Dear Friends,

I am desperately looking for advice and assistance. If you would take the time to read my story and add your thoughts I would greatly appreciate it.

I will start from the beginning and include some facts which may or may not be related to the RSD/CRPS.

33 year old Female, good health otherwise. Total body CRPS now 23 days. Onset of CRPS likely 79 days ago.

At this point I believe I do not have RSD/CRPS:

August 2011 - Try hair extensions with metal beads and wear them without pain or issue for 9 weeks.
September 2011- Have a flare up of an old back injury
November 11, 2011- Try hair extensions with glue (keratin). Applied in Athens Greece. They are applied incorrectly/do not match. Go to several salons to repair resulting in hair/scalp exposed to dye multiple times in one month (5-7) (when all my life I never dyed my hair) and removal of some extensions and some hair loss.
December 18, 2011 Removal of all extensions after 1 month results in loss of 50% of natural hair and bald areas.
January 15, 2012 Some burning sensations on temples over ears, light burning. Pain when hair is put up or moves in wind. Go to Stanford derm. They say may be neuropathy.
I try to get some extensions with beads installed on the back of my head where there is no pain but it hurts abnormally much. I attribute this to traction pain? They are removed.
February 2012 Begin a course of Prednisone at high doses for another reason 60-80mg for one month. Scalp sensations go away.
April 2012 sometimes when I wear clip in extensions pain sensation returns but not burning.

** Note: during these months I am using Minoxidil (Rogaine) daily perhaps too much and trying various hair treatments nearly daily to restore some normal texture to my destroyed hair. i.e. scalp very stimulated.

Likely Onset of CRPS 79 days ago

May 3 2012 Am talked into getting my hair dyed again by a top salon. When the dye is applied experience strong burning on scalp. However afterwards in salon feel OK.
Later when my head is tilted back on shampoo sink feel burning sensation on right side of nape of neck. Recall that there were no towels placed on sink to rest my head and sink was uncomfortable.
Return home and later that evening burning increases dramatically. By morning pain in all of scalp although burning localized to that area. Hurts again to put my hair up.
Ten Days Later - Pain increases (also alternates sometimes into itching phase) and I take prednisone again at high dose for 6 days. Stop prednisone for allergy test of dye (not allergic to main ingredient) and scalp biopsy.
Scalp biopsy preformed by Dr. Richard Strick Los Angeles. Very painful experience. Went to ER in pain. Felt strange copycat pain slightly on other side of head.
A few weeks later- develop numbness on top of scalp that does not change or fade. Also into top of forehead.
June 2012 - Foolishly apply Minoxidil (Rogaine) and steroid to burning part of scalp - pulse goes there intensely for 4 hours and pain sharpens to become a pressure point I can localize with a finger press. Very intense.

Onset of Total Body CRPS 23 days ago

A few days later I am walking with my father and feel pain in my legs to the touch and weakness.
Then at night I experience numbness and tingling rising from my feet and hands upward and facial numbness.
Then seems better but when I walk one day pain gets worse the more I walk (in my legs).
Then sensations of pain in old injuries and joints.
Then heat sensations - electrical heat sensations in different areas of body and fingertips on left hand.
Then sensations of wet and burning.
Then sensations like a bug is crawling on me.
Then temperature not the same in one limb and the other- absorbs heat differently.
Then purple feet when placed on ground.
Then Take Cymbalta and Lyrica.
Then I accidentally hurt right leg slightly and pain travels up leg to right side of body and then over to left side. Copy cat pain developing in left leg.
Pain subsides, and then resurges on various days.
Try Ganglion Block on right side- don't feel much change except soreness at injection site and spreading area.
Night before last - feelings of numbness and paralysis and twitching muscles.


-----
Meanwhile pain at nape of neck fades and returns, always present. Cervical MRI normal. Brain MRI some white spots from migraines probably.


I am torn: I am scheduled for a ganglion block of left side Monday but I'm wondering if this is pointless with full body RSD. I had right side and didn't feel much change. I have appointment with Joshua Prager, MD in LA Wednesday and am scheduled to speak with Moskowitz Michael, MD again (he spoke with me before and seemed confident in blocks) Tuesday. I am tempted to just drive down to LA to see Prager asap. They had offered me Monday but I changed to Wednesday in order to do injection as normal and keep other appointments--- although they said Prager could do the injection if he deemed it needed.


Was this caused by too much stimulus on my scalp?
Or a pinched nerve at the nape of my neck (what I think).


Please help. I don't care what doctor where I just need to see people soon and for this issue money is not a problem.