Welcome to NeuroTalk Maralyn,

I'm a former (thanks to RSD and TOS) nurse. Your red, white, and blue splotchy legs sound like my red, white, and blue splotchy arms. I am also overweight.......BUT (sarcasm drumroll please) if you could ask your primary why my 'colors' are faded in the morning when I first get up and my pain is managable. My weight is still the same, so why would the colors change ? Also....everyone's O2 sats drop when we are sleeping, which would exacerbate the blotchiness if it was caused by poor circulation. My 'colors' flare when my pain flares. How exactly does she think poor circulation could account for that ? Okay, sarcasm session ended

In my investigation of the cause for the blotchiness, which is not an exact match for the shiny red skin that is most 'typical' for RSD, I also read up on things like Raynaud's and Lupus. My blotchies look like some of the pics I have seen of Raynaud's, which IS a poor circulation issue. Colors flare in Raynaud's with cold temperatures....it's a vasoconstriction thing. My colors are usually faded with cool temps and intesify when I am in warm surroundings.....probably because warm temps make my RSD sweating so much worse.

Oh yeah, quick question......Do you have excessive sweating from the affected areas ? More or less hair ? A change in temp from one leg to the other ?

Raynaud's type blotchiness can be seen in Lupus patients too AND high sed rates are often found in Lupus.....something for you to look into.

I'll be blunt, I'm not a fan of your doctor. If she hasn't worked with many (or any) RSD patients, fine, but don't dismiss the dx because you don't understand RSD, KWIM ?

I had a bad experience with a physiatrist who thought more aggressive PT was the answer to everything and made my pain so much worse. So, I'd vote for a rheumie or neuro, if you have the choice