hi purplefoot. i'm so sorry you are having so much trouble managing your rsd pain. i'm not a dr but if i were you i would search for another dr who knows more about rsd and didn't just read about it and it's stages online. even onine i've read that because the rsd symptoms vary so much from day to day that the stages vary too so it's really hard to say IMO what stage you're in. you can be in one stage on one day and another stage another day. either way i think you may want to find another dr.

also from what i remember my pm dr telling me, a person with rsd can go as high as 3600 mg of gabapentin (neurontin) (i take 2400 mg daily right now). and it concerns me that your dr had you cut back on your percocet. imo you don't need to detox from an opiod when you have a chronic illness that you grow a tolerance too. detoxing imo is for people who are taking these opiods to get high and are addicted to them for that reason.

it's hard to find pm drs who prescribe the proper amount of opiods needed for rsd because of all the rules and regulations used for people who are addicts. if i were you i would try to find a pm dr who can maybe prescribe something like 5/325 percocet on a daily basis as needed for pain (not just break thru pain). because rsd causes constant pain maybe taking more percocets along with more gabapentin (if you're not at the 3600mg a day limit) may help.

i have a pm dr who has prescribed gabapentin and low doses of a strong pain med for my rsd and the combination has helped manage my rsd pain a little better for almost five years now.i was taking advil too but had to stop because of my stomach problems. i hope that whatever you decide to do that you find some pain relief soon. sending warm thoughts and soft hugs your way.

p.s. there are also other things you could try before the scs like ketamine, hbot, calmare and some say accupuncture helps. but make sure you find a licensed accupuncturist who really knows what rsd is so that can be extra careful when doing the accupuncture so that your rsd doesn't spread.

imo the scs is a last resort and from what i've read it is can cause risks too like infections, leads moving, batteries dying and sometimes stops working after a few years. it is a major surgery and recovering from it is also painful at times from what i've read. but everyone is different and it ultimately has to be your decision. i would research all your options as much as you can before going for the scs. take care my friend.