Hi Joan,
I just wanted to say on the Lidocaine patches you can use up to 3 of them at a time and they do help the worst areas and therefore kind of tones down your pain some. They are worn 12 hours on and 12 off.

As far as Ranaulds I also have it and I wrap a Lidocaine patch around my hand at night and put a glove on or wrap it in a heating pad. When you're desperate you try anything.

I am doing better with the menopause, not having the hot sweats but I still deal with getting overheated but I don't think that it goes with the menopause.

If you put a patch on and then put the heating pad over it, it also makes it work faster and the heat helps also.

Like you, I try everything, what the Drs. don't tell me to do I think of. Desperation makes you look for answers.

Everyone on here tries different things to get through this. Not one thing seems to work for everyone with RSD.

On the PT as I said, they tend to think that we can do anything they think we can but if you get a PT that has no ideal of what you are being made to do is making you get worse then you should look for another PT. I had one that I quit going to because he thought I could lift weights. I dumped him quick. Don't let them make you worse.

I hope you have a great day.
Ada