You guys seem to know your stuff when it comes to bad pain flares, so I'm hoping with your shared experiences you can help me.

Quick back story: I was dx w/rsd in foot about two weeks ago (which had began to spread up leg by the day I was dx, and to the other leg by the next day- pointed out to me by the neurologist who perfomed my EMG) all from bunionectomy done about eight weeks ago.

Anyway, I'm taking Topamax and Neurontin, and Vicodin for pain. The Topamax and Neurontin seems to be helping with some of the severe sensitivity to touch, and the burning pain is reduced. However, the last few days have been absolutely terrible, and every day gets doubly worse- the shotting pain, and the throbbing... it's unbearable. Where just a week ago I would wake up and a half a vicodin would last me till late afternoon, (then nighttime was the only really "rough time"), now it's brutal all day *and* all night. I'm wondering if it's at all normal for this to happen (during the onset of the disease, or at all)- for the pain to increase so rapidly, to the point that the current pain pills barely make a dent (albeit, Vicodin seems to be a fairly week one, in the scheme of things- compared to what I've read most others are on in times like this)

In the meantime, does anyone know of any other options for pain relief in times like this? (idk if you'd call it a "flare" per se... my dr says that I'm in the "acute" phase of the disease...so i'm thinking that means mega-flare, all the time?! I'm currently taking Vicodin 7.5, every 4-6 hours- used to be just a couple a day, but with this surge of pain, I'm at every 4hrs on the dot, not that it does much! I sometimes have to take 1.5 for it to work at all (doc knows, is okay w/this), but it tears up my stomach, and still doesn't do the trick. So obviously, all these pills are doing a number on my tummy, although I've been careful- taking them w/food, and even eating an activia every day- (that does help, must say, keeps things "moving"). Obviously, because of my sensitive stomach, I'm limited as to other options for pain relief as well- anything with aspirin or naproxen (Aleve) in it will send me to the ER w/stomach bleeds

So I'm wondering if there is anything that is longer-acting, and a bit stronger than vicodin that I could look into, and that is ideally not in pill form. I need something that will help at least make a bigger dent in the pain, but will last longer, so I'm not stuffing myself with so many pills all day long. I know a lot of people swear by fentynal patches during the really rough times, but I'm afraid that might be too much, unless they make them in low-dose versions? And as I haven't been sent to a pain specialist, I'm afraid to ask my neurologist for something like that- I'm not convinced he really understands the amount of pain I'm in, and even bringing it up might cause a serious misunderstanding- (red flags, so-to-speak) that I'm just "seeking drugs". I am seeking something though...relief!

Bottom line: my stomach just can't handle the pills anymore, but my soul can't handle the pain any longer either... I feel completely hopeless at this point.



As always, thanks for listening, and thanks in advance for your help. I hope this finds you pain-free and hope-full!