[QUOTE=BZ91;741388]Sorry for the length, I'll start with the questions if you dont want to read my novel..

How did your drs determine you had RSD, and how long did diagnoses take? How did it first present itself?

RSD is a strange disease, as each case seems varry so I understand your confusion.
First to answer your questions: It took me 2.5 long and painful years to be diagnoised with RSD. My case started gradual and the disease slowly progressed over the last 4 years but got really bad at 2 years, my legs looked normal until the two year mark and then they turned purple and ice cold. I was injured 4 years ago by an intramuscular injection, and the first symptom was sever pain in the right hip and buttock along with numbness. After a month, the pain moved into the thigh, then knee, calf, ankle, and bottom of foot ect. After a year, the disease moved into my left leg, and at year 2 I began having skin and tempature changes. (The first two years they thought I had MS).
There was numerous tests that were done that supported the diagnosis RSD which were as follows:
1) Oxygen Level Test (The Dr. performed and oxygen saturation test in my legs and it came back 68%. My uper body was 98%
2) Nerve Block- My legs were ice cold and purple and before the Dr performed a nerve block a thermastat was attached to my legs. As soon as the nerve block was performed, the tempature of my legs increased to normal levels.
3) Sweat tests- A machine heats up your affected limb in a small area and with a case of RSD the body sweet mechanism (Sorry Im not in the medical field) acts abnormally. I sweat all the time :0(
4) EMG's
5) Bone scans

As for the other things you mentioned, when my medicine regiem was not effective I had:
Severe Spasms that were 24/7
Severe muscle pain (Felt like I over excersiced my legs times a million)
Electric shocks
Numbness in hips and toes (paralysis in my toes)
Severe bone pain (Felt like someone took a sledge hammer to my legs)
Sleep disturbance
Feeling of extreme preasure
tearing sensations.

I wish you luck and I hope that you feel better.