Hi, this site and this topic seems like a really awesome resource. Thanks to whomever started it and all who post. I'm a 38 yr. old man. I had an ambulatory phlebectomy surgery just over 2 mos. ago (to remove a huge varicose vein in my right calf from just below and behind the knee to the foot). I was under general anesthesia for the surgery and as that wore off that evening I started feeling severe pain in my shin. This isn't the operative area so it was weird. I wonder what happened during that surgery and the surgeon says the shin wasn’t touched…said “yes, that is strange…I have no idea what happened”. It got so bad but I didn't want to drag my wife and 2 young daughters to the ER in the middle of that night. The next day, I went to the practice that did the surgery and they had me admitted into the hospital for an x-ray and ultrasound (neither showed anything wrong). A large bruise showed up on my shin and it eventually had a sac of clear fluid on it. The bruise is now gone but the pain in the non-operative areas has gotten insanely worse. Awful pain has recently spread down my leg and up my leg into my knee. My knee is very stiff now. My leg gets hot then cold and swells a bit often. I can’t touch my shin. The slightest touch sends me through the roof. I lost my job because I was unable to concentrate due to the pain (IT professional at a large bank). The surgeon referred me to a pain management practice that she is directly affiliated with within the same health campus. They all know each other and have financial ties. On my 1st visit, a physician’s assistant diagnosed me with CRPS and ordered 3 lumbar sympathetic blocks within 7 days. I had never heard of CRPS. All of the blocks were the same: warmed my leg and relieved pain for a few hrs. Then they passed me on to a pain specialist at the same practice who ruled out CRPS because the blocks didn’t work. I researched this and found that these unsuccessful blocks don’t rule out CRPS. I absolutely do NOT want to have CRPS. Who would?! I just need to know what my diagnosis is and what to do. All signs point to CRPS. This Dr. has diagnosed it as “pain”. That’s it. Just “pain”. Really?! An MRI revealed nothing. I have been taking Naproxen and low dose Percocet, using a TENS unit and applying topical cream. The only thing that helps with the torturous pain is Percocet unfortunately as I have tried the others mentioned w/o Percocet and it barely touches the pain. I tried Neurontin and Lyrica but the side effects were God-awful and prevent me from taking them even when I titrated slowly with them. I don’t know how I can continue to live with this level of pain and stress(?) My doctor is now having me wean off of the Percocet (says that opiods don’t help this kind of pain) but the pain is worse and worse as I lower my dosage. It’s the only thing that makes me functional enough to not be hiding from the wife and kids, writhing on the floor. I’m reluctant to stand up for myself about the opiods because I don’t want him to think I’m a drug addict or something. He referred me to an occupational therapist and an acupuncturist. The acupuncturist won’t work with me because he can’t put needles in the area due to the high-sensitivity. He said it might make my condition worse. I got a referral from my PCP to a Pain Specialist at Univ. of Pennsylvania for this Wed. I’m at my wit’s end and need help. I’m suffering badly and doing my best to hide it from kids and wife. I’m scared and just want the burning pain to stop. My life as I knew it is being taken away from me in a cruel way. Sorry for the long post. Any guidance or suggestions? Thanks.