miracle."

• Cat...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 25, 2019

For Osteoarthritis "The injection itself is painful, for sure, and I had my doubts the first few days afterwards when my knee pain was not improved, and seemed to be occurring in different areas than before, like back of the knee. But now I am 10 days post-injection and am in so much less pain, and able to walk, stand, and even sit more comfortably. Hoping it lasts a decent amount of time! Cortisone only worked for 10 days for me."

• Sun...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 25, 2021

For Osteoarthritis "So today is my 1st day with this, and as long as I don't move much, I'm pretty ok, not much pain. When I got the injection today, it wasn't painful because I was given a numbing shot 1st, then the gel injection. There was a lot of pressure, which was really uncomfortable but not really painful. Now that the numbing med has worn off, just trying to stand up is a big issue. Also, trying to bend my knees is painful as well. My doc did say that it would be really stiff and possibly painful, but to take some OTC pain relief and to ice my knees to help. The icing of my knees does help, and I find myself just trying to bend them a few times every hour so they don't get too stiff, but getting up from the bed and the amount of bend needed is very painful. I'll come back and update my review in a few days."

• She...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 11, 2021

For Osteoarthritis "I’m 52. I had my first injection of 3 today. It was not a terribly painful injection. But instantly, I could not walk. I stayed in the room for quite some time. I then somehow waddled out to the waiting room. I realized then that I had parked my car very far from the front door. It was the worst pain my knee has ever felt. I’ve had a left total knee done and this pain today is way worse than after surgery pain. So it’s evening now. I’ve wrapped it, iced it, and am doing next to nothing because I cannot put any sort of weight on it without having extreme pain. Even now, resting it is incredibly painful. I sure hope I’ve done the right thing."

• Ama...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 29, 2012

For Osteoarthritis "I have osteoarthritis in both knees. I had a torn meniscus repaired in my left knee a year ago. My knees were killing me. The surgery provided some relief, but they both hurt constantly, and going upstairs or an incline was awful! I had my first of 3 injections last week. The shot was uncomfortable but bearable. My knees hurt pretty bad for the first few days after the shot. Now, almost a week later, my knees feel so much better. It's unbelievable. I had learned to deal with pain when I stood from sitting and pain when I sat down! To not feel the pain when I stand is amazing! I highly recommend the injections!"

• Pla...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• August 13, 2020

For Osteoarthritis "In 2016, I was in quite a bit of pain in my knees (both of them have severe osteoarthritis). I was heading towards knee surgery but got a shot of Monovisc as an alternative. Though the shot was painful, I am amazed at the relief that has lasted these last four years. I’m trying to find a doctor to administer a second shot due to the excellent experience from the first injection."

• Wil...
• January 17, 2014

For Osteoarthritis "I had meniscus tears in both knees almost 20 years ago. I've had knee pain ever since. I had the series of injections about two months ago, and my knees felt great for about five weeks. I don't know if it's wearing thin or what, but now I've got more pain than I ever had before the injections, and the pain is nearly 24/7. Makes me feel like there's some kind of scam involved, like they know that when it wears off, it will be worse due to getting used to less pain for a short time. I do NOT recommend it."

• Jan...
• April 3, 2016

For Osteoarthritis "As a 64-year-old female, I was having severe pain and stiffness in both knees due to advanced osteoarthritis. Ortho doc recommended a series of 4 weekly Orthovisc injections in both knees. For me, the shots were very painful. There was no improvement until after the 3rd week. I am now 1 week post the 4th and final shots and have greatly decreased pain. I now can exercise regularly without pain. The only difficulty I still have is walking up and down stairs. I highly recommend the Orthovisc injection treatment."

• Mig...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• August 23, 2020

For Osteoarthritis "I have been given Hymovis injections for a year and 7 months with great success. The two injections are given one week apart. The only negative is that I do experience pain, swelling, and stiffness after the injections for a short while. It gets better every day. After about 4-5 weeks, after my last injection, I walk normally. No pain, no swelling, no stiffness for 6 months or longer. I can walk normally! I always go back to see my doctor when I feel any discomfort with my knee. I have found that if I go in to the doctor with less pain, then the pain after my injection is not as bad. Hymovis has saved me from having a much-dreaded surgery. It’s great to have a treatment that works!!"

• Jac...
• December 23, 2017

For Osteoarthritis "I had an injection of Hymovis after hurting my knee. I had only one injection because my knee became more painful and swollen after the injection. I have lost a significant amount of mobility and strength in the knee after the injection. I should never have had the injection of Hymovis. I can’t sleep, walk far, use the stairs. I was in good shape and weight prior to this mess."

• Lee...
• January 20, 2020

For Osteoarthritis "I received injections in both knees. After a couple of weeks, pain was worse. Pain never eased up. Then my heart went into afib, shocked twice, and finally an ablation performed. Headaches, itchy all over, and severe joint pain in both knees. Can’t walk. Have to use a scooter. I truly believe my heart problems were due to some reaction to these injections. After eight months of having the injections, the cartridges in knee joints are completely gone. Bad product. I would not advise anyone to go through this excruciating pain."

• Car...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 7, 2017

For Osteoarthritis "It's been 5 weeks since the last shot in a series of 4 Orthovisc injections for my torn meniscus. My right knee is now super swollen, and my pain is now twice as bad as before the injections! I drug myself up to get to sleep, but I am awoken each night/morning with excruciating pain! I don't know what the heck went wrong! I'm only 47, with bone on bone, arthritis, etc. Had surgery to repair the meniscus, but it was torn again! Only 'fix' the doctors say is a total knee replacement. Trying to push it back till I'm older, but I've had problems with this knee since 2008! Can't take it anymore! Am I supposed to keep waiting for something to happen miraculously? I ice it daily, exercise, stretch, hot tub, etc. Any advice would be great!"

• Lyn...
• April 24, 2011

For Osteoarthritis "I have a meniscus tear in my left knee which hasn't bothered me much until this year due to all the shoveling I had to do. My knee was aching with sharp pain for weeks, which led me to my doctor. He gave me a shot of cortisone, which didn't do much. He spoke to me about Orthovisc, which is a series of 3 shots within 3 weeks consecutively. I had the first shot last week, which wasn't too bad. After the shot, I had pain for a couple of days, it really didn't feel like I was getting any relief. I went back for the second shot 2 days ago. I had pain for the day, and now today, 2 days later, I have no pain at all. Nothing. My pain is gone. This medication is definitely working for me. I would HIGHLY RECOMMEND these shots for everyone with knee pain."

• Lin...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 5, 2016

For Osteoarthritis "I got three injections, a week apart. The first two didn't hurt at all, but I got the third one from a different doctor, and it hurt. After the first injection, my knee felt swollen on the inside and stiff, it got worse with each new injection. I used to have pain pretty much only when I went on the stairs or twisted the wrong way. Now, it feels swollen in the joint and on my leg, from a few inches above the knee to a few inches below the knee. Like I am wearing a super tight bandage. The pain has increased to the point it is really painful to go up or down the stairs, and even at night, lying in bed, it's hard to find a comfortable position because it feels like someone is drilling into my knee."

• Myb...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• June 26, 2016

For Osteoarthritis "I was told at 32 I needed a knee replacement in both knees due to a birth defect in both knees. A group of doctors wanted to try this new drug on me. At the time, it was a series of 5 shots. I could barely walk and was in a lot of pain. Couldn't get out of my car and was being shocked so bad I was being thrown to the floor. I tried the injections (which aren't pleasant), but what a blessing. The pain stopped after the 3rd shot and I was back to doing all the things I loved. They lasted about 2 1/2 to 3 years. I am 52 now and about to take another round of the miracle shots. The last ones kept me going almost 4 years. Thank you for creating it."

• Bja...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 28, 2020

For Osteoarthritis "I received the Monovisc injection on Sept 9, 2020. It is now Oct 28th, and never have I had so much pain in my 30 years. I can barely get to the bathroom on my own. This injection made my pain so much worse. I'm hanging in, praying it gets better. I am so disappointed in the results."

• Cdi...
• October 15, 2013

For Osteoarthritis "Six months ago, a doctor injected Euflexxa. My knee was sore for four months. In the fifth month, my knee got really bad, pain and swelling. A month later, the doctor started injecting Orthovisc. On the first injection, it felt like the doctor injected a knee, the inflammation went down and the pain went down 70%. Shot number two hurt, and I was swollen and had pain for three days. The third shot didn't hurt, and it was like the last piece of a puzzle. My knee feels amazing. Will definitely have these ones again. Let's see how long they will last."

• Cdi...
• October 15, 2013

For Osteoarthritis "Six months ago, a doctor injected Euflexxa. My knee was sore for four months. In the fifth month, my knee got really bad, pain and swelling. A month later, the doctor started injecting Orthovisc. On the first injection, it felt like the doctor injected a knee, the inflammation went down and the pain went down 70%. Shot number two hurt, and I was swollen and had pain for three days. The third shot didn't hurt, and it was like the last piece of a puzzle. My knee feels amazing. Will definitely have these ones again. Let's see how long they will last."

• gma...
• December 14, 2019

For Osteoarthritis "Knee is much worse than before Orthovisc injection. I have only had one and will NOT have it again. I am hoping that my knee will return to pre-injection status. My knee is now so swollen, stiff, and sore I cannot bend it. Doctor told me to try this before joint replacement. This is just awful!"

• Pho...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 16, 2015

For Osteoarthritis "My knees were so bad I could barely walk around the office without limping. I had cortisone shots in both knees, which helped, but the Orthovisc treatment has been remarkable. A very noticeable improvement: I am much more able to walk, stay on my feet for hours, work in the yard, etc. As many others have commented, the first injections (one in each knee) were painful and left me limping. The three remaining injections, however, were painless. I don't know how long the impact will last, but so far, so good. The only downside is the cost. I have a high-deductible plan, and I ended up paying over $1,000 for the treatment. I hope I do not have to do this more than once a year at the most."

• Tsk...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• November 9, 2015

For Osteoarthritis "Just had the first injection (both knees) for the third series of Orthovisc. The first injection is always the worst-more painful, and I feel lazy the remainder of the day. I recommend getting the shots at the end of the day versus first thing in the morning if you can. The shots have been amazing for me. I am able to ski, ride my dirt bike, and hike with very little, if any, discomfort the majority of the time. Walking up and down stairs is no longer an excruciating experience."

• Ste...
• October 9, 2013

For Osteoarthritis "I have had all 3 shots, and my knees feel good, no pain. The shots were spread out 3 weeks in a row, the 2nd week it hurt some, but not as bad as the knee pain I had. I can tell you how nice it is not to have pain."

• Kit...
• May 10, 2018

For Osteoarthritis "I received the Monovisc shot today, 05/09, didn't hurt one bit. 2 1/2 hrs later, I was driving my car, my knee started hurting, it got worse as 15 minutes went by. Within 45 min, I couldn't walk at all. Called my doctor, he said he might have ruptured a vein with the needle. This started at 2 pm this afternoon. It's now 10 pm, I have had the leg elevated since 3 pm, I still can't walk and am in extreme pain!! Going back to see Dr. tomorrow. This better get better :("