Hello and Welcome to the RSD Section of the forum - you will meet many great, kind and caring people here who I am sure will be more than happy to help you in anyway they possibly can!!

I am so sorry to hear about everything that you have been through and are continuing to go through and I really hope you get some much-needed help and answers real soon!

Some of the symptoms that you mentioned sound like RSD such as the burning pain (that is a classic sign of RSD and is what most people experience), the hypersenstivity and the temperature changes (cold limbs etc).

The main symptoms of RSD are, Burning Pain, Muscle Spasms, Colour and Temperature changes (the affected limb may be hotter or colder than the other "Normal" limb), hair and nail changes (nails may grow longer, brake more easily etc), swelling, Osteoperosis (this doesn't happen for everyone and usually comes on a few months/years after you develop RSD), fatigue and concentration problems, short term memory loss etc etc. You DON'T have to have all of the symptoms however my Pain Management Doctor told me that you have to have at least 4 I think it was to get diagnosed.

I have RSD in my left leg and right arm, I developed it when I was 12 years old and am now 14. When I was diagnosed, my Neurologist said that I had the "classic" symptoms of RSD and that I was the only case of RSD they had seen that had most, if not all of the symptoms. It was REALLY scary being told that but I guess I was kinda "lucky" in a way as the Doctors believed me, once I found one that actually cared about me and my well-being.

Have you seen a Pain Management Doctor?? They are usually the Doctors that most people with RSD go and see to get diagnosed and they can be really helpful in prescribing medications and different therapies to try and help relieve some of your symptoms and ultimately, put your RSD into remission!

If I could suggest one thing to you, it would be to keep moving your affected limbs!! I KNOW that it is really painful to do so but it is probably the one thing that will help you in the long run!! Do you have any Physical Therapy at the moment? If not, that might be something worth looking into as PT's can be really good at helping to regain normal function. I see my PT's once a week usually and have exercises that I do at home on a daily basis and they are really helpful ... the PT hasn't helped with my pain BUT it has helped me regain some of my function and I can now walk short distances unaided where before hand, I was wheelchair bound!!

Have you tried anything like Epsom salt baths? A lot of people say that that can be helpful and can help relieve some of your pain if you can cope with the water on your limbs. Also, please keep touching the affected limbs as that will, hopefully, get rid of any hypersenstivity that you may have.

You don't have to have an injury to develop RSD. For some people, it can come on without any known cause. For me, my RSD was triggered from an ankle sprain however I have some friends on this forum and others that don't have any reason as to why they developed RSD that they know of! Everyone is different and no two people are the same unfortunately which makes it really hard for you to get any help!

If you need anything, please don't hesitate to ask me!! I am more than happy to help you if I can and I DO understand what you are going through!! I really hope you get some much-needed help and answers real soon and I am keeping you in my thoughts and prayers!! Please keep us updated when you can and I would highly recommend going to see a Pain Management Doctor if you haven't already!!

Take care of yourself and I am sending you many pain-free hugs!