So, the spots wear I place my Clonidine patches seem to be turning bright red when I'm flared even a few weeks after removal, in an exact rectangle matching placement. I do rotate locations, but they're all along the nerve line of my worst effected area. This seems to be a new problem after over a few years of wearing them.

Anyone else? I'm almost thinking it's less a reaction to the med, and more the patch itself. I don't wear clothing that ever touches that area.

I spray the area with benedryl let it dry before putting on patch. I have a problem with adhesive. When I don't use it occasionally the area will turn bright red and bumpy.

I always get the red marks where the patch was and they stay with me for about 3-4 weeks before they fade. After a week or two they are ONLY visible when I have a flare or after I take a hot bath (which is every day). Don't know what that's all about...but for me it's been that way since I started wearing them. I also rotate them and don't have them in the same spot ever. I actually usually place them AFTER a hot bath so I can make sure they're not in a spot they've been before...

I have experienced this with the clonidine patches and do know of one other person that had this problem. It is a reaction to the type of adhesive or something with the patch because I was able to take the medicine orally. But like you, got a red rash that irritated my RSD worse so I stopped the patch. I have heard of others using cortisone cream or benadryl in the affected area and then never putting the patch in the exact same spot each time. Thats weird though that you never had this problem until after a year. It happened to me right away.

You're right, it also happens after getting it wet.

I'll try this with my next application.

Can I ask how it made your RSD worse? I am noticing more redness, more frequently, spreading up my arm in general and on the mirroring arm as well. I've been having lots of issues the past few months due to WC delaying my meds...as a result I'm back to unchartered territory some of the time again. I remember having redness if I wasn't careful when I first started wearing them, but now I'll just notice the red rectangle/s pop up unexpectedly, and then disappear later on.

Well first of all, just the fact of having the patch on my rsd affected area bothered me due to the extreme sensitivity. The rash really exacerbated it just being on top of my worst rsd areas and then when I had it off, clothing would rub against the rash increasing the rash and making the sensitivity more painful. I don't think they are harmful the red rectangles but it's just a matter of whether it helps the big picture of your rsd and if it is tolerable for you. when I stopped the patch, the rectangles went away and my rsd returned to its normal level of sensitivity.

It's kind of a chicken or the egg question at this point for me. Is the redness in the surrounding area due to irritation by the patch, or is the increase causing the patch reaction? Hopefully the benadryl spray will help.