Kathy K -- I know this post is over a year old now.. But I pray, I hope, I wish that some of you are still here and read this.. especially Kathy!!!

Because... O...M...G.... I have the EXACT same things as you -- 1 through 4!!! All of them. Almost everyday. Its almost not even worth repeating what I go thru b/c you go thru it too!

As my Doctor once reminded me "RSD/CRPS" is NOT just a "pain" disease.. its a multi-faceted, multi-system, multi-organ disease affecting capillaries, nerves, breathing, blood, and especially our IMMUNE system.. etc... Our Sympathetic Nervous system is what controls our "Fight or Flight". it basically controls all these functions - body temperature, sweating, ANXIETY!, balance, short term memory cognition(our bodys ability for a nerve synapse to recall a short term meory). all of these functions are damaged .. and primarly when someone who has just been diagnosed - RSD, PAIN, SWELLING, INFLAMATION are first & foremost...

What he told me, and what I have experienced is over the years other functions become or act out randomly getting worse.... .causing all sorts of other issues - Primarily every one you just spoke of.. For me these days its not so much about the pain.. I got stomach issues, the RSD is no longer in my leg as I get burning primarily in my back and face, I have SEVERE anxiety, headaches, confusion, etc.. and my SINGLE WORSE SYMPTOM IS DIZZINESS/FAINTING feeling!!! OMG I can NOT function.. its so bad.. that I always think its cancer or heart failure. That I can't even walk.. stand up.. I dont want to eat it gets that bad...

So just to repeat:
1 - I do have sleep issues - not as bad as yours.. but my mind is racing all the time it causes anxiety and I can't relax.
2 - Not even worth describing b/c my "Fainting" "dizzy" feelings are thru the roof.
3 - Cognitive - my mind always racing. can't focus. I can sit still but I can't focus.. its like ADHD gone Nuclear!
4 - Again, not even worth mentioning b/c my Anxiety is soooo severe and crippling
5 - Pain, headaches, aches, burning burning fiery stinging PAIN! Sometime I get patchy red skin on my back and face when i'm having a "burning" flareup...
6 - STOMACH ISSUES! either from meds, anxiety, or RSD messing up my nerves.. causing me IBS and other problems such as Gastritis and Gastroparesis.. I now am developing "Chronic Polyps" in the colon and have to go every 18 months for a colonoscopy... (no history in my family.. but with all my stomach issues this isn't surprising.. for 3 years EVERY morning I woke up with Diahrea... by night time I was constipated.. by morning diahrea.. THANKFULLY this has gotten MUCH MUCH better!!
7 - sweating!! boy o boy do I sweat. During the summer I have to change my shirt upwards to 5 times a day as I live in NYC. Currently I am in Boulder, Colorado and the sweating has definitely decreased thanks to the DRY weather but causing other skin irritations and problems.
8 - Body temperature - my back can be cold, my hands can be hot. it varies.. and is spread out almost randomly over the body. Like my body can't moderate "body temperature".. As weird as this may sound, it seems I can NO longer get a fever!! in 12 years now I have NEVER gotten a fever! I get sick all the time.. Colds lasting upwards to a month or more.. but my Body can't fire off a fever -- this one I don't know if its connected. My Doctors don't think so.. but I find this odd... b/c I have ALL the flu symptoms but never the fever! (**Granted a few occasions I got a mild fever of around 99.5-100 but only lasted a few hours)

****And the one thing that ties all of this together is RSD/CRPS... there really could be no explanation that causes all these symptoms that in some ways are so vastly different.

I'm in my mid-30s, male, developed a mild case of RSD in my mid 20s after breaking my leg - but then dislocated and caused severe irreparable nerve damage.. thus possibly sparking the RSD.. by my symptoms were always minor.. EXCEPT the burning.. over the years I developed all these other issues you mention!!

And each time my Doctor said I was ok - that it was either RSD, allergies, vitamin deficiency, anxiety, hormonal, or ALL of the above.. they have yet to find something else that would explain the "dizzy/faintish" spells... And, I still want more answers and want ind someone who experienced what I felt..

Kathy -- this is the FIRST time in about 18 months of searching that I finally found someone who has IDENTICAL SYMPTOMS! And I would like to know what other symptoms you experience?? if that's ok to ask? But it is a relief to hear someone else having RSD but with these other 'weird' things... granted I don't wish it on anyone and sorry that you feel as bad as I do perhaps!

But I do hope you get my response so we can continue talking..

To finish .. even tho something else may be going on with me.. perhaps the medications i have been on for so long are causing some of these symptoms... But, we more or less do NOT just have a "Chronic Pain" disorder.. we have one of the few diseases known to man that affect various body systems. And it does seem that RSD is the culprit.

I sure hope to hear back from one of you soon! Thanks for posting. And, thanks for sharing!

All the best -
Marc J