Wow, I am so happy I found this site! I stumbled across this site as I was trying to find a solution to the hot red right side of my face. I had never even heard of RSD but reading the last few threads pretty much summarizes my life for the past 4 years (but maybe earlier... since childhood, if that's possible). The facial flares started about 4 years ago and varied in severity. Went to a derm and he said it was rosacea. I never agreed with the diagnosis because I just don't fit the typical characteristics. But I tried the soap Rx with no relief. Whatever. I just started using makeup and keep foundation close by and touch up. But that's just the tip of the ice berg!!
Recently, I've been extremely stressed. I started noticing my heart beating all over my body. Wrist, neck, eye, left temple (about 3 years ago, my doctor said it was migraines... because the headache lasted for days and will change in intensity at different hours), my feet, all over. I started taking my blood pressure since I have a family history of heart problems. So it's been completely out of wack. My dystolic would be in the low 60s or high 80s - out of norm for my age and body type. And most of my doctor visits, nurse said I was prehypertensive. Figured it was just related to visiting the docs office.
About 2 years ago, I started developing what looked like Raynauds Syndrome. I had painful chilblains on my fingers, and my body temp on my hands was going from blazing red and hot, to ice cold like a zombie. I actually started going BLUE in my hand, which is when my doc said it's Raynaud and common with women... that's pretty much it... The veins in my right hand (most problematic side) would get so constricted, nurses couldn't draw A DROP of blood for a quick cholesterol test. She had to squeeze the hell out of my poor finger
.
Ever since I was 10 or so, I always had leg pains. I used to be a ballerina. Figured it was a pulled muscle. From 10 to ~16, i visited a few joint hospitals in the city. Xrays weren't helpful then. I came out weekly positive to Lupus - which according to them isn't uncommon.
Now to the present. My body temperature is completely dis-controlled. The freezing side of my body is what I used to cool off the blazing side. I radiate heat or cold randomly. I figured it was the Raynaud's. But as I continue learning about what RSD is and after reading a couple threads, RSD seems to encompass ALL of my recent ailments! The only difference between my ailments, and what's mostly common with the last few threads, is the pain.
I have a skewed pain threshold. The worst pains I've ever experienced in my life is my leg pains (that I still get, even when doctors said it was growing pains... uhhh, i'm only 5 ft!!
) and my cramps. They are the most debilitating pains I've ever felt. So all other pain gets put on the scale. But I'm constantly in weird pain.Weird skeletal pain. Elbow or arm ache, etc. I don't even treat my migraines, cause migraines ARE NOT worst then my cramps. But I'm almost always achy... which I filed under me being pretty inactive in my life style. But laundry shouldn't hurt your body no matter how inactive you are, right?!
This is longer than expected so I may not get many responses. But for ONCE, I think I found the cause of my issues. I honestly thought I was having heart failure. The heart palpitations started recently, when I quit my job. And since, I woke up gasping for air twice - like my heart had stopped. Today, I almost fainted! I've NEVER fainted or ALMOST fainted in my life. Cold sweats have been ongoing for MONTHS now, but they haven't stopped. I now have insomnia (been awake for over 48 hours... maybe that's y I almost fainted! Maybe I fell asleep!!!). I've been a patient at a sleep clinic for the last 3 years. My last sleep study heart beat showed erratic heart beat (amongst other thing). I had shallow breathing most of the night, but because hypopnea and apnea are measured on an index, I was diagnosed with mild sleep apnea that only require life style changes... if only I lived a unhealthy lifestyle! So not helpful! Sleep clinic just tries to keep my brain asleep at night so it doesn't cause me erratic heart beat, and want me to take stimulants during the day to help with the excessive sleepiness...
Anyways. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences!