Wondering if I don't have rsd at all. Hearing lots about cold spots, mine are more like hot spots. Any thoughts?

CRPS can either hot spots or cold spots. I know numerous group members have the burning pain with super hot skin that turns red. In my case my limbs turn blue / purple and are ice cold.
Sarah

Vicky, mine alternates between cold and hot. The coldness is what I have more of though (unfortunately). I will have an icy burning sensation in my leg and my back. My fingers will either be cold and purplish-blue or they will burn and get super red.

How are your finger nails? I have read and understand that a lot of RSD suffer-ers have ridged finger nails. Mine are horrible! You can see the ridges, and they seem to be brittle and are awful to cut.

I hope you don't have RSD, I hope it's something more simple. RSD is a monster.

Hi,

My arm/hand also has times that it is red and hot but I do find it gets bluish/purple and cold more often. I know the site of the original injury (neck/shoulder) gets very red/swollen and hot. It's the fingers/hand/forearm that gets either white looking or a bluish/purple and freezing cold and the odd time red and warm.

I have only been dealing with RSD now for 5 months and find that new symptoms can develop quickly and almost over night for me.

Patti_Christmas commented on finger nails. My finger nails are starting to show deep groves on my right hand and I have also noticed that the finger nails grow quicker on my right hand then they do on my left. They also break a lot easier then on my left.

Take care,
Karen

Thank you everyone for your responses, I really appreciate the fact that you are sharing your experiences with me. I am not sure what you mean by ridges but the nails grow at a different rate on both hands. What's bizarre though is last night both hands we burning intensely but not fire if that makes sense. In the exact same places. Both were discolored(one purplish and the other bluish) swollen and hot to the touch. It was just so strange. Does that sound like rsd? I have logged it. Because I am trying to figure out the trend so I can avoid what makes it hurt. Do you think I am in denial?

Not all the symptoms do you have to have for a dx of rsd. I can't say for sure you do or don't but I know for me when I was first dx I did not get rsd the typical way and I did not have all the symptoms. Part of why my dx took so long.

I also have both hot and cold. My hands will be burning and then as if a light switch was flipped, they get ice cold for hours...it is frustrationg to bounce back & forth with symptoms, but that is alot of the trouble in diagnosing it. not every person has all of the same symptoms and there are other symptoms that may not be on the top 10 list..