I actually appreciate your humble opinion, Dubious. How in the world do I approach this with my Pain Doc??? Should I call him and ask him to give me sympathetic blocks instead?? He'll only do one side at a time with those blocks. I just want the PAIN to go away. I took a Vicodin earlier (which I NEVER do) that I can tell is wearing off and I am on FIRE. Oh.....this pain is the worst I've ever experienced since my RSD began. What should I do????

No, don't tell him his work. But I would approach him and nicely ask him what he objectively found by virtue of labs, clinical findings, MRI, etc., ask him where he thinks the pain generator is, what effect the procedure is hoped to have, specifically, and mechanically how that procedure will work. To order an epidural, there might be some other area he is targeting for some reason. Or perhaps he is going to do a catheterized epidural for continuous infusion; I have heard of that. You should ask him "why not a sympathetic block?" or "why an epidural instead of a sympathetic block?" Ask him if there are any other reasons that he has considered that might account for both soles hurting? I am not say that the epidural is unreasonable, just ask him explain how the block vs. the epidural work in YOUR condition!

Have you had an epidural before, for this exact pain? If so, did it work? It is not that either is unecessarily dangerous, just that you want the most relief as soon as possible!

mom
i am so sorry that your rsd is spreading. like you mine spread very fast it took 5 mths to be in both arms from shoulder down and both legs hips to toes. but at the time had no treatment . i really hope that the block works to you and hang in there any time you want to talk i am here

med question cymbalta is an antidepressent they put me on but due to my kidney problems i had to go off becuase it was causing me to have infections. the lyrica i was on for over two years and them it started messing with my blood pressure i liked tho it had very little side effects besides the BP thing.
the amitripaline i have taken when i first got a RSD doc and i broke out in hives . so i am not any help on that side

on to the blocks. like you mine wont do blocks for both sides at the same time either . i do lumbar blocks for the leg pain also this might helps also it depends on how they do the block and what meds your doc uses as every PM uses differnt techniques.

i hope that they can stop the spread or slow it down thats for i am so sorry that it is spreading. but like ali said keep moving no matter how much it hurts that is how i keep my limbs from freezing it is very hard and painful but if i stop useing them then they start to claw up

-carrie

Hi Carrie! Thanks for writing me back. WOW.....our RSD sounds SO similar. It astounds me how this disease can spread SO quickly. I, too, hope they can get control over it and just stop it from going any further. Less than a week ago, I noticed the color changes in my hands, a few days later, the prickling feeling, and now the BURNING on my palms. When I hold something lightly, it leaves marks that look like I have put my fingers or palms down on a hot skillet and have severe burns. How this can all happen while my hands feel COLD to the touch (although sometimes hot and sweaty) is a mystery.

I had maybe 5 lumbar sympathetic's 1 1/2 months ago that HAD to help. I was in NO WHERE the amount of pain I'm in now. The pain in my feet has slowly crept back since my last one.....I am so deeply sorry for every one of you who experiences this. This disease is just wretched. It is terrible waking up every day wondering how much worse it's going to get THAT day. I think I am developing allodynia behind my knees, too. Does anyone have it there??? It aches just to lay in bed and have it touch the sheets.

What breaks my heart is that I have finally gotten to the point where I cannot hide my pain from my kids anymore. I have tried before now to "grin and bear it" and I am beyond that now. They see their Mom barely able to walk. My 5 year old daughter was crying today saying, "I don't think you're ever going to get better, Mommy". She was afraid I would leave her if I got worse. I promised her that no matter how badly I ever hurt, that I would NEVER leave her or Daddy or brothers. It just grieves me so much that SHE has to deal with this. I am an adult.....she is just a little girl. SHE should not have to deal with MY pain. Uggggghhhhh......

So, thank you Carrie......I know you have little ones too and understand how I feel. I do and WILL keep moving for them....no matter HOW badly it hurts. I'm going to start my own PT here until I can afford to get professional PT's. It's just all......too much right now. Thanks again for writing me back!! You're such a sweetie and are SUCH a blessing to this forum!!!

Hi Dubious,
Thanks so much for writing. No, I've never had an epidural injection for this type of pain.....just a steroid epidural years ago for back pain that actually caused sciatica (also, I had an allergic reaction to the steroid. There were supposed to be a series of three injections and they quit after two). I will call the office tomorrow and see if I can ask the nurse or set up another appointment to see him before Monday to ask these questions. I never would have questioned it......I just want the pain to go away as quickly as possible. I can barely function as it is. I am SICK so far from the Cymbalta (just started this morning) and the pain pills. I certainly hope I adjust to the meds quickly (as I sit here munching on dry Cheerios....the only thing I can THINK of keeping down right now). Anyway, thanks so much for caring and writing me back. I'll keep you posted on what I find out!

Hi Mom,

I am so sorry that you are suffering so much both physically and emotionally.

I just wanted to share my daughter Sarah's experience with an epidural. She was diagnosed with RSD in her ankle within 10 days of a sprain. Soon after she was referred to a pediatric aniesthesiologist who immediately put her in the hospital for a week-long epidural. During the process she did not realize pain relief; but within a few days of coming home her ankle pain stopped. On her first day back at school, she tweaked her ankle and the pain returned. At that point her doc followed up with a spinal nerve block and the pain again resolved.

In retrospect, if we had it all to do over again, I would have been more concerned about all the meds she was given. She was prescribed many of the typical meds in addition to antibiotics for a staph infection she developed from the epidural. When I asked if it was o.k. to be taking so much, the reply I received was, "yes, if her stomach holds up." Sadly, it didn't ... and within a few months she was diagnosed with RSD in her stomach. I know that you are trying very hard to be cautious about medications, using them only when you absolutely need to. I wanted to share this as it was in fact too many meds that we should have been most concerned about.

I will keep you in my prayers.

Jeanne