hi stillsmiling. i'm sorry you have rsd. i've had it for almost four years and are on some of the meds you are on. i was stable on them for a few years but earlier this year i had to increase them. my pm dr works with me to help manage my pain. i hated increasing them, but couldn't take the increasing and constant rsd pain anymore.

my pm dr told me that trying to fight through the pain is worse then taking extra meds to help control the rsd pain. fighting through the pain makes the rsd pain worse. its a vicious cycle. thats not to say you're addicted to these meds. you've just gained a tolerance to them. when that happens you sometimes have to increase them if they aren't lasting long enough between the times you take them.

when this happens you should tell your pm dr so that he can adjust your meds. you may need more neurontin (gabapentin) which you can take up to 3600 mg daily if your dr approves of this. the same goes with percocet. you may need to have that increased too in combination with the gabapentin again under your drs approval and supervision.

as for zoloft, you may want to see a pm dr or pyschiatrist who can prescribe more of this if you feel more depressed from the increased pain as well as xanax for anxiety from the increased pain. 50mg zoloft is a very low dosage and can be increased also under a drs approval and supervision.

also advil also helps with the inflammation but check with your dr first on that too. i started taking low amounts of all these meds and as pain increased from rsd so did my meds per my drs approval and supervision. i tried fighting through the pain to not increase my meds, but that only makes rsd worse. if you have drs who can help you with meds to manage your pain so your not so uncomfortable then to me its worth doing.

yes there are side effects, and i tried to cut back at one point because of that, but the increased pain i experienced from rsd was far worse then the side effects i deal with from the meds. and you're not an addict if you take these meds and have to increase them. addiction is when you take these meds to get high. tolerance is when you increase these meds to help control chronic pain like rsd. a knowlegeable dr who knows rsd will know this to be true.

if you dr doesn't want to help you with that, you may want to check out another dr. but it sounds like they know how to treat rsd the right way. you just have to tell them that you are still having alot of pain and may need to increase your meds.

everyone who has rsd reacts differently to different procedures. along with meds, there are nerveblocks, accupuncture, ketamine infustions, calmare therapies, tens units, pt and what i will consider as a last recourse for fear of rsd spread and infection. is a spinal cord stimulator.

check out rsdhope and rsdsa online for more info on these procedures and drs in your area who treat rsd. everyone on this forum are also kind, caring supportive and have great advice to give. they have helped me deal with rsd by just being my friend, even when i'm cranky from the pain and meds

take care my friend and i will be keeping you in my thoughts. i hope your dr can help manage your pain better. don't give up hope. there are ways they can help you. take care and be well.