I got it from a sprained knee in '03, it started burning and itching nearly immediately, but has stayed in just my knee until recently. It went into remission sorta twice, didn't need painkillers for several months each time, although I couldn't carry much weight or run at all or walk very far and/or quickly, but it was better. This time when it hit, last spring, it really went nuts, pain levels off the chart, and only then was I diagnosed properly. Up until then it was a 'stubborn sprain.' From everything I have been reading, I have been beating the odds in every respect. I think that's because I haven't stopped living my life, tried to just ignore it, medicating the pain enough to enable myself to go about life as normally as I can. Seems to me that if I continue working it normally day by day, it is kept in check. So...I try to ignore the fact that it hurts, and just move on. I also consider myself lucky that my baby is a daddy's boy, and needs/demands for me to hold him, play with him, etc. Keeps me happy, and when I'm taking care of him, the pain level is considerably lower. It also seems that I got lucky in that the new drugs most everyone here has been on or are currently on I have had a bad reaction to. I wonder how many symptoms associated with the RSD are not the side effects of the drugs? Anyone not on neurontin etc had these twitchy effects? I'd imagine so, but I am curious as to the rate. I recently met someone who never had any problems medically and when put on klonopin acquired grand mal seizures. Still has them, months after use was stopped.