Every four weeks for the past six years I have visited the same pain mgt doctor and have always been in compliance with monthly drug tests. I'm on a low dose of time released morphine and 5/325 norco as needed for breakthrough pain from RSD in my shoulder and arm. The only true relief I get is from heat and use a heating pad about 12 hours a day and a battery operated shoulder brace with heat while working and away from home. I have tried all the blocks, spinal cord stimulator and other treatments with no luck. I wasn't diagnosed for three years after a major fall which resulted in three open shoulder surgeries. I'm too young for a total shoulder replacement which they won't do until I'm in my 60's for fear of wearing it out and you only get one good shot at securing it to your scapula. I want to know if anyone has had any luck with Soma (Carisoprodol), for muscle spasms and cramps. I have tried Flexeril and Baclofen. The Flexeril wiped me out and the Baclofen gave no relief. When I asked my doc about Soma he brushed it aside by saying it was habit forming.....like the opiods I'm on are not? I have an upcoming appointment and am seeking advice on how to persuade him to at least let me give it a try. On med refill days he runs everybody through the clinic as fast as possible because he has a lot of patients. Has anybody out there had any luck with Soma? My shoulder feels like it is in a total cramp all the time which is why heat helps. Thanks

Hi Poppop,

I too found Flexerial to be a nightmare. The side effects were complertely intolerable and hile it was supposed to help me sleep, instead I had awful nightmares all night.

I am currently on both Baclofen and Soma. I only take 20mg of Baclofen a day so that's probably a problem. With a higher dose, maybe I wouldn't need the Soma.

I have been on and off Soma for almost 2 years now and honestly, I don't have a problem with addiction or withdrawl from i. I don't know if people say it's addictive just to scare you off from it or what but as I said, changing doses and going off it for weeks at a time and then back on was never a problem for me since it is treating a true muscular problem, not being used for some sort of "high".

Maybe others react differently, I don't know but I would call your Dr and ask to at least try it?

hi i have rsd in both shoulders and arms just had a shoulder replacement done in june 2010 i was told to wait but since i had it done my left side is better the best thing they did was find out that thry hook up a block and left it in for 3 days i was getting spreading to my legs and it has comed down a lot it took me a 1 year tell the doctor i could not take anymore and i will have the right done next year if you want to talk let me know but good luck

finally somebody else with RSD in a shoulder! not that I'm glad, it's just that you're the first person close to my diagnosis and you've been through what I'm facing. Did they do a traditional shoulder replacement or the new "reverse" with the ball attached to you scapula and the socket placed at the top your arm? I bet you're like me where you can only sleep flat on your back....never thought how frustrating that would be. Glad you have some relief with your new shoulder. Thanks for sharing your experience. PopPop

Hi Pop,

Have you considered Skelaxin? It is stronger than Soma (which did NOTHING for me - it is really a very mild med - and I am a small woman), but not as mind bending as Flexeril. I take it at bedtime.

I also have RSD of the shoulder - I tore my rotator cuff in Nov of 2006 and had two arthroscopic repairs in the spring of 2007 and a year later in 2008. But my RSD spread beyond my shoulder....

Good luck to you. XOXO Sandy

I should have been more clear. My RSD is in my shoulder tho throughout the left side of my body. My left neck and shoulder are the worst. Soma is very helpful as is Ativan and Toradol. I do constantly use heat, never ice. I do use pain patches such as Durogesic, lidocane and when unable to use those, I use icy-hot patches which I buy off Amazon.com for less.

I do also find my $59 TeNS unit to be quite helpful. Feel free to PM if you have any questions.

Dawn

My husband's RSD started in his left shoulder and arm after arthroscopic rotator cuff repair in 2009. After 1 interscalene block, it spread to his chest, back, and right shoulder and arm. He cannot lay down at all, or lean back on his back. He sleeps in an office chair sitting forward. Of course, he only gets 1 -2 hours of sleep at a time. They cant do Ketamine because he cannot lay down. he has been on vicodin (10/325) for almost 2 years. We finally saw a PM Dr. today who wants to try a neurostimulator. Any thoughts?

I have yet to start my outpatient ketamine infusions but I guess I always thought they were given at least partially sitting up. Is that not the case? If there's no other way to do it, I guess I don't see why they can't sedate him long enough to treat him?

My prayers go out to you and your husband. I did go through the neurostimulator trial. I had a Bankart Repair to my left shoulder which is a procedure where they open the shoulder and reattach all the ligaments and tendons that were torn in a fall from a horse. 80% of my pain is in the shoulder region and the rest is down the arm and some what into the hand. The SCS trial was not difficult and the Medtronic rep was easily contacted when I needed to make adjustments on my own at home. I wore it for ten days, maybe two weeks. The problem I had was trying to keep the impulse centered in the shoulder and not the area from the elbow down. I went back to the Dr. and he tried to manually manipulate the leads to attempt to keep the impulse in the shoulder but it was not much help. This was in 2003. The pain mtg. doc I see tells me that there have been some improvements since then but for the cost I don't think I want to try it again. Your husband may find his trial to be a completely different experience and I would encourage him to give it a try if your insurance will cover it...even if you don't have insurance Medtronic has programs to offer the unit at on a sliding scale. What does he have to lose? I can't stress the use of heating pads enough. The shoulder brace from Venture heat with a lithium ion battery has been a life saver for me. Please give him my best regards. PopPop

Sandy, thank you so much for that suggestion. I will look into it. PopPop