Originally Posted by painman2009

Hello my dear friend. I see the anguish you feel and the fear. this is a per person issue but we can share past issues we have had and maybe generalize and hopefully help you see the path he is on. The sleeping issue. well it could very well be the anti seizure meds he is on. I was on neuron tin and I could not stay awake to save my life. plus i swelled up sooo bad. finally they took me off it and kept me on percicept, amrix and naprelan. but replace the neuron tin with amitryptiline . I was no longer sleeping all the time. now I couldn't sleep until my body couldn't stay awake any longer and then i fell to for maybe 2-3 hours to then go sleepless again. then my shrink put me on LYRICA, another anti-convulsive and well i sleep at least 2-3 hrs a day because the combination knocks me out. now I may not always sleep 2-3 hours consecutive but still u take what you can get. but the lyrica Ive unfortunately noticed too late increases your appetite . so a hundred pounds later I noticed. that and no real cardio exercise also lead to high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and much larger cloths. mind you all these drugs to reduce the pain from a 10 to an 8. sometimes a little less. treatment for this beast is not a real science, it is the best possible guess work they have at the moment so for each treatment change i suggest you do a lot of research. weigh out pros and cons.(make sure you know all the cons(not all dr,s understand these) surgeries and further damage has been known to make RSD spread. and it does. I started with RSD in the lower right extremity. now it is below my waist. every thing. and has started in on my left arm plus my upper left part of my forehead.. the earlier the treatment the better the prognosis and response to treatment. and mind you this effects each person differently. also know that some dr,s give RSD stages while others disregard that entirely as symptoms aren't a check list on this. you can have all symptoms or only one and it is still RSD some people are at a level 10 pain all the time while others live i lower numbers(mind you no matter the level of pain it is still just as chronic and serious as every one else) RSD also hs effects on emotions, the mind, and is life altering to extremes. stress can make flares worse as well as aggregation temp changes humidity , vibrations, etc. do not panic as one of his main concerns is for you(I know this as I am always concerned that my wife is picking up my work load, or she feels useless to help etc. mind you . always be honest about your feelings as to do else wise can drive you nuts as well just don't panic(not easy) he is lost as are you this is a journey that must be taken 1 step at a time. and remember that this is a good place for you both its informative, its surreal, it helps keep things in perspective and a great place to release and find real support. I myself would have lost it if not of forums such as this, you will find great friends here and I'm sure it will help when you and or your husband can contribute to others. God speed and I hope this helps