Oh man, FG! Saying prayers for you and hope they get to the bottom of this all.

I know the feeling. It would be nice to just have good news and a positive diagnosis rather than another "wait and see" doctor visit.

For what it is worth, my arm did not move either. It WILL get better.

Since today is Wednesday, it means you have only 24 hours until you get a better answer.

RSD... does the arm swell and have skin color changes {red, blue, mottled}
hypersensitive to touch, even breezes or clothing ?

I was thinking it might be thoracic outlet syndrome with your heavy work and adding in computer uses.

both our RSD & TOS forums have a good amount of stickys to explore
Maybe shappy already mentioned those.

A couple of our TOS members did have frozen shoulder over the years..
I think the constant upper body spasms play a part there.

hope you can get a handle on it soon, or at least the pain reduced for now...

hugsssss sorry they added yet another thought about what it could be, ughhh

no fun to be told many things, just hoping they figure it out and do wahts best for that shoulder. good luck on the biopsies hugsssss

hugss and wishes to normal days, sarah

I have asked about TOS but all the docs have ruled it out. Doesn't fit.

RSD was brought up b/c of the hypersensitivity and the swelling. I've been asked about temperature changes but since I also have Reynaud's, it's a difficult question to answer. From what I've read, the temperature change only has to be a degree or two. I've always had mottled skin in my forearm but the neuro says that's due to MS and spinal involvement. (That was the clinical trial doc.)

Hypersensitivity also goes with MS when I am having an exacerbation so I just wrote it off to that, at least this last time. That's why I didn't think anything of it when I did the steroids. But when my arm got worse after 3 days of IVSM, it was obvious to me that what was wrong with my arm was not MS. But now it is hypersensitive ALL the time. And not just my arm, my shoulder, my pecks, my shoulder blade, my arm pit, my neck.

When the PT guy mentioned RSD yesterday, yes, I visited the RSD forum last night. Did a lot of reading. As with everything, some of the symptoms fit, but not all. But as the PT guy said, I am not presenting typical FS. I just laughed and said I don't present typical anything. The MS I have is not typical. Nothing I do is typical. He said it sounds like I am going to be a challenge. Ya think?

We had chinese food for dinner on Saturday night. I love fortune cookies. My fortune read "good ideas will spring forth naturally from your mind in this coming week." Since PODH doesn't like fortune cookies, I naturally opened the second one which read, "Tomorrow will be a five star day for you. Enjoy." That would have been Sunday. The Steelers won the Super Bowl! Yippee!! Something went right on Sunday!

Yep...and what a game it was.. WhooHoo!!!

Sorry about the RSD.. I want answers...and relief for your pain...dammit..

Thanks Sally. I am not convinced it's RSD. Not everything fits. I am sticking with early frozen shoulder and pinched nerve complications.

PT sucks. But I will get through it. Baby steps! Lots of heat.

All Taffers can say is "Whut the "F"?"

Oh FG....you would laugh hearing me say that in person.

Let's just say you have FS. It will be way easier to fix.

As always....

Hi Cheryl,

So sorry to hear that you could possibly have RSD! I really hope you get some much-needed answers real soon and I am keeping you in my thouhts and prayers!!

As you probably already know, I have RSD/CRPS in my left leg and right arm. I developed it when I was 12 years old after an ankle sprain and I am now 14. Some of the symptoms you have described sound a LOT like RSD although some of them don't. I was told by my Pain Management Doctor that you have to have at least 5 of the symptoms of RSD to get officially diagnosed with it. It was pretty easy for my Doctor to diagnose me as I have nearly all of the symptoms and he said my case was "textbook"!

Have you seen a Pain Management Doctor? I think you said you did but can't remember, sorry! They can really help and usually are the doctors that diagnose RSD and treat it. If it is RSD, it is extremely important that you are diagnosed and start treatment really soon - my PM Doctor told me that the best chance of reaching remission is if it is diagnosed within 3 months!

Please continue reading the RSD forum and feel free to post any questions you may have ... everyone there is SO nice and friendly and I am sure they will be more than happy to help you if they can! If I can help you also, please let me know!

Thinking about you and please keep us updated when you can!

The Pain Management doc called me this morning. He wanted to do a nerve block of the sympathetic nerve plexus that is affecting my shoulder. I agreed. He referred to what I am experiencing as "causalgia." When I went into the Surgicenter he explained it more and is treating me as if it's RSD/CRPS/causalgia.

It's unknown cause, but basically right now he is treating the pain. He said he was going to inject the sympathetic nerve plexus in my neck with an anesthetic and steroid to block the pain that is going to my shoulder area.

We shall see.

Sally...Versed. Better than percocet!