Re: Question on meds

[Guest guest]

Helen,

Hi, My name is Rhonda and I have suffered and finally started to

live again with RSD for 5 1/2yrs. It all started with a car accident

and thinking my right foot was broken badly.

RSD has been recognized since the Civil War period. That is what

they used to do to someone with RSD, AMPUTATE. That is NO longer the

case and should NOT be an option for you.

Also, I personally think you are very blessed to have a General

Practitioner to prescribe the type of meds you receive but now I

think it is time to find a Pain Management Doctor.

I no longer receive blocks and have never had the SCS. I was told by

my pain doctor that the SCS is considered a success if it relieves

50% of your pain. If it does NOT, then it isnt working for you.

I do believe other meds could help you but from my own experience

and opinions of others with RSD, I really dont think you EVER get

complete pain relief for even short periods of time.

I had to learn the hard way that in order to LIVE instead of suffer

so much with RSD I had to learn relaxation techniques and also use

Mind Over Matter to know I will be in pain whether I am sitting at

home or at a friends, out to dinner, a movie, etc. No matter where I

go I am going to hurt the rest of my life and I got to the point

that I refuse to let IT control me any longer.

Saying that, I am on Oxycontin 40mgX3 a day and other meds. I also

believe it is so important to have a counselor and psychiatrist to

help get through all this be it talking about it or getting meds to

help you with depression. I suffered a great deal of depression from

losing the life I once had.

It takes time Helen. Dont expect everything to get better in a few

days. It took me over 2yrs to not only accept it but to learn to

start to live with it even though I can No longer work.

I also have skin problems on my right foot where the initial injury

was and also on my palms of my hands. I also have what I call an RSD

Rash on my chest, arms, neck, and face. They do make products to

help with that. Please email me at Justifieddestiny1@... and I

would be more than happy to discuss all this with you.

I dont know what meds a Pain Management Doctor can give to you that

could help but I am sure that they can. You need to take pain meds

before it gets to be so bad. Take them before it gets so painful you

cant take it any longer. They also could prescribe what many of us

call Breakthru Pain Relievers to take in between your normal dose of

MS Contin.

I would love to help you more. I hope you have a great Christmas and

we can all say a prayer for a better year in 2005.

Please contact me when you can and I will try to help you with all

that you are going through. That is another thing that has made me

feel better going through RSD. Once I got to the point of being able

to deal with this Monster myself, I started helping others with RSD

and that made me feel good as someone who has always been there for

others.

Its nice to meet you and I hope to hear from you soon.

Take care and know you are in my prayers.

Love, Rhonda

>

> Hi everyone --

> I have been reading the posts re meds. I was on the Duragesic

patch

> a few years ago and quickly moved up to a high dose. My primary

doc

> was not happy with this because he thought I should only take meds

> when I needed them. So, I went off them and switched to Talwin.

> None of the meds worked very well. I have been on just about

> everything all of you have mentioned. Currently, I am on 100 mg

MS

> contin three times day, and occasionally double the dose as

needed.

> Also, I have a ketamine cream and lidoderm patches. The blocks no

> longer work so I had an SCS implanted in June. Still, there is

not

> much relief from pain. Although after last weekend without the MS

> Contin, I guess it does work some. Are any of you ever truly free

of

> pain, even for an hour or two? I am at a point where the pain is

> running and ruining my life. The RSD is spreading and I think it

is

> now affecting my skin.

> Has anyone experienced the changes in skin, etc, that are supposed

to

> come with some cases of advanced RSD? If so, would you please

> describe the changes? Also, if you are having any luck with meds

> relieving your pain, would you please let me know what you take?

I

> would like to ask my pain doc to try again with meds. I don't

think

> I am getting as much relief as I can. (Can you believe, my

primary

> doc has once again mentioned amputation!)

> Wouldn't it be nice for all of us if someone came up with

> a cure or a real treatment for RSD next year?

> Thank you for being there for me when I've needed you most.

> Love, Helen