Originally Posted by LizaJane

Hi, I'm new to this board, but old to neurotalk, having gotten much help from the peripheral neuropathy group years ago, and then the spinal group, when I had surgery. Now here.

I had a fall Christmas and broke my wrist. Dec 31 I had surgery to put a plate in my wrist, and decompress the median nerve in the palm just in case it was squished by all the swelling. (Surgeon said it was fine.). The surgery went well and I'm healing just fine. But..

i developed a burning pain in my thumb, where I had no surgery, and over the course of 5 or 6 days it increased to the point of feeling like a severe 2nd degree burn over the entire thumb. I already have a pain doc (or two), so I was able to call, and both thought it was early CRPS/RSD. I began Lyrica, which worked like a charm. The pain docs were really pleased that an RSD patient showed up so early, after not even a week of pain, and were optimistic that they could nip this in the bud. And the Lyrica worked so well, I, too, was optimistic. However, the Lyrica has given me a brain fog which is unacceptable. Let's just say I wasn't just unsafe for heavy machinery, I was unsafe for kitchen appliances. The main guy has now decreased the dose, and my head is clearer, but the pain is back. Not like a week ago, but not a happy pain.

The pain doc says that physical therapy is what stops this process. Really? I'm doing a lot of stretches and even strength for my wrist, but it doesn't seem to have an impact on the burning. Rubbing my thumb seems to substitute pressure for burning, so I do that. Light touch is a weirdness, a combination between feeling supersensitive and feeling like I'm made of leather.

So I want to mine the combined wisdom of this group: Can you help me stop this from becoming something chronic? I had a stressful day today, and clearly that's not helpful, so I did deep breathing whenever I remembered, but I need a clearer plan and sense of whether this can be stopped, and how, from fellow patients.

Also, the pain guys, both of them, would want to give me short course of steroids, thinking that could stop the march, but the surgeon says it will interfere with bone healing.

Thoughts? Does this sound like your beginning? Do you have a sense of people licking this thing with early intervention and how? I'm looking forward to your thoughts.

Forgive me if I don't reply for a day; I work.