Dear Sandra -

I am so sorry to hear how tough this thing has been for you lately. And while I have experienced some of what you describe, the degree of your symptoms is staggering.

One thought though, your description of sharp stabbing pains reminds me of where I was, just around the time my chest pains started. But this was also before my neurologist put me on Xanax, which is a benzodiazepine like Valium but at least for me without the same "psychotropic" qualities, and this in sufficient quantities (0.5 mg. 4/day) along with healthy amounts of Neurontin and Zanaflex - which like Baclofen is pretty good for central nervous system induced cramping - really brought that kind of pain under some sort of control, at least within reach of drugs like oxycodone. And Neurontin really does help with some comparatively mild temperature regulation issues I've got. I also have found that Marinol - something which is decidedly more available in Canada than in some parts of the U.S. - has helped with the cramping on the worst days, but that synthetic hemp product definitely has psychotropic side effects.

Then of course there are the antioxidants that you mention above and so many people swear by . . . .

[And if your WCB doctor doesn't believe in RSD spread, give him a copy of the article by Maleki et al "Patterns of spread in complex regional pain syndrome, type I (reflex sympathetic dystrophy)" which is also posted on the RSDSA Medical Articles Archive page under the heading of "Treatments."]

My point being that a lot of us have found that if we manage to titrate our own personal cocktails, a pinch here, a tweak there, we can suppress the worst of the body-all-over sensations. If you have something that works that way for you, you might want to talk to your doctor about increasing the level of your medication for a day or so prior to any angiogram, even if that would make you a little too groggy to work or drive: things you won't be doing when you have the angiogram anyway. Then see if you can ask in advance whoever is doing the angiogram to have an anesthesiologist there to give you sedation. In my case, I didn't need it, but for you, and you should pardon the expression, it sounds just like what the doctor ordered. With a confirmed diagnosis of RSD it shouldn't be too much to ask for, managed care or not.

I wish you only the best on this one.

Mike

p.s. I know just what you mean about that little "ping" sensation when you take off a bra strap. I get it from pulling off my socks.