Hi everyone --

I was recently diagnosed with early CRPS. After an ankle surgery 1 month ago, I began having burning pain at the incision site, followed by spreading, agonizing pain from toes to mid-shin. This was accompanied by what I now know are other hallmark symptoms of early CRPS -- increased swelling and sweating, color and temperature changes, decreased sensation, etc.

My orthopedist quickly recognized the symptoms, and started me on Gabapentin. I'm now up to 600x3/day. My pain became uncontrollable using Vicodin/Percocet/Oxycontin, so I'm now on a 25mcg Duragesic patch. The combination of the two meds has decreased the non-pain symptoms of CRPS noticeably (my sensation is much better) and seems to have improved, or at least masked, the pain symptoms partially -- I'd estimate a 30% reduction in pain on average, though it varies a lot from day to day. I find the side effects disruptive -- among others, I have significant memory loss and trouble thinking, and large and constant (but not painful) muscle jerks -- but I'm willing to be patient with them while I get used to the medications and focus on symptom management.

I am now weight-bearing on the affected leg, but will not be able to get my cast off and start PT for another week and a half.

My primary question (I'm sure I will have many more as I move forward, but I want to get a handle on what's already been answered 100x on the board) is this: Knowing everything you know now, what would you do if you had been diagnosed very early in the disease progression? I am in my mid-20s and EXTREMELY motivated to do anything necessary to achieve remission or at least a high degree of improvement -- no matter how painful, inconvenient, or expensive.