Dx in 2009 w/ Rsd in foot. Had skin purple color mottling, pins and needles and extreme freezing cold feelings w/ skin sensitivity to touch. Had 3 sympathetic lumbar blocks. Am in remission but if ankle is in certain positions, brings on freezing cold feeling mostly.

Pain Mgmt Dr said Rsd feels like a sock or glove instead of a straight line.

Now, I have same cold pins and needles in hands, burning wrists and elbows and forearms w/motling skin on the inner sections of the underside of both forearms ithat divides my arms in a line going halfway lengthwise. Skin is sensitive with pain from fingers to armpits especially when lying down on my side.

Neuro dx carpal tunnel both wrists last year. Did cortisone/lidocaine shots and hot laser which did not work and steroid pill packet plus additional week 2/day steroid pills which helped some. In fact, cortisone shot caused same symptoms motling, cold and pins and needles in hand on side with thumb, index and middle finger only. Which went away.

Pain feels very much like when my foot gets cold. I have been in remission with foot and do not have the skin motling but if ankle is in wrong position, it aggrevates the nerve and I get the cold pins and needles.

Now, Neuro wants to send to Rheumy for possible autoimmune due to inflamation. I do also have MS.

I am worried about spread but my PM said Rsd is entire limb, not in a line but my body is responding to the pain in a similar way.

Any thoughts if this is just nerve entrapment. It really started in wrists and now carpal in elbows and now starting in one shoulder. All the joints have snapping going on like they come out of place and snap over the bones.

Thx.

Mine is in a line. Well th worst of it is..ot explained why he thought this was happening today as I was trying to get him to say the other drs were wrong about crps lol. He said the swelling and muscle retraction (or whatever that causes claw hand when relaxed) is aggravating the nerves to the area of ouch.
I have oa all over and had it in the area i now have crps. Like you the cortisone injections didn't help and made it worse. But it would never hurt to look into ra or entrapment! I had the ra tests done before being sent to the hand specialist. Didn't have it.
I don't know what I wish it was. Lol I keep trying to wish someone would just say oh its carpol tunnel let's fix it. But my Jedi force isn't strong enough
I hope you can get some answers

Thank u 4 responding Jennijojo. I appreciate it. Hugs back and good luck.

hi and Welcome,

I am so glad to hear the blocks put you in remission. Wow! what a blessing!

So I am going to go out on a limb here and say the ankle thing does not sound like CRPS to me. If you only have symptoms when the ankle is in a certain position that is just screaming nerve or musculoskeletal impingement issue.

cortisone injections with lidocaine can cause coolness and mottling so that doesn't sound too alarming.

With the bone popping, etc they should absolutely check out all possibilities. You don't want to throw all symptoms into the CRPS basket and miss something that needs to be treated. Bloodwork for RA should not be a problem to get run. If it is order it privately. Healthcheck and Private MD Labs can do it for under 200. Since CRPS is a diagnosis of exclusion don't sell yourself short.

I hope you find answers and relief soon! Sending Healing Love, Littlepaw