Spreading?
 

I know there have been many threads on this topic and I need to look back at them.
I've had CRPS/RSD in left arm & hand after surgery for 10 months now.(I need to add that to my signature but don't know how). It's been controlled and somewhat by nerve blocks about every 2 wks. and of course meds. and P.T. My hand is still pretty much contracted though.

Now I'm scared that it's spreading to my left foot. I want opinions from anyone who can offer.

For about a week or so sometimes my foot is burning (not as bad as arm) and sometimes the pain is so bad when I try to get up and walk. However, usually if I out stubborn it, I can "walk it off". It's very random and inconsistent however. So, that leads me to wonder if it could be spreading or if it may be unrelated.

Hi AZ-Di,

I'm sorry you're experiencing this, it could be spread of course, but it might not be. It's so hard to tell. I've experienced several cycles of spread, from my left knee to my foot, then my right toes, then my left hand, then the rest of my left arm....

Every time it has started with odd random episodes of that tingly burny sensation, or just stabs of pain for no apparent reason. Then it could be a slight touch causing sharp pain that makes you jump. For me it then gets more common, and ends up feeling hot or cold, with aching pain most of the time, and of course the rest of the fun times :rolleyes:

Your thread caught my eye because just five minutes ago I was dreading the exact same thing - yesterday I scraped my right hand on some wire, and it was raised, very red and sharply painful all evening. Then half an hour later I crushed the side of my right thumb into a lock. Cue more redness and throbbing. I've kept it gently moving, and been really careful since, but today it's still jangling, and just now it is hot and pink and really very painful indeed, with some really nasty stabbing pains. I'm holding it out while I type, but the pads on my other fingers are feeling sore too...

I hate this disease, it feels so cruel, and I hate being scared of doing things in case I get hurt. If it has spread to my right hand because of a scrape and a bang on my thumb I will just be distraught. I'm trying not to think it, but those pains are regular, the heat is definitely not right, and it darn well feels like the other cripsy bits of me....:confused:

I really hope yours isn't spread matey. I'll be thing of you and hoping your foot settles down and was some kind of soft tissue injury that heals quickly for you.

Take care and good luck,

Bram :hug:

Thanks for the input. I too really hope a bang and a scrape is not setting you up for a spread. Were you doing a project or fixing something?
Dang, we can't put ourselves in bubblewrap now can we? I know it's confusing.
I don't think i've turned into a hypochondriac because I always poo-pooed off going to the Dr. unless it was an emergency or during pregnancy

I put the pain in my left arm n hand for about weeks then the dreaded news was it's spreading, yup just great. I too bump into a lot of things and it sucks, idk how to avoid damaging myself other then bubble wrap lol

Lol. Nothing so exciting or useful I'm afraid! It was completely banal - I was going out to the laundry room and caught my hand on a bit of wire sticking out of the gate, then bashed my thumb into the door lock on the way back in with the basket....:rolleyes:

I too was always keen to avoid the doctor - even now I don't go as much as I probably should, mainly because my GP doesn't know, understand or take seriously my CRPS, and generally doesn't fill me with confidence. The only doc I'm keen to see every now and then is my pain specialist - she might not be able to offer me much practical help, but she does understand the disease itself, and has been very supportive. She also understands my fears and frustrations, and let's me talk about how I feel. More than any other doc can do for me at the moment :winky:

Bubble wrap is not an option!! A life in bubbles is not much of a life at all...

Take care AZ-Di, and hope you get some sleep tonight. Thanks for being so thoughtful :)

Bram.

My rsd started in my right wrist after breaking it. I believe I've gotten spread to all my other limbs from accupuncture. Then I stubbed my toe about a month ago and it is now very sore and the knuckle is swollen and very red. The rest of my foot is now hurting and my right foot is hurting now too. The toes on that foot are swollen and it turns red and purple sometimes.
I'm going to get an exray on my feet to see if I broke anything. They also seem to be shiny. I hope it's not rsd spread but it's very painful. I asked my pm dr about it the other week and they didn't know for sure what it was. So I went to my gp and he wrote me a script for an xray. My hands will be next. The left one is swollen and red and I get this burning in the wrist. It's not constant, so I don't know if it's rsd spread, but it burns like my rsd wrist does. It's so frustrating. I'm not sure if you have spread, but maybe ask your pm dr or neurologist. I hope it isn't and my thoughts are with you. I don't think any drs know for sure, but I'm starting to learn how to distinquish my rsd pain from other pains like arthritis. I don't think even if mine were spreading there is anything they can do. They said in so many words that after two years, it's pretty much out of their hands. My pm dr says to just keep exercising as much as I can. I'm trying but am still getting an xray. I hope you find out what's going on and that it's not a spread.