I am so sorry you are going through all of this. Keep fighting and don't be afraid to ask for help when you need it.

I don't take any meds for my CRPS except clonidine patches (for some of the "other" CRPS symptoms like dizziness, blurry vision, etc) and lidocaine cream that I buy off amazon that can help take the edge off when the pain is really bad. Heat is the single best thing for my pain though...glad you have found ways to help without meds since it seems you are in the same boat as me in that they just didn't help much at all.

Keep fighting for the SS. I know it's much easier to say this than do it...but TRY not to get yourself too worked up about all of it. Stay as calm as possible, make sure you get all of your records and everything else you need, and try to take it easy while you wait for things to all shake out. Stress will only make your CRPS worse. I know it's not possible to stay stress-free...but if you feel yourself getting too worked up then it is time to step back and rest for a bit. A lot of times these things are a waiting game.

Have you checked out the SS forum here on Neurotalk? There is some really good information on there and tips about applying for SS. I would see if you could do a search on SS and CRPS/RSD specifically...I think I remember seeing some wonderful posts about what other people put in their applications that got approved, their experiences, etc.

Take care and keep us posted on how you are doing. This site has been SO helpful to me in my fight with RSD. It literally has saved my life and I don't know where I would be without it and the people here.