The thing that really clued my foot doc into the RSD diagnosis was the bone loss, which was VERY evident 6 weeks after foot surgery. Along with "clammy" skin, swelling, and discoloration, and the fact that I took 2 Percocet just to get my stiches removed and kept yelling at the doctor not to touch it. He sent me to the pain clinic right away, where it was "officially" diagnosed.

HI
I was just wondering your situations. I have FHL tendonitis, which is a tendonitis where the tendon comes down each leg mid calf, and then comes on each side of the ankle, and under the foot to the big toe. I got it it March, and was told it would be 6 months to be back in running shape. So, I have been in PT and am finding greater range of motion in my feet, but for over a week I had leg pain in each leg up to my knee that was very painful.
This seem to coiincide when I took the vitamin D 50,000 Iu the dr prescribed as I have been low on vitamin D. I think I am low in some B vitamins and waiting on the results. I had a reaction to it, itching for 2 days and some leg pain. The itching went away, and today the leg pain seems less.
I also have pudendal neuralgia ( nerve in the pelvis which causes burning vaginal pain) and last week was flaring alot.
So I dont know if it was the pudendal nerve really flaring causing me extra referred pain, but walking for long periods of time hurt. My ortho did an MRI and they did find some slight inflammation of the tendon. So, I dont know if it is the slight inflammation and weight on the feet in combo with the PN flaring....
The symptom that I have/had is pain that seems more than it should be. I haven't taken into account the VIt D, or possible B deficieincy, the PN flare, the slight inflammation. The only symptom I have is pain.
No temp changes, color changes, swelling, sensitivity to touch, excessive nail or hair growth, edema.....
I saw my neurologist 3 weeks ago before I had some extra pain, and he did sensory motor testing,which was normal and I bluntly asked him, do I have Rsd, " he said, Don't even go down that path, No, you do not have RSD." I asked my PT, and she said no, last week.
I don't know if I had a reaction ( itching for 2 days and some pain) to the prescription Vitamin D, and increase in my PN pain causing flared pain, a combo or a deficiency then. I feel better today, but I just wonder why doctors throw around terminology if they are not sure and only see one sign?

I know of a guy who a couple of months ago found himself on another rsd board. He had low vit d and lots of pain. It's the deficiency in vit d which can cause a lot of pain. If it's low enough, can cause all over body pain which he had. He has gotten better with treatment of his vit d complicated by the fact he has some back issues.

It does not sound to me as if you have rsd at all. If you did, you would have some kind of change in the area. Sounds like you have quite a few reasons for the pain you feel. I'm happy you don't have rsd because what you deal with is challenge enough!

Hugs,

Karen

I fell down some steps on the 20th March 2007 when I was 12 years old and sprained my left ankle. The pain start almost immediately although the other symptoms (swelling, dystonia, temperature and colour changes, nail and hair changes etc) started appearing gradually after that.

My mum took me to the hospital a few days after my injury as things weren't getting any better and kept getting worse and worse and they just x-rayed my leg and said it wasn't broken and sent me home. After 5 days of bed rest, things still kept getting worse so we went back to the ER where they referred me to Physical Therapy. The PT's didn't know anything about RSD and just kept putting my symptoms down to being 'psychological' - even though it was obvious something was very wrong!!

We kept getting passed by one doctor to another and still weren't getting any answers so eventually, my mum took me to another hospital as we had had enough. The Doctor there recognised my RSD straight away and immediately referred me to another hospital.

It was an Orthopaedic Dr that suspected RSD although he referred me to a Pain Management Doctor as they couldn't diagnose and/or treat it. It took me nearly 5 months to get diagnosed and we had visited about 4 different hospitals.

I think that PM Doctors are generally the best drs to diagnose and treat RSD as they seem to have more knowledge. I see a PM Dr, Neurologist, PT and Psychologist and they are all really good.

I hope this helps and if you have any more questions, please let me know!!

My Neurologist diagnosed the CRPS/RSD in my abdomen/pelvis.
I was several months post abdominal/pelvic surgery and had been having alot of what my Gyn (not the one who did the surgery) called "post surgical inscion pain". My Gyn had done several lidocaine injections and I was some mild PRN pain meds, without much sucess. My Gyn did mention I had a lot of scar tissue. I had noticed that the pain was also a nerve-y type pain (I have allodynia) and felt very hot, so I off handedly asked my neuro (who treats my seizures and allodynia) if there were any nerves that were around my inscion sites. He asked me a few more questions and immediately diagnosed the CRPS/RSD. My surgery was in late June-- the CRPS/ RSD diagnosis came in late October/early November.

My legs, on the hand, are a completely different story. ( I've broken bothe feet/ankles twice ) My neuro also diagnosed that, BUT, like many of the others, it took years. I'd been having leg pain for about 6-7 years and it had been attributed to everything from Vitamin deficiencies (partially true.... ) to athrites, over use, plantar fasciitis, etc etc. It was suspected once, by an Orthopedic dr, but my IM dr at the time, poo poo-ed it. Up until recently, previous neuros, internests, etc completely missed it.

Jess-- on a personal level, I so understand how hard it is to separate multiple pain things. In the pelvic stuff-- I also have IC, endometriosis and cysts, so it can be very tricky (the CRPS/RSD in my abdomen in fairly straightforward because its centered in my belly, but the possible spreading to otehr areas in my pelvis is where it can get confusing). In terms of Vitamin Deficiencies-- I can also relate. I've had several Vitamin Deficiencies that can and did cause feet/leg pain; and the key to that was first correcting the deficiecency. I KNEW there was a difference, but getting drs to realize that can be completely different !

Good Luck and hang in there !

L2L

Thank you guys. I was not diagnosed. I spoke to my PT and Neuro and they sai I dont have it. It has been wierd. I have taken the vitamin supplements that I have been deficient in , and I feel much better this week than last.
I dont know if it was an allergic reaction to the prescription D that caused me extra pain. I did have itching from it, and more leg pain.
I went to see my PT today and she saw how much better I was doing and walking, and I told her that last week I was having a Pudendal flare with my period last week, and she told me then you can get " Neural Crosstalk" when the pudendal nerve sends signals to other nerves nearby. She also told me that she has a patient who has pudendal neuralgia and also had sciata in one leg, but felt as if severe pain was in her whole lower body.
So, thank you for the advice. My pudendal flare is over, I am supplementing with D3 and others and not taking the prescription D2 because of the reaction, and then see how it goes. I have been doing better so that makes my mind a bit better.
I appreciate the feedback.