I just received a call from a university wanting me to participate in a study this summer which is looking at the effects of diet (and I think supplements) on RSD pain. Has anyone ever found relief from any dietary adjustments? I can't imagine what this would involve. Could things such as caffeine or red meat affect pain levels? Heck, I would drink wheatgrass every day if I thought it might help with the pain!

Does nyone have any exerience or information on this?

I know that Dr. Hooshmand says The 4 F's are mandatory:

Fish
Fowl
Fresh Vegetables
Fruit


No Caffeine

http://www.rsdrx.com/four_f's_diet.htm

Wow.. Thats kool.. I'd go for it!

I think what we put in our bodys is very important, and I know some foods seem to almost make me more anxious.. like pumping up the sympathetic nervous system somehow the pain increases too. Likewise what we put into our bodys can decrease pain, antioxadents can decrease the inflamitory componant of RSD and lessen the pain, it seems to calm many of the symptoms down for me.

Do you know that they have found that vitimin C an antioxadent can stop RSD from happening if given after a break? It's the antioxadent property that speeds healing by targeting excess free radical scavengers (inflamation).
So many foods have the antioxadents our bodys can lack.

I would jump at a chance to be in a study like that.. non invasive and it will probibly help alot.I am one who finds cafine raises my pain levels. Antioxadents seem to lower them a bit but more so it staves back the effects and symptoms of RSD.. tones them down somehow, I eat alot of very dark vegies, drink Roibos (red bush) tea, and white tea, both these teas are higher in antioxadents than green tea.

I would be VERY interested in this study and its results.
And welcome CB.

Sandra

If you don't mind my asking which university is it?

Diet seems critical to me but everything keeps changing.

Certainly balance is good and it seems that greens are good, beyond that what seems forbidden at one time is almost necessary at another.

I have read that caffeine is a no-no with RSD. And so is added sugar (other than what's in your fruit naturally). Fresh is good. I actually had put myself for three months on a Dr. Lorraine Day diet after listening to her tell her story about how diet helped cure her cancer. I figured, if diet can help the body rid itself of cancer, why should it not aid in curing other things--and she was into barley greens along with lots of fresh squeezed carrot juice, no red meat. Also, her diet extended into life, including 1/2 hour outdoors every day, trying to do something nice for someone else every day--this is all I remember right now. I did end up losing 9 pounds from eating so healthy, but the progress was so slow it was hard to tell if it was helping. None of it hurt though--I didn't get worse from it. Every little bit helps...would love to know the results of the study.

I can't believe doc hoosh is still being cited, he ran a cash-up-front RSD business in which people had to pay thousands of dollars before he would see them, and, of course, he never cured anyone...his "Puzzles" jump from on topic to another so quickly that it's impossible to figure out what he actually said, and the only reason he refused to prescribe opiates to RSD patients was that he lost his DEA license...the guy is a fake.

Now, about diet: I developed RSD in 1995, and since then I have eaten foods from his "Avoid" list every day. I always have four different types of chocolate nearby; one of my favorite foods is home-made rolls and butter; I eat fried foods at least 5 times per week, and my only fluids are coffee and club soda (I haven't drunk plain water in years).

How has this affected my RSD pain? From 1996 until 2002, my feet burned constantly, relieved only by large doses of Neurontin and then Lamictal, and my allodynia was so severe I could only wear lamb-wool lined slippers (and only when I had to go outside). Since 2002, the burning pain subsided to the point where it is now completely gone...so is the allodynia. My feet don't burn and during a recent ice-storm they were covered by a doubled sheet and three blankets.

I am still hypersensitive to cold: If the room temp drops to 68 degrees, I suffer frostbite-like pain, so I'm certainly not in any kind of remission. The last time I bumped my toe, it felt like I hit it with a hammer (I almost felt I would pass out). and they still turn purple whenever they are dependent for more than ten minutes.

RSD is miserable enough, and I see no reason to make my life less happy by not eating stuff I like. I hope readers will listen to their bodies instead of the "experts": If you eat it and notice extra pain, don't eat it; if you miss eating it, try again and see if you still feel extra pain.

There is absolutely no evidence that food affects RSD pain; there isn't even a "threory" describing how food can affect our pain: Only doc Hoosh, and a few other "experts" say it, and they never explain how.

If food makes you feel better -- and if weight isn't a major issue in your life -- don't make your life even less comfortable just because a convicted fraud says you should...Vic

Sandel, the study will be held in Chicago but I need to verify the caller said it was through a university. I am not certain what group is sponsoring this study, but it is in connection to the Rehabilitation Institue of Chicago. I will find out more next week when I get a second call-back. I think they want to do some preliminary screening. Then you go to Chicago for the day for blood testing and assessment. Then if you are selected to participate, the rep said the study would begin this summer and involves nutrition with a control group and a test group. I don't know how long it will take but he said the results will be published.

I was hesistant to participate because I am terrified to have my blood drawn for fear of a spread. This caller said he would verify the technique used with the phebotomist before he called back. I would like to participate, but it will require a lot of windshield time on my part and driving is so difficult with CRPS in my left arm.

I apologize, but the initial posting may be long. I live in Florida, but in 2001 went to Missouri to attend my son's graduation from Army Basic Training. While there, and asleep, I was bit on the neck by a brown recluse spider (yes we did see it). Up to this point I was healthy, worked out every other day and had a career. Instead of the venom attacking my skin, it attacked my sympathetic nervous system. From this I developed RSD first, then CPS, then several years later fibromyalgia, followed by RLS. During this time I also had back surgery due to an injury, have really bad headaches, horrible leg cramps (mostly at night), and put on 75-100 pounds from the medication. Oh and I went through menopause during all this too. My RSD went from one part of my body, to full body. You could draw a line down the middle of me and my left side is more severe than my right side.

I sympathize with the stub toe. When that happens to me I come very close to passing out. And we won't even talk about paper cuts. I really want to lose weight, but am not sure how to do it since exercising is an excruciating proposition for me. I did put in a pool. I never knew you could get out of a pool and be sweating.

Ok...enough. If anyone has any ideas or suggestions...