I was doing great. On Wednesday at PT I walked on a treadmill for 5 minutes, walked up and downstairs, balanced on foam while the PT tossed me a ball and I navigated the hospital corridors on crutches. I was so hopeful. About an hour later I was in agony and I have been hurting ever since.

I have no pain meds, other than neurontin, and I am trying my best to get through this, but I think I cannot do it without pain help.

Is a set back like this common? What do you recommend?

my dr prescribes neurontin and a pain med to numb the burning and stabbing pain from rsd. if i were you i would find a pm dr who knows how to treat rsd and see if he can also prescribe a pain med along eith the neurontin. i also take advil with the neurontin (gabapentin) to help with the muscle aches and imflammation from rsd. but check with your dr to make sure that's okay first. as for the pain your in after pt workout, it sounds like they may be over doing it with you. pt mentality is to push through the pain but with rsd you should really stop when it starts to hurt per my dr. when you overdue it rsd can sometimes flare up for a few days but then usually subsides. as least that how it is for me. i hope you find some relief soon. if i were you i would talk to my pt to let them know this and also let your dr know too. in the meantime you may want to try taking a warm epsom salt bath until you see your pm dr for pain meds to help calm the pain a little. sending healing thoughts your way.

First I am so sorry for your set back. I can't say it's common but it happened to me. I ended up in the er....

You definitely can have these setbacks, so sorry!

I take the same med in a extended release form (Gralise 300mg 2 tabs nightly), Bacofen 10mg 3 times daily, and have Tramadol 50mg as needed for severe pain.

The Tramadol truly does take care of my pain when I need it, with very few side effects. It is very effective for nerve type pain. Talk with your doctor about your symptoms. Pain like that can interfere with your continued PT as you'll be more wary of giving it your all if you have that level of pain to look forward to afterwards.

Best wishes to you, wonderful that you're getting PT, my doctor hasn't recommended it yet.

Hi BB,

I went through a lot of flaring like that in the early days, usually after doing too much or something too challenging. It was a barometer for how much I could do. I can't tell you how many times I had to pull back from exercise or PT and work on things more gradually. It usually took a few days to settle down.

Try not to get too discouraged, just come back at PT more gently the next time. Keep your flares minimal but respect that they are telling you when to stop.

I also had good relief with tramadol for nervy and deep gnawing pain. I took it only at night so I would rest better.

Hang in there!
sending gentle hugs,

I am experiencing breakthrough nerve pain in both feet and legs. It is like little lightening bolts!

I am too exhausted to put away my laundry. I was so proud that I managed to do 4 loads in one day and sort of tidy up my closet.

My stomach is screaming and unsettled. I had to take multiple ginger capsules to get through the day.

i hope you can get some rest and sleep tonite bio. i will be sending healing vibes and soft hugs your way.

Honestly sounds like you just overdid it Bio. Reading through your recent progress I was pretty amazed by your landmark improvements. Way to go! Don't forget to reward yourself!

When i over do something sometimes i know im going outside my comfort zone but am willing to suffer the consquences, other times i feel fine enough while im active but my body rebels later-- with zingers or lightening bolts into my feet when i finally rest. But dang, it gets sooo boring doing nothing. So be proud of yourself for tackling the laundry. Tomorrow when you feel better, you can put it away. If not then, move the baskets into the closet and shut the door. Drink some ginger tea, read a book. Dont worry about what you didnt do. Be glad for what you did.