I remember the first time I read about rsd. I too thought my life was over as I knew it. I became very deppressed and never wanted to leave the house. Which of course made it worse. When I finally got put on an antidepressent I was ready to end it all. Now I am back (overweight but back) on feet and feeling pretty good. I go out as much as I can tolerate and walk as much as I can without the need for assistance.

Try and be positive and stay active as much as you can.

Hi Justwantanswers, it is nice to meet you and welcome to our club here. I am sorry you have gone for a year with no real help or answers. The medical community always wants to think we either overexaggerate or the pain can't be that bad. They can drive you crazy. You have to do what is right for you and stand up for your health. They will just about drive you crazy (like what they have told you this last year) telling you to do one thing then another but hang in there.

AltAfter seven years I have found what is right for me after I tried just about everything. There is no real great secret of what works because everyone is different. I've been to Dr. S since 2006 and in the beginning I thought he was compassionate but after a real bad experience with ketamine and falling in Hahnemann ICU (ketamine was working but Hahnemann nursing staff about killed me) I have lost alot of respect for him and his office. I would never go back to Hanemann again. He will prob want you to have lidocaine and if that doesn't work then ketamine. Also, his waiting list is about 2 1/2 years so you might want to get on his waiting list now and then start looking around your area for good doctors that can help you and then if you need to see Dr. S then you have that option later to see him.

Alt1268 said "I remember the first time I read about rsd. I too thought my life was over as I knew it." I hear ya on that one. I believe I cried the first year I had it as the relentless pain was full body and no one understood what I was going through...some even though I was making a big deal of it and it can't be that bad (yes and they were family members). I was so hurt both physically and mentally during that time but seven years later I feel that my insides are healed but my outside is still mending. It is a long hard struggle but you can get through it. I have found iv's of natural vitamins and trace minerals to work wonders for me. I have even gotten off of all pain meds after five years! It has been a year since I took any pain meds. I am exercising now and my burning pain is close to being gone...after Dr. S looked at me and said "He could not help me." I want to prove all of them wrong and God is healing my body more each day. Faith and a bit of humor has gotten me through it all. Best of luck to you and hang in there...take it one day at a time.
kathy d