So I had my first block today (ganglion).... My god 4 hours of pain relife what a good day... Now I am a bit depressed as the pain is back and it is MAD! I just wish i could squezzed a day out of it.... I have to ask.. DO BLOCKS CAUSE RSD TO SPEARD? I have heard it does and i have to get this question anwsered... I prolly wont do it again unless the can promise me more time then that!

I am so upset i felt good for just a little while.. I guess i must be thankful for the few hours i was able to walk with out swelling and drive in a car with out pain!

Hope you all are having a good day! pain free hugs!!!

Hello, there,
What good news that you got some relief from the stellate ganglion block, that looks good for the future and even though the relief did not last long this time does not mean that next time it will be the same.
The best use of these blocks is to have a series of them so I hope your doctor will follow up with more in the near future.
As for the blocks causing spread I have never had spread from a block and do not know anyone who has had spread from a block----I think that they would not be so frequently and happily used if that was indeed a valid side effect.
Good luck for the future
Tayla

I too had limited success with all the various types of blocks that have been done. They never lasted long at all, and the pain was much harder to deal with after even a few short hours of being pain-free... I found the blocks to be heart-breaking, and quit getting them.

The worst issue I had was with a sympathetic nerve block. (This was in the early 90's, god knows if they are still called the same name, lol) The dr. was sooo proud of himself, it seems they rarely hit the nerve root. Well, I wasn't nearly so happy as he was. It has been 12 years since that block was done, and the big toe on my left foot (not the rsd foot at the time, it was before any spread!) hasn't quit twitching yet!

I've never heard of getting blocks causing spread either. Invasive procedures such as surgery, is where the greatest chance of spreading come from, besides just the normal progression of the RSD itself.

I have read some papers here and there that say getting an excessive amount of blocks can cause damage to the nerves in that area as well as causing scar tissue to build up. That of course is a bad thing and the reason why many doctors won't give more than 6 blocks in a series. Some will only do 4. It's really an individual doc thing. Blocks can, in some people, really help but it takes more than one. Most docs will give a series of blocks, either one or 2 in a week or 1 then follow up with the next one within 2 weeks. It sometimes becomes more effective, giving longer relief with each block. The reason the pain seems so much worse after the effects of the block wear off is because your body has felt no pain for the 1st time in X amount of weeks and months. It's become used to feeling pain and you build up a resistance, so to speak, to feeling a certain level of pain all the time. All of a sudden it's gone, but when it returns the pain you feel seems twice as bad because your body now has to "get used to" the pain all over again. Hope that makes sense.

Also from what I've read up on if your pain has gone independent the blocks usually give no relief from pain at all though it may help swelling and increase temp in the affected limb. The time if takes for it to go from sympathetically maintained to independent varies with each person just like our symptoms do. My experience with the 1 block I had was absolutely terrifying. My skin temp and color of the one leg was normal for a few hours but my pain level was sky high and stayed that way for 2 months!! It was truly the worst experience ever for me. The block was given over a year after RSD started for me and was already full body at that point as well.

Rogue, when you had that block done, did they use flouroscopy? I'm not sure when they actually began to use it all the time, but the reason it's used now when giving a block is to make sure they put the needle exactly where it's supposed to be. There is a greater chance of hitting a nerve or nerves that shouldn't be hit without it. From what you say, it sounds like that's what may have happened in your case. I can't think of any other reason why you'd have a bit of your body twitch and not stop all these years. *Hugs* Sorry you had to have it done to you by a doc who obviously didn't know what the heck he was doing!

Karen

It's been almost 4 years since I've had SGBs but from what I remember, if you get some relief it's a good indication. I never read anything that said blocks caused spreading but then again, it was years ago that I did research on the subject. I had 10 blocks within 3 or 4 weeks.
I don't know if they ultimately helped or not but I got some great short term relief on some of them. I hope they help you.
Linmarie

Galeena, I'm not sure if they used flouroscopy or not. They certainly used some machine to see what they were doing, I just didn't ask the name, lol.

According to the Dr., he hit exactly what he was aiming for! He was trying to hit the root of the sympathetic nerve chain... which he did, dangit.

Wildberry...as many blocks as I had, I didn't get any spread from them either. Maybe, like me, your Dr. hit something he shouldn't have, setting off a nerve bundle. With any luck at all, it will die down in time. I'll keep my fingers crossed for you!

Then it sounds like they used it. LOL Not unusual for us to not know the name of it all when we're too dang worried about what they're doing in the first place! LOL

Karen

I am in the worse flare of my life... Say the PM today and he didnt even want to touch me... My face has been affected only one i have big flare ups and boy is the RSD hitting my face right now.. cant even chew or sleep with a pillow because the pain is so bad!!!

Thank you all again for your contiuned support!!

Pain free hugs!!

Aww, Jac... I know just what you are going through! Poor girlie... RSD in the mouth/ face... it's rough! ((hugs))!!!!

Yes, any little thing *can* potentially spread RSD. I ran (when my RSD was just in my arms) and RSD spread to my legs... it's like that sometimes.


Make sure you do eat, even though it hurts so bad! I found that sometimes mint/ menthol helped the pain, and I have gotten so desperate that I've just used oragel!!

Make sure to keep the jaw moving... it might lock on you, unfortunately. With muscle spasms there my jaw locks all the way there. I am on Baclofen and that has helped my spasms and tremors dramatically. Are you on a muscle relaxant?

Gum is a great jaw PT exercise. I use that to help keep my jaw moving. The hard thing is the jaw pain and teeth pain caused by it. Also, you might find that you get headaches from it?? I already got headaches but they did worsen with the RSD in my face/ mouth (entire head actually along with my throat).

(((PAIN FREE HUGS))). Hang in there! Keep me updated... email if you want- I sure hope this helped. I hope you find relief somewhere soon.










ETA: I found that Neurontin and Lyrica gave me the most relief from the allodynia in my throat and mouth, as well as face. Are you on either??

I suppose i do need to keep the mouth going... Its easy to say that about my arm but with my mouth and face it just makes me wanna curl up in a ball... I will start using the gum.... I hate RSD! BOOO!

Thank you all again