Hi there. Nice to meet you. Sorry it has to be because of RSD/CRPS.

I had an ankle sprain just over 2 months ago. I told my doctor that I felt pain up the sides of my lower left left to my knee and a couple spots around me knee. The pain kind of came and went. I was told to wear an ankle tensor or wrap it in a tensor. The pain from wearing it though just got worse and worse as time went on. I finally couldn't wear it anymore and then I couldn't even wear my boots or shoes or a sock. The pain was just too much and yet it was all so inconsistent that I didn't know if I was really experiencing it as bad as I thought or ? After a month of my doctor not knowing what was going on I saw another doctor that said CRPS. Even when he saw it there was very little swelling, I told him it hadn't swelled yet so? And that the skin was drying out in patches on my left foot but not on my right (actually I just noticed it at the time of my appointment) and that I thought my toes/foot was colder on my left than right foot. He said yes it is colder. But, he could move my ankle around no problem but I couldn't put pressure on it for too long without getting pain. Within a week I was having severe migranes, though I never thought to associate it with any of this. My foot would change color every once in a while and the swelling stayed minor.

I had an MRI and nerve conduction testing over the next couple of weeks which showed nothing. My toes then started to feel like they were sweating a bit, like a cold sweat was covering my foot/toes.
I then had a functional assessment on a Tuesday for WC. Friday the pain was INCREDIBLE in my foot and leg. I didn't realize that the pain in my other leg had started off/on for about a week. It would burn in all the same places as my other foot and has followed a similar pattern as my left foot/ankle/leg up to and including now. What's worse. About a week later both my arms started to burn. They burned so badly and my wrists hurts so much I couldn't chop vegetables without crying. I was also freaked out. That pain would come and go in both hands. They would tingle, get shooting and shock like pains and burning. I tried to squeeze them and the pain would slowly start, aching and cold burning and more aching.

A week later I started physio. Two days into physio and my whole body was set off! I burned from head to toe and didn't know what was going on. Wednesday I couldn't stand the feel of my clothes anywhere on me. I was so uncomfortable and burning. Pressure made things worse. It was horrible. I was then given something to help knock me out and relax my muscles. It was a strange sensation when I woke up because some of the pain was still there in all the key places it had initially shown signs of starting but the rest of me calmed down. The next two days weren't too bad but then today I am back to burning head to toe. Mild and manageable but gets to be trying. So, now I have pain in my arms, shoulders, neck, back, legs, butt all the time now. I am on gabapentin but it takes 6-8 weeks to prove effective. Some sites suggest that if no progress has been shown after 8 weeks to stop taking it. Now I have Amitriptyline to help me sleep at night but I don't seem to be getting a results from that.

So, my symptoms have been getting progressively worse with time. They have come and gone. I have had cold limbs, warm limbs, cold sweats on my limbs and at night early on. I have had migranes, they went away after I started the gabapentin. Discoloration off/on. My nails on my toes are starting to ripple/groove. Swelling has gotten a LOT worse in my original injury area, that is when it decides to swell. I have a tough time tolerating the feel of fabrics or pressure on me. For the most part I can tolerate it but it is like when it brushes my skin it is similar to getting a rug burn. When I stop moving it calms down. If I brush my arm with my hand lightly it will be followed by a burning sensation. I find my limbs outside of the original injury to be more sensitive to lighter touch. I cannot tolerate any prolonged pressure or standing without experiencing severe aching, throbbing and outright pain.

That's me. Sorry it was so long winded....hope I was able to help. Take care J