Originally Posted by LIT LOVE

There are other opiate options other than Oxycodone, which could give you relief and don't have the media attention. With RSD it's generally considered a good idea to start with a time released option--not sure if you can get this or afford it, but it's the ideal. Something like Morphine Sulphate Extended Release even 1x day at a low dosage would probably be life changing (IF you feel you have to go down this road) and is a generic. Than you could use Morphine Sulphate Immediate Release for pain spikes a few twists a day, (AFTER you had been on the time released a few months) and this is again generic and fairly inexpensive.

Another option that has worked well for some with RSD is Methodone. This is not something to consider lightly...

I went years with only Lidoderm patches and very little else. It was life changing for me to get on a right combo of meds that help, but I still have very low function, and have very active RSD. There is certainly info out there suggesting once you start taking opiates it effects your brain negatively, making it more difficult to achieve remission. Pain medication will mask SOME of the issue, but don't expect to achieve be pain free. My goal with my mess is to not rise above level 4-5/10 very often. Much of the day I can achieve that, but I usually hit 7/8 any day I have to travel by car... Everybody's different, of course.

You want to (obviously) have the goal of remission. Many of the best options towards that goal are costly, but others aren't. Read through the stickies and spend time at the links posted there.

Originally Posted by catra121

It sounds like you are on a similar mix to the one I was put on soon after diagnosis with the exception that it doesn't sound like you are on an anti inflammatory and I also used the Lidoderm patches as needed. Oxycodone never helped my pain though...so I never took more than a week's worth of those because it just didn't touch my pain.

Lit Love is right that it can make all the difference in the world to just find the right combination of meds for YOU. It's also important to really take the time to figure out what activities flare up your RSD the worst and try alternate ways of doing things to see if that helps. For me, it makes a big difference to wear gloves on my hands whenever I am doing any activity where I may touch something cool or cold (even reaching into the fridge, touching door handles, etc). That's just one little thing of many that make a big difference in the big picture.

Keep searching for answers and the right treatment for YOU. Give treatments time to work but be aggressive in searching for things to make your life better. Good luck!