Hi Joan,

Thank you for your kind words they are very much appreciated! I guess I am sad not only about the pain but also everything else that has happened since my injury over three years ago. I have been treated very badly by many dr's, therapists, work comp etc. I'm sure I'm not the only one but it is sometimes difficult to not let it eat you up inside. I have scheduled an appointment for counseling. Due to the fact that I have lost my insurance and work comp is refusing to pay for my care I had to go on medicaid which means I had to find a shrink who would accept the medical card and that took a while and then it took another three months to get into her for an appt....I'm hoping it will help

As far as finding supplements that I am currently taking I can honestly tell you I have tried to read and research everything I could get my hands on. The problem is I'm very good at understanding what I'm reading, not so good at explaining it to others and I don't know how to take a link and move it to another place, such as this forum I will do my best right now for you to explain what I'm taking and why....hope I'm not too long winded.

First I went to the PARC website and researched the protocol for RSD tx in the Netherlands(because they are way more advanced than we are I'm afraid) It is actually against the law there to not prescribe dmso cream for pt.s with rsd! Unfortunately a script is required for that one, so I haven't tried yet although my pm said he'll look into it! Anyway they also have done extensive studies and determined that an amino acid that is also a free radical scavenger called N-acetyl cysteine helps decrease pain substantially in pts with rsd. I am also taking d,l phenylalanine which is also an amino acid. It worksby protecting our endorphins and helps us fight pain and depression. Has also been proven to be effective against painful inflammation. It may work by up-regulating what is called the "'endogenous **** gesia sysem" EAS, a neural pathway that occurs in a part of the spinal column. when stimulated by chronic pain or therapeutic measures such as opioids or acupuncture the EAS suppresses activation of pain-receptive nerves in the spinal column and thereby alleviates pain. It is not a drug and does not work directly against pain. Instead it acts as an endorphin shield battling pain indirectly by helping the body's built-in pain control system grow more powerful. the pain blocking power actually grows stronger with time! also works with other meds to make them stronger and does all of this with no side effects( I am writing ver batem out of my disease and prevention book from the Life Extension Foundation) What about chronic pain that does not respond to standard meds, therapy or surgery? Phenylalanine has ample time to begin working in such cases, so why is it not used more? Because it is not profitable for drug companies!! I also take other vitamins and supplements that are directly linked to pain relief, obviously the explanations are long winded but here is the rest of my list... if you would like an explanation for each one I will be happy to give it but I don't want to waste your time, either, so here goes...

Vit B-1(thiamin)25mg-very effective for neuropathic pain
vit b-3 - good for arthritic type pain and mobility of joints
vit b-6 100mg-inflammation and arthritic type pain
b-12 (methylcobalamin) at least 5mg sublingual a day-
vit c- 2500mg a day-natural shield against pain and an anti-oxidant
vit e- 400iu day- works with endorphins and an anti-oxidant
super gla/dha 1000mg day-suppress pro-inflammatory cytokines
vit k.-10mg daily-helps reduce level of Il-6, a pro-inflammatory messenger and also helps with osteoperosis
carnosine-1000mg day-anti-inflam and protects against glycoslyation
Evening primrose oil-2600mg improves nerve conduction and inhibits inflam.
alpha-lipoic acid-1000mg day,
acetyl L-carnate 2000mg daily-both of these supplements are to enhance neuronal energy metabolism and provide protection against free radicals.
zinc-50mg again improved neuronal conduction
Gee, have i left anything out? I know this sounds like a lot of pills but most of them come in combinations kind of like a multi-vitamin! whew, you probably think I'm nuts...but it all does seem to be helping
I'd be happy to chat anytime you like, I am a shy person by nature and honestly there are people with some really strong opinions here and I don't want to rock the boat at all or upset anyone.... does that make sense I also go to a chiropractor and a homeopath and both have been beneficial for me in addition to the standard pain management doc. I hope I haven't bored you to tears, Joan, and thanks again for your kindness, it always appreciated! Hope you are having a comfortable day, jenny