Hi Blake and welcome to the boards! Sorry you have to be here at all, but if you have CRPS, this is the place to get a lot of support....we are good listeners

Your pain and symptoms sound horrible, I'm sorry you've got such a lot of these awful pains so frequently. I got CRPS in my left knee after a minor op, and it's since spread to my whole left side, my right foot, and now my right hand (latest fun site ). Like Kim, I don't get the hypersensitivity all the time, more often when the red burning pain flares up, or if I'm cold or tired or I've overdone things....more often than I'd like!

I think there's more adults here simply because I suppose we know that such sites as this exist and have looked for them. Maybe younger folk just don't realise we are here? Doctors never seem to point patients in the direction of this kind of support...

I'm glad you finally found a doctor knowledgeable about this disease, and have got some pain meds, even if they don't do as much as you'd hope. I've found that there's actually very little that really helps the pain, apart from being as active as you can bear (best to build back up gradually though), finding things to help you relax, looking after your body and mind by doing gentle exercises and massage if you can, and even meditation - I swear by this now, but I was such a massive sceptic at first!! Relaxing is what eases some of my pain to a point below what I can achieve with painkillers. I'm not good with meds and have a sensitive stomach, I've tried quite a few and they either messed with my system or didn't give me any relief. That's just me though, I hope your pain doc works hard to try to find a combination of meds that work for you.

There are a few things which you may already know about, but I'll list them anyway lol
- Don't use ice anywhere on your body. Ice is very bad for CRPS. If you have swelling and/or heat, elevate the limb above your heart if you can, and remove anything that's irritating your skin. I always layer my clothes now, because my body temp can vary quickly and I just remove layers as I need to (or wrap up like a polar bear )
- try using unperfumed Epsom salts, either a few tablespoons in a warm bath, or wrapped in a damp cloth and put on your skin when it's hot and burning. It has a lot of magnesium, which our bodies need for lots of important stuff, and lots of folk don't get enough. It's absorbed well through the skin. You might not notice a big difference immediately, but over time it does help to calm things. You can also buy it as a paste which is quite good.
- be really clear with any medical folk you see about what you can tolerate and what you can't. Don't be afraid to ask them not to touch your skin without asking, or which arm to use for blood tests or a BP cuff. Stuff like that makes a big difference to pain levels and anxiety when we are worried about procedures etc.
- try the meditation thing honestly, it does help. Try iTunes or online for them. I use Mindfulness ones, especially the Body Scan. Getting rid of some stress is so good for your body and your mind too.

I really hope you can get some relief soon from the worst of your pain. My pain was at its worst (in terms of intensity and how much it stopped me doing things) in the first year-18 months. I was in a wheelchair for quite a while, but am finally out after lots of exercises and just finding ways to cope better. I'm hoping to stay out for a long time....

Stay positive and keep posting. Finding things that distract you and take your mind off things (even a tiny bit) really help. You can still do so many things, and it's important to keep pushing forward and not let it stop you having a life. I used to play a lot of tennis myself, and i know how crappy it feels when something you love is just snatched away by this monster I recently found that table tennis suits me really well - no running or big movements lol, but still the strategy of tennis and the topspin, drop shots and smashes I used to be not too shabby at!! Just on a smaller scale....but it gets my heart going (good cardio) and my blood circulating more, and makes me smile and get that little rush of endorphins. Excellent pain killers and the more ten minute bursts I do, the more tolerant my leg is becoming of it. Result.

Good luck in everything you are doing, and I hope those pains ease soon.

Bram.