Originally Posted by sibsie

Hi all.

So I've just been diagnosed with CRPS.

Long story I'll try and cut short. Two years ago I tore my meniscus at work (I'm a flight attendant) I was always really active and in great shape. It took around 6 months to get the surgery approved by workers comp and I carried on working the entire time. I had the surgery which I was assured was the easiest oath surgery you could have. I've had a spinal fusion so thought this would be a breeze.

The day I came home from hospital my knee was off the chart with pain. I was clawing at the dressing to get it off and it felt like fireworks were going off inside my knee.

At all my post surgery appointments I kept saying that something was wrong. I couldn't walk let alone get back to running, my knee was red and purple and my legs were turning red and kind of blue, I couldn't wear anything that touched my knee. My surgeon told me to "tough it out" and go back to work. I did and it carried on being agony. Still couldn't wear anything that touched it and it still felt like it was fizzing inside. I changed surgeon and was told I had arthrofibrosis. had surgery for that with a long rehab. Zero improvement. Then Jan of this year the pain had spread to now go from my hips down on both legs. The doc that did my second surgery had lost his license and I found a new one. He looked at me and said he thought I had CRPS which I'd never heard of and ordered a 3 phase bone scan.

At follow up he said the scan wasn't that unusual and showed damage which was probably from my injury but was confident with his diagnosis. I saw another ortho for a second opinion and he agreed. He said the skin colour changes on my legs, the swelling and symptoms were all signs I had it.

My questions are...

1. I feel like I've been messed around so much since the original injury, how confident can I be of the diagnosis since there's no one clear test

2. Both docs suggested nerve blocks to my legs which will be done in the OR by a pain management doctor. They suggested a couple of names and I'm not sure exactly what I should look for a pain management clinic or even what questions to ask.

3. I've been taking gapupentin 2x3 daily. It doesn't really do a lot. I take it with aleve and Solgar Glucosamine Hyaluronic acid daily. Is there anything else that you think would help

The pain is staggering and 24x7. I'm severely limited in what I can do in daily living.