Hi Cyndy,
I'm so sorry you are feeling so rough. This is a bad day for me too. We dropped 20 degrees in one day. Besides RSD, I also have Fibromyalgia. I found a good Dr. 5 years ago when I went full body. I was having terrible electical shocks dailey and every night.3200 mg of neurotin put a stop to them. I hated the feeling in my head and weight gain, but glad to stop the shocks, spasms, etc. About a year ago, I asked my Dr. if I could go off of them. So he gradually took me off, and I didn't get the shocks, spasms back. I've lost some of the weight and working on the rest.
Journaling helps me emotionally. Listening to favorite music also helps. Do you take any anti-anxiety meds? I take lorazepam 1 mg 3 times a day. I was on 2mg 3 times a day, but was able to cut back when I started sleeping well-10 hrs a night. The restorative sleep also helped with the nerve pain, and was able to cut back on vicodin too. My Dr. is a neurologist, psychiatrist, and pharmacologist. He just finished a 200 person study for the pharmaceutical company for seroquel-and seroquel effect on fibro patients.I take 300 mg. The sleep has been so good for me. I was staying awake all night till 5-6 a.m. Now I sleep 10 hrs. It has helped so much.When his report is published, I'll post it here.
I know it is difficult, but trying to walk, swim, exercise is some way, keeps us mobile. I wasn't diagnosed for 4 years. I got it following surgery. I got frozen shoulder, and couldn't move arm at all. Physical therapy-100 treatments and 100 massage therapy treatments got use back. The torture was worth it. In fact, went into remission for at least a year until it moved into other shoulder. The therapist told me that might happen. No one said RSD and I didn't understand how that could happen, but it did. More therapy and remission again. Then I felt a pull in my hand while water skiing. Misdiagnosed-dr. said I had rheumatoid arthritis. I knew that wasn't right, so found a good sports injury hand Dr. and he diagnosed me in 1 minute.
Education of Drs, therapists is key!!!! My neighbor is a retired Dr. that teaches at the medical school. He has invited me to speak to his class of students and I am going to this fall-winter.
I wish we could get RSD on one of the talk shows, Dr. Oz, The Doctors, Dr. Phil, Oprah, etc.
Cyndy, hang in here. I have a scented candle going, watching The Doctors, or listening to music this afternoon. I am going to make up some invitations to a chocolate tasting we have every Wednesday. It's a healthy Dark Chocolate.
Cyndy, do you have any pets? I find them so comforting. After our only daughter got married, we got a kitty.She loves sleeping with me. Our daughter and son in law moved to Chicago for a year, when he was hired by one of the commercial airlines. We missed them so much. They moved back last December and are staying with us. Lucas flys to Chicago on Wednesday and comes home Saturday. It's so wonderful they are staying here. Our daughter is a court reporter and self-employeed. She has a flexible schedule. She works for a firm that has 20 reporters, She does her own transcripts so is home a lot. We are very close. They have a little min pin. The dog and cat aren't compatible. The dog wants to play with the cat, but the cat doesn't want anything to do with the dog.So they each have their own floor and special times outside.
So glad you found this wonderful group of friends. I have learned so much and been comforted by others. Take care, loretta soft hugs