The previous posters have all given you great advice. RSD is such a strange thing and it affects many people differently, so it can be very difficult to diagnose. Definitely you should ask the doctor about the possibility...especially if they are at a loss as to what may be causing these problems. I had never heard of RSD until I was diagnosed with it...and that was after I had already been seen by a number of doctors and been in pain for about 6 months. By that time I had been told to treat with ice and to immobilize the limb (both of which are very bad for RSD and actually make it worse).

One thing I would suggest is doing some research about RSD online. When the doctor mentioned RSD to me, I had never heard of it before. But when I looked it up online I felt like a light went on because here was finally an explanation for all the weird problems I was having (swelling, burning pain, ice cold to the touch, VERY sensitive to the touch, etc). I did not have EVERY symptom...but I had at least one in each of the four categories they use to diagnose RSD. But just reading the info online I KNEW this was what I had because it really put into words what I was feeling and going through.

But...symptoms that you get with RSD could also be caused by other things...and those things really need to be ruled out before you can really be sure that it is RSD (or more importantly for the doctors to be sure). RSD is a clinical diagnosis...meaning that the doctors really have to see the symtoms and hear about them from the patient. What I have found helpful is to write down all the crazy stuff that I am going through...all the symptoms...and then bring that list in to the doctor so I don't forget anything. In the moment it is easy to forget to mention things that could be key for the doctor to understand what is happening to your husband.

As stated too...many doctors are not very familiar with RSD. When I was first injured and treating with a work comp doctor, I mentioned my leg getting ice cold to him numerous time, mentioned it to the physical therapist he sent me to, mentioned it to the orthopedic doctor I went to...and they all said it was probably just a circulation problem. They all ignored a very important symptom of RSD...I can only assume it is because they are not familiar with it. If YOU bring it up, then they may either look it up or it will make them think about something that they have not seen personally but know about. Even if they are not sure, they may be able to refer you to someone who would be better qualified to diagnose something like RSD.

I'm very sorry to hear what you and your husband are going though. Please feel free to ask any questions or even just vent about what you are going through. Regardless of what your husband's diagnosis ends up being, it is VERY difficult to live with any type of chronic pain. I hope that he is able to get a diagnosis soon so that he can start receiving proper treatments. Good luck to both of you.