[FROGLADY4662]

HAS ANYONE GOTTEN THEIR RSD FROM AN IV INFILTRATION?THAT'S HOW I GOT IT AND AM NOW SUEING THE HOSPITAL BUT HAVE HAD MANY OTHER COMPLICATIONS SINCE ALL RELATING BACK TO THE RSD OR THE MEDS I'M ON FOR IT..........I UNDERSTAND THAT GETTING IT FROM AN IV IS THE MOST PAINFUL FORM.......AS IF IT WAS NOT PAINFUL ENOUGH NO MATTER HOW YOU GET IT.........BECAUSE OF THE SUIT I'M ALSO HAVING A HARD TIME FINDING DOCS THAT WILL TREAT ME( THEY DON'T WANT TO GET INVOLVED I GUESS)..........THANKS FOR ANY RESPONSE

FROGLADY4662@aol.com
FLORIDA

[debbiehub]

I do know someone who got it from a blood draw- Your not alone....if that helps

Debbie

[Sydney]

Yes, I too got Rsd in my right hand, wrist and arm from an IVpush. Nurse knew nothing about RSD. She should never have put the IV in my hand. The DR. said you should stay away from hands and feet of rSD patients. Unfortunately, he didn't inform her of my condition. Within minutes I was in pain and it continued to get worse. Now I have constant pain in this limb and it affects typing, driving, etc.
I have had multiple medical conditions caused by DR.s However, I have never sued and never will - too many repercusions as you will find out. In fact all of my RSD and FM are caused by Dr. procedures.
I too am scared of blood draws as I have severe allodynia and hyperalgesia. Just anything invasive and non invasive is scarey.
Best of luck to you. Sorry this happened to you. Beware of needles in hands and feet if you have rsd - especially an IV push.
Sydney

[allentgamer]

But did get hurt by a doctor oops. It has made getting treated by any doctor almost impossible. I hope you are able to get something for all your troubles besides a hard time.

I wish I would have been able to get something, it would have made all this trouble, and life changing pain a little more easier to take. I think the worst thing they are doing to me currently is not helping me with SSDI.

It is very hard to get social security when the docs are trying to protect one of their peers. I thought I might have to move out of state just to get fair treatment

Im not sure if getting it from an IV or needle is the most painful way to get it. Try having them block the bloodflow to your whole leg for a week, talk about pain! All the muscles and nerves, soft tissue dying on you, and then have them tell you they might have to take the leg

Im still not sure if having the leg is better, or if they should have cut it off
You can read my story on my website, the link is in my sig.

I wish you luck, and stay strong, keep up the good fight!

[Cake]

My rsd started from a blood test 6 years ago. We tried to sue but came up against the same things I'm sure you're coming up against- no dr's want to get involved as they have to deal with the blood collection company and they're all in each others pockets. We settled out of court but the lawyers took most of the money. It was a total waste of time and effort. Although I did recently read of a person in the US who had the same thing happen and they sued and got millions, so maybe google that and see if there are any parts that could help you in your case.

I was very scared of needles afterwards, and had to have psychological help to be able to have more blood tests. I've had to have a lot of iv's too, as I had three ketamine infusions, (they move the needle every 2-3 days of the 7 day procedure, plus give you two bloodtests that week) plus two childbirths since my rsd started, so I haven't been able to avoid them. But now I get local before I have an iv go in (as they often have to dig around a bit as those veins are shot), and they only use my left arm, there's no way I even let them put the blood pressure cuff on my rsd arm.

I wish you luck in finding a pain specialist who will treat you, and that you get some pain relief. Good luck in your lawsuit.

x Kate

[HeatherAnne]

I didn't get RSD from an IV... BUT having to do with the wonderful and mysterious world of nerves... I had a treatment about 3 years ago that required an IV. I was treated at a teaching hospital so the doctor asked if it was ok if med students were about to start my IV and of course i had no problem because being stuck with needles was the least of my worries. But due to their lack of aim they hit nerves in both of my hands leaving 3 fingers on each hand numb to touch. I can still move them but i have no sensory feeling in them. I have just started getting tingling in my fingers for the past few weeks though so maybe thats the sign of recovery on my fingers at least.

[Annie Poo]

Hi Froglady,

Sorry to hear about your injury. Mine is from a venipuncture injury as well, but happened while I was donating blood almost two years ago. The (inexperienced) nurse was in a hurry and took out the sensory branch of my radial nerve in my right forearm. The initial symptoms never went away, worsened significantly ~6 months after the injury, then spread up the arm and to my neck and right half of my head. Symptoms are primarily in forearm and upper arm/shoulder.

I've also read that venipuncture RSD/CRPS injuries can be among the most painful and long-lasting. I think it's because the nerve takes such a direct hit.

I fortunately haven't had the experience of Dr's not wanting to treat me. I think it's because the injury happened at a blood donation center, not at any facility associated with my HMO, so I would guess that everyone treating me feels a bit insulated from the legal issues. I have a good lawyer, and will file an insurance claim (or lawsuit, if necessary) when we have more of an idea what the long-term consequences will be for me, probably within then next 6 months. He tells me I have a very good case, mostly due to the circumstances (i.e. obvious negligence) surrounding the injury, total lack of followup & documentation on the part of the blood donation center, and my very detailed records from day one. My symptoms spread last winter, and appear to be getting worse (although it's hard to tell, because as we all know, symptoms change all of the time). It's soooooo frustrating that I don't know what will happen in the future with this.

I'm probably going to be having surgery (hysterectomy) this spring for an unrelated problem. Based on what I've been reading in this forum, I plan on writing "NO IV THIS ARM" all over my right arm before going into the hospital. The thought of a needle in my injured arm makes me very anxious.

I hope you find a good Dr. that will treat you. I also wish you well in your lawsuit. I'm the LAST person I ever thought would every file a lawsuit (sometimes I'm too darn nice about everything), especially against a nationally known blood donation organization,no less. However, as I'm sure you're feeling, I'm so angry about what this has done to my life, that I want some sense of justice.

Anyway, I'm blabbing on. Please let us know how you are doing.

Annie

[jeisea]

Hi all again.
I believe you can prevent further problems with crps from blood tests etc if you follow the guide lines for trauma or surgery by Professor Reuben in the US. For blood tests or other injections I think that the princilap of stopping the brain feeling pain applies. I think that means that you get them to put on the cream that deadens the area etc before insertion of a needle. There's also heaps of research on Vitamin C for preventing crps from trauma. The recommendation is now 1 gram (1000mg)/ day for 50 days or as long as there is pain. After a blue bottle sting recently I took 500mg twice a day and continue to do so. I treated the sting by using mirror therapy looking at the mirror image of my good leg. Vitamin C was used in research apparently because it is the antioxidant which demolishes free radicles which cause inflamation. CRPS is an inflamatory response I believe. Take care all of you.
jeisea

[emilys gramma]

froglady, welcome to the forum....altho i am deathly afraid of frogs, i won't hold that against ya....lafffff

i don't know of getting rsd from an iv, altho i have heard of getting it from a needle....i got mine from surgery on my right ankle.....
my husband also has it, he got it from rotator cuff surgery....so if ya think one person having it is tough, try two of ya......at least we still have our sense of humors, to get through the days.........and at least we can totally understand how each other feels...........

again, welcome........

[Cake]

Annie- you're suggestion of making it VERY obvious that they don't use your rsd arm during your upcoming surgery is a good one. My husband and I made sure that everyone involved with me when I had my c/section for Hannah 6 months ago, knew that they couldn't touch my right arm. I even had a printout put in my medical folder there, saying what RSD is, what meds I'm on and what they can/can't do. I told them that they didn't have to understand the reasons, they just had to accept that this is how it is and under no circumstances can they touch my right arm. I had it written on the board above my bed too (where it says "nil by mouth" etc) and that they can't even do a blood pressure cuff on that arm, let alone a needle.

Now when I have blood tests on my "good" arm, I do have the elma cream applied about 45minutes beforehand. Some people think I'm weird, but I know it helps deaden the pain signals and numb the area so its worth doing. I would be devastated if this spread to my left arm too, and really feel for those of you with rsd affecting both arms- I rely on my left arm and hand for so much.

x Kate