Do you use Lidoderm patches for your RSD/ CRPS? Please tell me about your experience!
 

Do you use Lidoderm patches for your RSD/ CRPS? Please tell me about your experience! Have they helped you? How much, and what is the relief like (does it numb you?)?

I was just perscribed Lidoderm patches and have yet to try them. Just wondering about anyone else's experiences. Thanks! :)

Hi Vanessa,
 

I have been using Lidocaine patches for about 3 years. You would be surprised how much they help. I always put them on the areas that are hurting the most and if you can calm them down then some of the referred pain goes with it.

I haven't noticed any side effects with them. You can use 3 at a time and it's 12 hours on and 12 off. I was able to quit using them for awhile but this lower pelvic/hip pain has made me have to wear one for the past few months again. I have worn them on my left chest area and I have finally got that pain calmed down unless I do something to get it going again.

They don't numb the area. The medication on the patch just goes into the skin.

Hope this helps.
Ada

Lidocaine
 

I use them on my feet everyday- helps a little -no side effects

Deb

I tried them off & on for the 1st year. They didn't seem to help with the pain, instead they seemed to irritate & make the pain worse. I don't mean that I am allergic to the sticky stuff or lidocaine, cause I aint' *LOL* It just made my pain worse for the most part. At that time my feet were sooooooooooooooooooooooooo sensitive to anything touching them that that might have been the problem. I have not tried them since & don't even want to.

DebbyV

I Used A Persciption Mix Cream But Found It Burned My Skin Whenever It Came In Contact With Clothes Or Shoes ... I Have Not Used Patches For Fear Of Them Hurting When Being Removed. Anyone Have That Problem?

i have used the lidocaine patches for over 5 yrs..they are very helpful..my nerve endings are coming up out of the surface of my skin on my elbow and they shield any air,clothing or anything else touching the areas..i also use them on the forearm where they cut the tendons..also on my back, sometimes on my neck or right where the bra strap is,or on the lower part of my back..since i fell in the shower i also put small pieces on my ankle and my knee when needed.. my friend has a problem with them sticking and she sprays her asthma meds on her skin and it helps some.. not very effective for deep pain. when i take them off without water it hurts for awhile but in the shower they fall right off (no pain)... moonstar

Huh???
 

Is there a difference between Lidocaine and Lidoderm?:confused: Just wondering, because you mentioned Lidocaine, Moonstar. TIA!

Vanessa,
I used to use 3 lidoderm patches to cover my entire left foot. I left them on 24 hours a day( not what they recommend). My doctors told me that they would not cause any damage and they didn't.
They didn't help to the root cause of my problem but they did help the pain topically(on the skin level) not the deep internal pains.

If you have a dog, be careful that your dog doesn't find them in the trash and eat them. My yellow lab was very fond of them!

Peace,
Lisa

Lidoderm is the brand name of the patches.

The active ingrediant in Lidoderm patches is a medication called Lidocaine.

Some people use the word "Lidoderm", other people use the word "Lidocaine patches" -- they are the same thing :)

OH! :o :o :o I just realized that, looking at my box of patches!! :p :o

Thanks! :)

sorry didn't get back to you sooner...but yes they are the same thing..sometimes i remember to say lidoderm and other times lidocaine comes peace to mind...HA HA like i still have any mind left..... great news...today was the first day that i didn't have to look at my hidden piece of paper that has my password on it....i think playing the word game on chronic pain site is paying off and some of my memory is coming back.. old info remembered---recent memory shot...:rolleyes:

Living in Denial
 

I I guess I must be living in denial.
I did a really bad experiment - I tried to see how long I could go without a lidocaine-ketamine patch (for arms, not feet, because I have to walk). I've worn them for 5 years. I wear 4 at a time even though orders are for two/day.
After 5 years I thought the sensitivity and burning might be gone ???
I don't know why I thought that because even when I wear them I continue to break through with burning and sensitivity.
Normally I can feel someone walk by with 6 layers on my arms.

Well, I only lasted 1 1/2 days.

Last night 12 am I woke up & was silently screaming so as not to wake my husband. It felt like someone had again poured acid onto open wounds :eek:
I got those patches out and put one on my right arm and it started working in 15 minutes. Even though my left arm was hurting 1 level below the right side, I tried to bear with it and go back to sleep. I woke up at 3 am the same way, tears in my eyes, trying not to breathe. So I put the patch on the other side and went back to sleep. I put 2 more on this morning :)
I wear the plain lidoderm patches for my feet. They used to sweat so bad, but now they are dry as the desert. I will not try that experiment ever again. :(

I was wondering.........
Does anyone else ever stop breathing when they are in so much pain or when you get an electrical shooting pain?

So, I'd say the patches work very well for me :) , even though I still feel a burn, it is much less than when I go without.
Every once in awhile I go through this denial period when i say, OK, this must be gone by now. I'll try a cut back on meds but it just makes things worse. I'll never do this again either. :(

WARNING : DO NOT TRY THIS - danger of burns !!!

{{hugs}}
Hope

I love my lidoderm patches! Ive only been using them since the end of november, but they really help me a lot. They dont cut down on the deep levels of pain, but they make it a lot easier for me to wear a sock, shoe, etc.

I use 3 patches on my left foot 24 hours a day. I know that the box says 12 hours on 12 hours off, but my doctor told me to always leave them on. I never had any side effects, which was very nice because usually if there is a side effect to the medicine ill get it. They can be a pain to get off because of the sensitivity of my foot, but usually i just leave them on in the shower and they kinda fall off.

It took about 2 weeks before i felt the full effects of them, so if they dont work right away just give it some time. And sometimes the one that i put on the bottom of my foot will slide around in my shoe and end up in an annoying little bundle on the side of my foot, but i just deal with it or take it off.

Good Luck!

Hey Hope

That sounds terrible! (though I have done it before too.. the worst is when you decide that your meds aren't working any more and so you stop them all at once - and discover you did need them after all). Have you got residual pain left over from it? We all have days like that!

I also get the breathing/ pain thing... In flare ups I faint etc from pain which can be annoying.

I really hope that you feel a bit better soon!!!!

Love
Froggaxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

My daughter started to use the patches this past month. I actually used them a year ago and just thought they might help her. She loves to cut them to the exact size she needs and puts them right where she needs them. She has found they really help her sleep better at night, and then they come off in the shower in the morning (just watch so they don't clog the drain! ooops!).

my dear friend..i too have stopped taking meds for one reason or another..and totally understand what you are going thru..yes i too scream,,moan,,have a hard time breathing and most of the time i do pass out and wake up with either cold sweats or burning hot sweats..you can ring out my clothes and my hair from the amount of sweat.... ..the lidoderm patches are the least of all the meds i take..don't think i would ever cut myself off from their valuble help...so happy my friend reccommended them to me yrs ago... wishing you a peaceful night..moonstar :hug:

Lidoderm patches were helpful but only for Alloydina
 

I have found the lidoderm patches extremely helpful for Alloydina.. After I had my port removed I had severe alloydina on my chest- I had to cut all my clothes so that they would not touch a 6" area around the port site. The pain was excrutiating. The patches helped and eventually resolved the issue. I gradually introduced different materials to the site to desensitize the area starting with cotton balls and moving up to clothing. Hope this helps. sorry about my spellilng!

Thank you so much for the replies! :)

The lidoderm patches are helping me. I am now using them on both of my feet/ legs... my RSD just spread to both legs/ feet! :( :mad: They help relieve some of the burning pain.

Okay, mine don't want to stay on... they'll stick really good at first, and then they slip around my foot! Any ideas??! TIA!

I really have no advice, if you find something good you should send it my way!!! lol

ive experimented with different ways of application, putting it on lengthwise, widthwise, having it over lap other patches a bit, having it not overlap, and i havent found anything that really truly seems to work better than the other. It kinda stinks cuz they really help the bottom of my foot when they manage to stay on. I walk on the left side of my foot, mostly because i walked funny for almost a year before i was diagnosed to help it not hurt as much and now my leg just automatically goes to that position. i have this feeling that thats what is making the patches slide more.

Sorry i cant really be of any help, but if i ever figure something out ill for sure make sure to let you know!!! Gotta help each other out!!

anna

I have been using them sometimes at night to help me get to sleep easier. Before I take them off I soak it in warm water. It just falls right off and doesn't pull at all.

Raine
 

Hi,
This is my first post. I have had:) RSD since 1993. All 4 limbs. I have used Lidoderm but unfortunately without the results I had hoped for. I hope it works for some of you !

i had severe skin issues with my crps. it grew into kind of road rash looking stuff very gross, after the skin graphs they gave me lido patches for the area and it is great. No other skin issues. so they worked great.