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Hi all, I have been reading this board since I was diagnosed with RSD in May, 2007. I have had two ulnar nerve surgeries which resulted in RSD in my entire left limb. I have had most of the symptoms of pain, burning, bluish-red blotching, lots of swelling and now dystonia, which is really leaving my hand weak.
Anyway, I have a symptom that comes and goes depending on my activity and environment. When I get nervous or work hard on an exercise bicycle, my left hand will sweat like crazy. This happened again last night while I was watching a movie with my family. It was an adventure (nothing upsetting) but there was a build up in a scene and my left hand starting sweating so much I had to get a towel to clean up the moisture. It continued for a few minutes so I took a .5mg of Ativan to calm things down. That pill coupled with a changed environment (movie ended) stopped the sweating completely. The same thing happens with exercise, if I work hard on my bike, my left hand sweats like crazy yet I get nothing from the right.
I know I never had this problem before the RSD. So I wonder if this means I still have the RSD in my arm? I get so confused. I saw my hand surgeon last week and he said the RSD has resolved and what I now have is a damaged ulnar nerve. Two days later I see my neurologist and she said the sweating and hand stiffness is from the RSD and that it never totally resolves.
I am really confused. Does RSD flare and calm down or if the pain level calms down (sometimes) does that mean I don't have RSD?
Also, if I am just calmly sitting watching a movie and this terrible sweating starts up without me moving my arm (I have it propped on a pillow to help reduce the swelling) then does that mean the RSD is originating in my spine or brain and not in the peripheral nerves?
Any ideas?
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RSD has a mind of its own. There are good days and bad days with it. Sometimes the pain is really bad, other days it seems calmer and the pain is less intense. I've had RSD for 5 years now and have good and bad days like everyone else.
Abnormal sweating is one of the "key" symptoms of RSD. Because of the nature of RSD and it being a neurological thing, it messes with all our bodily systems. We don't regulate our body temps like a "normal" person does, like we used to do. So, an rsd'er can run a low grade temp because of the rsd and can go from being too hot to too cold in a matter of minutes. It can affect blood pressure. A lot of things can work not quite right, because of rsd.
In the case of sweating though you don't have to do a thing with the rsd limb to have it sweat or not. An example from my own experience is with my feet. My rsd started in my left knee/lower leg/foot. It spread very quickly,11 months, throughout my body and it's all over now. Well, like most everyone else, my feet,legs,hands and arms always feel like an ice cube. If I stick my feet under the covers to try and warm them up, they might warm up a little bit but not much and they will start sweating like crazy! The same thing happens with my hands too. I can sit here and feel cold, yet be sweating under my arms.
To have no RSD and be in remission, you are completely pain free with absolutely no symptoms what-so-ever. No skin discoloration, no abnormal skin temps, no muscle spasms, no jerking of a limb(s), nothing. Remission, like with cancer, is a complete lack of any and all symptoms of this disorder. If you have sweating, pain, skin discoloration, spasms, skin temp difference compared to your "good" body parts,swelling etc. then you have rsd.
I hope this helps clear things up for you. Don't hesitate to ask more questions if you need to. I'll do my best to answer in the best way I know how.
Big Hugs,
Karen