I haven't written anything lately but I have been reading.
Remember I have rsd in my right foot. 2 weeks ago my left leg started hurting so bad at work that I could hardly walk. By the next day I was crying from the pain or the fear. I did not hurt myself. I called the dr. and they had me come right in. My dr was not there and they had closed but waited for me. They did an xray and said my tibia was not broke. I didn't think it was. There was swelling and fluid about 2 or 3 inches above my ankle on the front of my leg. They put me on prednizone. 8 tablets for 3 days then 7 6 ect... I have 5 left, one a day till gone. Leg is still swollen. I am keeping it wrapped at work with ace bandage boot at home. Saw my dr. Monday. He said he would see me again monday, 1 week. What do you all think? He didn't say, but I'm afraid he is thinking rsd and is just waiting to be sure.
I have to go to work now. I will check this when I get home. I will not cry today! I have been so moody and depressed. Thanks guys, Love you all.

Hi and I am sorry you are in a bad place. I have had conditions in my body that I thought were rsd spread and they were not. I can really relate as my left is my major rsd area but it did spread to my right and I am in a flare. I had an issue with my back though that I thought was rsd and it was not. So I guess my point is and this is very very hard but to stay in the moment and how you can get through today. Now a few thoughts and ?'s. Why is wrapped?Is it to bring the swelling? See for me often times a sock is painful so that wrap would be a no. We are all different but that would send me in a worse flare up. Did anything happen 2 weeks ago? I know for ex I am in a flare up of both and nothing happend but sometimes when my left is super bad usually my right flares up a few days later I think cause I rely on it or it is part of the course. Are you on any other meds? What procedures if any have you had? I hope you feel better.

Hi ,

For and RSD patient we should not wear an ace bandage but an air cast. I sprained my ankle June 27th and my pain doc told me not to use an ace bandage but to wear an air cast instead. Did you hurt yourself on the right side to have an x-ray? Also with RSD it takes longer for use to heal also.

Kate

Im sorry to hear ,,it is a nitemare at times,,its afe to say that most worry ,,i hope and pray that you have a good day,,you sound strong,,,and i think the wrap is a good thing,,my dr wants me to keep compression socks on ,,,good luck and may the Lord answer you with a wonderfull day,,,,,,,bobber

Bobber,

why does your doc want you to wear compression socks and do they hurt you to wear them?

Thanks,

Kate

Hi stllaborette and Welcome back,
Iniatiallly, my RSD came from breast surgery left arm, frozen shoulder. The pt. told me not to be surprised if it spread to right shoulder. It did about a year after I had 100 pt to get my left shoulder back in use. I didn't do anything- it just spread. My next spread was injury to left hand. Then the next spread was to my right hand with no injury. I have full body now and had no injuries.
To help me adjust, I found a psychiatrist 5 years ago. He is my pain management Dr, He is a neurologist and and pharmacologist. I went thru the deep depression and crying. He really helped me thru talking and getting all my meds in the right amounts. One thing that really helped me was an anti-anxiety med, Lorazepam.I found when my anxiety level was down, so was my pain level.
I use meditation, visualization, prayer, music, essential oils under heat.epsom salt baths & lavender oil, massage therapy is wonderful, swimming-water needs to be 86 degrees. -that has really helped me keep mobile. Have you done desensitization????? Bio-feedback helps control pain. Let me know, and I'll tell you what my orthopedic therapist had me do. Journaling is a wonderful way to release of emotions.
I went through a real rough time recently. My sleeping pill Ambien CR. stopped working and for weeks I wouldn't get to sleep puntil 5-6 a.m. My pain level sky rocketed. I knew my Dr. was involved in a study of seroquel. Seroquel is a med used for bi-polar and schezoophrenia, which I have neither. But the study was a low dose for fibromyalgia. They found it helped with sleep. He had 200 in the study and is ready to write the report. The results were amazing. I've been on it 5-6 weeks now and get restorative sleep every night. That in turn has caused my pain level to go down. I cut my pain med, vicodin in half, and anti-anxiety med in half. It's amazing. I had been pretty bed ridden, but now I can run errands etc for 4-5 hours. I'm so grateful. Everyone is different, but it works for me. I had been on 3200 mg of neurotin for years, and then switched to lyrica and wanted to go off. I was on such a large amount because I had dailey and nightly electric jolts, jerks, spasms. The meds kept that under control, but weight gain I wasn't happy with. We went off slowly, and I've only had a couple of spells in the last 6 months.
Cymbalta is a anti-depressant I take 120 mg. It is also good for fibromyalgia. I went off two other double dosed anti-depressants-wellbutrin xl and paxil cr.
I only have one crippled limb, my left hand, and was misdiagnosed. I wasn't diagnosed for 4 years. I flew back to Oregon to a sports injury group and the hand Dr. diagnosed me in 1 minute, went over to hospital and had nuclear med test, confirmed it. He ordered a tens unit right away and physical therapy. But was a little late on the hand therapy.
We all share here and care about each other. I have learned so much from others. The emotional support is priceless!!!!! Glad you are back. Take care, loretta

I hope you are feeling better, by now. Standing on an inflamed leg will cause more swelling. I don't understand why you would wear an ace bandage boot..too tight! Please let us know how you are doing. Please stay away from ice on that leg..worst thing you can do in countering further CRPS damage.

Dew

Thanks everyone. To answer a few of the questions. I didn't hurt myself. I am a construction worker. I was at work on a very easy job It just started hurting. It got worse and worse over the 2 eight hour days till I felt like I couldn't take another step. I called the dr office and they called my dr. He asked the other dr. to please stay and check my leg out. It was swollen and they said it left like fluid in it. They took the xray just to make sure it wasn't a stress fracture from walking. I do use this leg more over my bad right one. They decided to give me prednizone to see if that would bring down the inflammation. I take vicodine for pain. Cymbalta for stress and pain. Soma for muscles. Tranzene for bedtime. Plavix to thin my blood to get it into my right foot. (crush injury) I wear the ace bandage to support my leg, Because it feels like there is no strength left in it. I wear the boot at home because it hurts so bad every time I bend my foot to walk. It's weird my foot bends and the pain is in my leg? No ice. But dr. did give me walk healthy Arinica soothing gel (with Arnica extract?) to reduce swelling and ease soreness. But really, I did not strain my foot or leg at all.

Sorry to hear that you are having a hard time. I hope it hasn't spread but that is how my spread started to manifest....swelling and pain first. Later I got the sensitivity, luckily it has never gotten as bad as my original site. I know that it the case with some others too. It doesn't take a injury to spread, but I hope it hasn't. Thinking of you!
Positive thoughts your way,
Jennelle

Hello,

I'm sorry you are having such additional pain and swelling. The tears are OK just don't spend a lot of time and energy on them. RSD it very emotional from the pain and the fear it causes. I agree with Loretta you need a good pain management physcologist. When mine started to spread I thought I was going to lose it I had a serious meal down. I see my physcologist every weeks and we email back and forth if I need him.

I agree with the other on the ace bandage it may be causing additional pain. I has ankle surgery back in June an I could't tolerate anything they want it wrapped in. I did have a walking boot I used when I went out of the house. As soon as I got home it had to come off. RSD limbs need to be mobile when they aren't there is more pain (at least for me).

Take care of yourself. Be strong you have dealth with RSD up until now and if this is a spread you will learn to cope and manage. God doesn't give us more than we can handle. Things may be overwhelming at times. That's when he wants us to lean on him and trust in him. God is amazing and answers prayer.

Take care,
Sherrie