Hi Heffe,

Zookester gave you good advice so I won't repeat it!

Your girlfriend is lucky to have your support, and well done for going so far to help her cope with this cruel disease. She's certainly had a really rough time, so please pass on some kind thoughts from me, and tell her to hang on in there.

You dont mention how long she has had CRPS so apologies if it has been some years and you know all this!! I am starting my third year with CRPS, and i think it does get easier to deal with for most of us. The first 6 months were horrible with pain off the scale, and nothing working to relieve it. A grim time. After that I started to get a handle on things, helped by a pain management course, and finally finding a good physio and a pain doc I could rely on. Support is key. I have personally found little that really helps the pain except low dose Lyrica, and non-prescription things like Epsom salts. Several meds have given me nasty side-effects and I've had to stop them - it does make you scared of new ones The biggest thing for me is coming to terms with and learning to cope with them pain itself. Some days of course you just can't cope, and they are scary dark times. But you do find it easier, your body gets a bit used to being in pain (sadly) and you learn to distract yourself and find things you can do without aggravating your symptoms too much. But it's hard. Hard to accept and harder to look to the future sometimes.

She must be one brave woman, and you too of course. I know from my own husband how scary it is to see the person you love suffering when you can't do anything to relieve it. It's one thing to deal with something like that for a couple of weeks or months, but when it goes on and on it puts a lot of strain on things. Communication is everything...as I'm sure you know.

Anyway, just wanted to say not to despair. There is always hope of improvement, and something new to try (not necessarily meds). It's never going to be easy, but it can be lived with, and more importantly life can still be enjoyed.

Keep posting and I hope you both have a better day tomorrow

Bram.