Wow, so just when I think I have a grasp on my symptoms, I do not.

[a little history to get to my point] RSD started in right lower limb after discectomy L5 S1 (2004), eventually it moved to the left limb, followed by moving into my arms, hands and everywhere else you can think of. I also have felt signs of internal involvement as the lightning strikes inside places in my torso randomly too. So I know it’s everywhere.

For many months now I have been dealing with tummy issues. I have felt like I have had an issue with my gallbladder. Even had an ultrasound of my intestines / gallbladder and they tell me the gallbladder and all looks fine. But I continue to have bad indigestion, and lots of burping (sexy huh?), etc. So I have been taking antacids as needed and trying to eat well.

Now to my point. The strangest thing happened the other night. My tummy was not right, and I had eaten some soup and crackers. I felt like my digestive system had stopped after I ate and all the food was just sitting at my throat. I laid down. My RSD started a rampage. I began tremors like I wasn’t even on meds. My clothes were uncomfortable, my everything was uncomfortable. I was exhausted. My ears ringing so loud and yet I was trying to just sleep, when then I’m like “oh crap, I’m going to puke”, and so I did. The minute I was finished with this gross and violent act, it was amazing, ALL my rsd symptoms calmed WAY down. It’s like the nervous system KNEW I needed to get rid of whatever was inside me, and the closer it got to doing just that, the more severe my RSD was. This doesn’t sound like much, but I assure you it was the WILDEST (and most painful) thing ever.

The next morning and throughout the day I had bouts of diarrhea, extreme fatigue, but no more vomiting (thank God). For a moment I thought, maybe it was food poisoning or some sort of virus, but now I’m back to indigestion issues, and I am convinced one has something to do with the other.

My rsd has been seriously progressing for months now. All the joints on my right side (shoulder, hip, knee, ankle) are (what I feel) being attacked by rsd. My pain levels are increasing and it’s trying to immobilize me, and some days it succeeds.

So I am thinking maybe the rsd is causing this indigestion problem? Is it causing problems with my digestive system that I just can’t see?

On another note, in recent weeks, I have had a spot… one spot, about the size of a hand, in the lower left side shoulder blade that is like a “spot” of rsd that tingles, and gets numb, and worsens with rsd flares.

I know, without a doubt that I have full body rsd with some internal involvement; with the worst of my symptoms from the waist down.

The only med I take daily, like clockwork, is gabapentin. I take other drugs PRN.

Thoughts? Suggestions?? Thanks in advance!

I know when my body is bringing on a super bad flair or if im in a flair, I cant eat. Because it makes me terribly sick. And so yeah if i try to vomit, its almost like its giving me "relief" but i think its because its just the pain is so bad that it causes you to get sick and of course you feel more relieved if you vomit. Do you think because your pain is higher its causing your stomich and what not to bother you? exspecially since you are on no meds. Or yeah of course the RSD can spread, have you talked to your dr about that?

I'm no doctor and have never experienced the symptoms you are talking about; however, the vomiting and diareah (sp?) sound very familiar.


HOPEFULLY IT'S ONLY A BUG!!!!

Have you had a colonoscopy? I'm not asking to frighten you but back in august while my mother was preparing for hers she vomited up all pf the the liquid and what passed through was diahreah. They did a CT scan first and a blockage. Then a colonoscopy revealed a tumor--- cancer. They got it all, no chemo or radiation needed.

Like I said before...I'm not a doctor but you may want to think about it.

I'll be thinking about you and praying it's only a bug!!!!

Gentle hugs!
Abbie

Thanks for the response. I know what you’re saying about pain levels being so high you feel nauseous , but that wasn’t it. This was really bizarre. The way it came on I thought it was maybe food poisoning or something. I wasn’t terribly nauseous until just before I got sick and afterwards I didn’t feel anymore nauseousness. So I know it wasn’t food. I don’t feel like I have a virus or anything. Just strange! I do have continued digestion issues in that I have acid that I am dealing with.
No I haven’t yet talked to a doc about this, other than when I had the ultrasound to rule out gallbladder.

Thanks Abbie! I will be mindful of what you have said. I am trying to see if a change in diet will help. My rsd has been really bad lately and I just couldn’t help but wonder if it wasn’t internal rsd perhaps in my stomach or intestines or something. I try not to jump to an rsd conclusion, but it’s all been so weird that I have started to lean in that direction. I have not had a colonoscopy.

Ps.. no worries, I don’t freak out too easily. And if this keeps up, I will have to bit the bullet and start to pursue further with a doc.

Thanks again and your prayers are appreciated!

I have RSd that affects my stomach, along with gastoritis. I get severe pain like someone is squeezing my stomach. They have detected issues with my gullbladder before with sludge going through it. My pain gets so bad that even my shirt touching my stomach hurts. I get horrible spasms and my digestion is very slow it takes my stomach nearly 3 days to digest the food I had eaten that day so it just gets backed up.

The meds I get for them is
Prilosec for the heart burn
Reglan for nausea
dycolosiclomine( not sure of the spelling) for the spasms

I have to eat very soft and easy to digest food and eat small meals every so often instead of a few big meals.

Sam

I dealt with this for years. Several random episodes per month. Rantindine (sp?) helped. It was very unpredictable and happened several times per month. There were periods where the only thing that didn't hurt to eat was ice cream. Ugh. Sparkling water also helped calm my tummy.

I've found that once I got serious about the 4 F's, while following a Paleo food plan, the issue resolved itself. It's been 2 years now since I've had this issue. If I start feeling like I'm getting the "flu" (and it's not flu, but very close) I get very strict with my diet (Paleo style, not regular dieting) and I can always head it off. Maybe I have gluten intolerance and the RSD exacerbates it, I dunno. It's worth checking out if food choices make a difference if this becomes an ongoing issue. With the holidays you probably were eating differently than normal.

And yes, it hurt for fabric to touch my stomach area as Alaska posted above. It felt like wearing skin tight jeans for 12 hours. Like my insides were bruised. And not just after vomiting, it went on for days or weeks at times. Then I'd feel fine, have no warning, and start throwing up again.

Thank you Sam! I am trying to give the small frequent soft easy to digest foods a go. Man that's hard for me, but trying nonetheless. Yeah I'm almost sure I am going to need some sort of meds to help me out. Thanks again!

Thank you Lit Love! Oh yes, a change in diet definitely makes a difference and yes, I am guilty of not eating the way I should. However, this is going to force me to make new choices in what I put in my mouth. After I was Dx with rsd I gave up on dieting and if I wanted a cookie…. I had a cookie, or whatever else. Any reasonable person KNOWS this is not good for you. I think the depression was severe and I was feeding more than my appetite. So guess what my New Years resolution is?? You guessed it! Yes, get my diet in order and start to try and eat more healthy. I think my body is screaming for me to do just that.

Please check out MarksDailyApple.com

It made my journey so much easier and completely changed my concept about what's healthy to eat and what's not.