I guess mine was pretty "mild" at first. It stood my life on its ear but I didn't know that it was caused by my sore hand. The pain in the hand really wasn't that bad and I even used it at first but then I learned that usage would cause it to hurt the next day or the day after. So I started using it less. The pain wasn't high level but it was an awful pain that came with a sense of dread and pessimism. It was a persistent pain that I would avoid at all costs so I quit using it much. Since I was still doing a job that was considered extremely physical they wouldn't diagnose it or even tell me what it was. Of course it got worse but then I got off the medication and satarted making a little headway. I was using the hand again but favoring slightly. I suppose this was a partial remission though I was still pretty bad really.

But then I twisted my ankle and it was sharply downhill. It wasn't long before my mental condition deteriorated. I've achieved a sort of stability now with the drug regimen and avoiding all the stressors which are numerous. I feel more fragile than glass but have the pain under a some control. My life has shrunk to a few square miles which I can navigate in the mornings when symptoms tend to be much milder.

I'm way beyond feeling sorry for myself but can't imagine this being any worse whatsoever. But my heart goes out to so many here who seem to have it so much worse.

One wonders if this isn't apples and oranges; there are just different ways this manifests or maybe we're dealing with more than a couple different disease processes here.

Interesting post.....
I echo what everyone else has said about "how everyone is different. " Not everyone will have the same symptoms.
Also, mild/moderate/severe are somewhat subjective terms--- in other words, each person percieves things differently.

I have it in my stomache (confirmed) and (probably) in both legs as well.

With the RSD/CRPS in my stomache (a complication of abdominal surgery), other than redness, I never had color changes. What I did have was a feeling of "hot" , deep down itching, nerve pain (I have allodynia, so even before CRPS, I was familiar with how nerve pain felt) and burning. Because of the nerve pain feelings, during one of my neuro visit (for other neuro problems) I asked if there were any nerves running near my inscion site. It was almost as if a light bulb went off in his head--- especially after he asked me what me and my GYN (it was pelvic surgery) had tried. I had no clue, and he didn't really mention it in detail to me at the time other than a "hmmm and we can try Botox if another lidocaine injection from your Gyn doesn't help"...... It flares for seemingly no rhyme or reason. Diagnosed about 4 months after my surgery. Unfortunatly it seems to be getting worse....

My legs, on the other hand, are different. The suspected cause of that is the fact that I have broken both feet/ankles--- twice ( I was a gymnast from the age of 3 till 23--- 3 of my breaks were at least partially gymnastics related, at ages 10, 13, 14 and pathologic break at age 24-- unrelated to gymnastic) and countless broken toes, strains, and sprains. Some of the symptoms are the same, but, unlike my stomache, I do have color changes and it is much worse in the summer vs winter. However, I don't tend to have the deep down itchy-ness in my legs. Just recently suspected to be CRPS--- was, by previous drs, just thought to be part of my allodynia or muscle strain or plantar fasciites, etc by well meaning, but not so informed drs, after at least 7 yrs of dealing with it.

My treatments: for my stomache, after several unsucessful lidiocaine injections from my GYN, my neuro wanted to try Botox--- and I agreed (despite severe tactile defensiveness from sensory processing disorder). I was living overseas at the time, didn't have a car to take me from place to place--- so I walked everywhere, and was desperate for anything that might help and allow me to function with less pain. Thankfully, while it hasn't gotten rid of the pain, has been somewhat helpful. He also increased my dosage of Neurontin, which I was already on for Epilepsy and allodynia. For my legs--- I use a TENS unit (which I got before the CRPS was suspected) when I tolerate it, which helps some, and Neurontin does a bit too. I am also on Elavil for allodynia, which helps the leg CRPS (not my stomache), but doesn't do anything for my stomache.

As for the meds, I've been on anti convulsants-- (both for my epilepsy and nerve pain and CRPS) for 16 years. Understand that ANY of them take time to work and build up in your body, unlike a regular pain med. They also come with their own unique set of side effects, that typically fade in time (depends on the med though). I've been on Neurontin, which is similiar to Lyrica ( i did try Lyrica for a bit, but I had a parodoxical reaction to it and it made my seizures worse),-- at various doses, about 3 yrs now. The upside-- the higher the dose, the more it helps. The downside--puffiness (i didn't gain much weight, but i craved salty foods), and for me, cognitive effects. I am on a moderate dose right now to try to deal with a flare and spreading with my stomach and ward off flares in my legs--- hopefully my new neuro will have some more suggestions. In any case, one week is not enough time to give the Lyrica to work or to figure out if the side effects are going to fade in time, so don't rush to judgement based on one week (heck, it took me several weeks to even titrate onto Neurontin and dosage adjustments are made gradually, ditto that when I tried Lyrica as well....)

Keep asking your doctors questions. Keep seeking asnwers and don't hesitate to get 2nd or 3rd opinions or switch drs if your not confident in yours.

Good Luck and Hang in there.

L2L

Mine is CRPS type II due to venipuncture nerve injury four years ago. Onset was immediate, and has spread to entire right side of my body and slowly worsened.

However, it is generally kept in check enough with meds, biofeedback relaxation stuff, range-of-motion exercises, etc., so that I can work OK most of the time. My job performance is affected, but I'm able to live a fairly normal life and most of my coping mechanisms work well most of the time. Sleep is better than it used to, particularly with the addition of Cymbalta (60 mg/day) to the gabapentin (1800 mg/day) I was already taking. I feel extremely fortunate that I do not have a more severe case like many on this forum.

Unmedicated, I'd be unable to work and function.

Everyone with RSD/CRPS is different. I do not have swelling, and only occasionally have redness when I'm cold (hands, feet, & sometimes half of my face).

What I have been told by a few rsd specialists is that you don't have to have all the symptoms for it to be rsd. I am not the typical rsd but I still have it. I also think the outcome for different people is different. I know in some it spreads and then I know someone who is doing well after many years because she found a treatment that worked for her so she is back into life. I would and very hard try to stay in the day and hopefully yours will not progress.

A neurologist prescribed me Lyrica and instructed a gradual increase. The first dose I took was 75mg's and withiin 4 hours. I could sorta walk without my crutches. soft hugs