Health - Bursitis knee injury. Opiates? Medical records?

[ChoppedandFaded]

A few years back when swim was wrestling in highschool he took a hard shot to the knee when his opponent hit him with a double leg takedown. He twisted it and landed in an extremely weird manner and has had problems ever since.

The doctors said the problem was bursitis of the knee, where the bursor sac fills with fluid and causes pain. Swim initially waited a couple weeks after the hit until his knee was completely full of a orange goopy substance. This was drained and swim wore a knee wrap for several weeks. After this, swim continued to experience problems throughout the last several years with his knee.

He has had to go back several times to have it drained during flair ups and has been limited from doing any long distance running or lower body weight lifting because he is certain that the knee will fill once again with the devilish orange goop and cause pain.

Recently, whether it be from the extremely cold weather or perhaps swim causing unbenownst injury to his knee the problem has once again returned. Only this time the pain is nearly unbearable. Swim can hardly walk around his house without a sharp nagging pain in the knee.

Now swim plans to go and visit an orthopedic surgeon asap but was wondering if pain medications are typically given for Bursitis of the knee. He knows a few friends who've had similar problems with the shoulder and been prescribed oxycodone. Swims goal is not to just walk in and get pain meds, but this has gotten to the point where swim is in a lot of pain and a few vics would definitely help at this point.

Swims question is, does anyone know if pain medications are typically given for knee problems such as "Water on the knee"? Obviously a long term solution to the problem is what swim is looking for. He's expecting to go into the doc, have the knee drained once more and then be injected with cortisol or some other NSAIDS, but figures a script for a mild painkiller might not be out of the question considering how much pain he is currently experiencing.

The other question swim had is, in the US, do all doctors have access to a patients full and complete medical history, perhaps even dating back to before the person was 18? The reason swim ponders this is he was sent to rehab at 16 in relation to Oxycodone addiction. Would something like this be available in swims medical records and if so, would every doctor swim ever visits be able to view these records openly, w/o swims consent?

Swim wonders this because if this is the case, his chances of receiving any narcotic pain killers pretty much goes out the window.

Once again, swim realizes that a long term solution for his knee is what is needed, not simply a script for 30 vics, but also figures when swim is in this much pain, a little assistance in the way of some opiates would certainly help the process along.

Thanks so much to any swimmers who can answer these questions or perhaps fill me in if they've experienced bursitis of the knee in the past. Swim apologizes if this is posted under the wrong section but is pretty sure he may have posted it under the correct area.

Thanks