Re: new diagnosis

[Guest guest]

sounds like you also need to see a pain management dr. my dr that

does the blocks and surgery said I could have been cured if I had

treatment in the 1st six months , I am now 4 years later and only

meds..and tests..uggggg, so now the drs say I am in the final stage,

but I am still trying to get the s g block......anyway my best

advise to you is see your drs as scheduled, but also a pain

management dr.also I take a lot of meds , but allergic to most of

the meds the dr wants me to take. Hope this helps some..

Pinkie

Hi all...

>

> I'm new to the list.

>

> Friday I got a diagnosis of RSD/CRPS. What happened was in Oct.

during the

> San Diego fires I got stepped on barefooted by a horse. It crushed

my foot

> pretty bad and then I had to run on it all day to continue to

evacuate horses. I

> was on it 12 hours after the initial injury.

>

> Anyway we did save our house, but I am left with this injury. Over

the past

> seven months it just didn't get better and then got all sorts of

weird

> symptoms. In January I did a 50 mile endurance ride and that

seemed to make it worse.

>

> My primary care doc referred me to ortho doc who did a bone scan

which showed

> lots of bone bruise. Also I was getting bad cramps in my foot and

calf. My

> last three toes wouldn't function at all. The ortho doc's attitude

was " oh well

> you don't need your toes anyway. "

>

> I kept going back to my Primary care doc and he said he thought is

was RSD so

> requested a second opinion from another ortho, which I finally had

the

> appointment Friday.

>

> He said it was classic RSD due to the contracting toes, the muscle

spasms,

> the mottled skin and how I was so protective of him touching it.

It has now

> spread up my ankle nto my leg.

>

> He oordered an MRI and referred me to physical therapy and pain

management.

> This is all through a major HMO. He said there is also a probable

torn

> peroneaol tendon. So no more riding, which was my life as I train

and ride endurance

> horses.

>

> Needless to say I am very depressed. I'm tired of pain...it is not

too bad

> but it is constant. I'm taking 2-3 vicoden a day plus 800 mgs. of

Motrin.

>

> I am curious what kind of pain meds you all take and if you take

anything for

> the spasms...which are excruciating. Also this doc said it would

take 18

> months to heal. I also take Ambien for sleep I get from a relative

because my HMO

> won't prescribe it...not in their formulary. They want to give me

a benzo but

> I don't want to be addicted and Ambien is non addictive. I am a

very active

> person but in the last 7 months have gained weight from not being

able to do as

> much. Doc recommends swimming.

>

> Any advice would be greatly appreciated as a lot of the stuff I am

reading on

> the net is very scary. Also my primary care doc is not optimistic

at all for

> me ever getting over this. I refuse to believe it.

>

> thank you,

>

[Guest guest]

,

Hang in there girl. Suggest pain managemant doc also. and look into blocks.

sometimes they help. We all react differently to the different treatments. I

believe knowledge is power.

I'm still independent I just don't move so fast.

Laurie'

[Guest guest]

Ya it's laurie again.

Didn't want to seem like a domesayer. Don't let anyone take your dreams and

hopes away. You can do anything you put your mind to. Check to see if dr. has

any cancelations. The sooner trmt starts the better.

Soft hugs,

Laurie

[Guest guest]

,

The reason I believe they want a driver for you iis if you have injection

" block " you need someone to drive you home. You will not be sedated but the

injection can cause numbness for awhile. They ask the same for me when I have

the blocks.

In my experience with pain medications everyone builds up a tolerance to the

pain med. A steady increase over time is needed to control pain. Certain

narcotics work differently for all of us. Some are what you would consider very

high does. I think they call it opiod tolerance. Very common in people who have

RSD or other Chronic Severve Pain who have to take medication for a long time.

Your body just gets used to the dose and then you need higher and higher dose to

control pain. So many people worry about being addicted vs dependence. They are

2 entirely different things. Addicted is someone who abuses the narc. to receive

a high. Dependence is where the body is accustomed to the drug and needs higher

and higher doses of medication over a long period of time. Both cannot stop the

medication without some withdrawl symptoms. In controlled settings you can be

withdraw without complications. My body is dependent on the fentanyl medication.

If I where to just stop my body would go through some type of withdrawl. But to

control my pain I physically need the medication and it controls most of the

pain. There are flares " increased pain " where I have to take additional oral

medication. I started with vicodin but that wasn't strong enough to control the

breakthrough pain. I hope this explains some what my statement that vicodin is

baby asprin as for me it really is. If it works for you wonderful. What ever

works for you is great we are all different. As for the weather ? yes some

people experience increase in symptoms with cold or rainy or hot, humid weather.

I think it depends on where you are is my experience. I can't handle the cold

rainy weather makes it worse. Can tell 2 day's in advance that it's going to

snow. I should be a forcaster. I think I'm better than the tv one's.

Hope this answer's some of your ?

take care,

Laurie