CRPS help please

[Pollyerrington]

Hi,

I've recently been diagnosed with CRPS (after surgery on my foot in Aug 16)

I don't have constant crippling pain like I've read that some of you have on here.

It started about 2 weeks after surgery. It was like a burning thunderstorm in the skin on the top of my foot. Crackling away.

When the doctor went to remove my cast he touched my foot and I jumped out of my seat in agony. Just the lightest touch hurt.

6 months on, and my foot is still very sensitive. It has a kind of numb feeling, and I really don't like it being touched. Anything brushing against it is uncomfortable. Putting socks on etc is horrible.

The colour is often purple or mottled. I get stinging shooting pains which really hurt - and I never know when they will happen.

It feels uncomfortable all of the time, but not painful. It's only painful when things like water from the shower hits it - or if I brush it against a cushion by mistake.

Is this normal for CRPS? Is it likely to get worse? I feel like it's gotten worse over the past few days... there's a patch on the side on my foot that seems to be getting darker which I'm a bit worried about.

I'm trying to figure out where I stand with this condition.

Any advice or knowledge would be appreciated. Thanks!

[NFDK]

Hi there. Sorry I can only give you this link at the moment. My energy is really low right now.

rcplondon.ac.uk/guidelines-...

Hope I can help more in the future.

Best wishes, Wendy x

[luckyjim]

Polly

Still early days following your optimum, things take ages to settle down.

I am familiar with your skin sensitivity issues, I cannot shower since the whole of my right side is very sensitive and water hitting is quite uncomfortable.

Give things a bit more time and then re-evaluate.

Best Wishes

Jim

[luckyjim]

Polly

Optimum should read operation (predictive text malfunction).

Jim

[Yogibe]

Hi polly are u on any meds for it and if so what are they I have crps for 7 years now mine started about 6 months after a operation on my hands the specialists did not pick it up till it was to late that was in 2010 and by 2011 it got that bad that I had my left arm amputated. Don't u worry about that by the sounds of it u have type 1 crps which is mild but still painful, if u go has not put u on any meds get him to refer u to a pain specialist they would put u on the right meds

Best of luck hope things go well for u best wishes

[Pollyerrington in reply to Yogibe]

Hi,

I've been on cymbalta but reacted really badly to it so I'm now on topamax.

Pain specialist sent me for urgent physio and urgent lumbar sympathectomy.

Spoke to head of pain team yesterday as nothing had really been explained to me.

He said the lumbar injection was only going to be a test to see if it resulted in more blood flow to my foot. If it worked, then he would be inserting a permanent spinal cord stimulator to stop my foot from need amputation one day.

I'm feeling really down right now, as I'm also about to get a diagnosis of either ME or MS (it's definitely one of the other - just waiting for brain scan results)

Thanks for your input much appreciated.

[Yogibe in reply to Pollyerrington]

Hi polly that sound good hope everything goes well for u. I tried the spinal cord stimulator it did not work for me so in the end i got so depressed that last year I spent 4 weeks in a coma I tried to end my live so now I try and talk to people who are filling down or depressed just to say talk to someone about how u filling I did not do that if I did I think that I would have not tried to end my life.

I wish u the best and hope things work out the best

[Pollyerrington in reply to Yogibe]

Bless you. That's awful. I can appreciate the low points. I really hope you can find relief. Big hug. X

[Yogibe in reply to Pollyerrington]

Hi polly thank u that's really kind of u to say that I'm getting their slowly I have good days and bad a lot of people really don't understand what u are going through.

Best wishes to u and a big hug back to u. X

[Pollyerrington]

Thanks. I've tried magnets. They do nothing to help that I've noticed. Thanks for the idea though.

[johnsmith]

See a sports massage therapist who knows what over contracted muscle does. The sports therapist should be able to deal hopefully with some of the issues.

Hope this helps

[Brunobilbo]

Everything you say in your post like putting your socks on. The shower I get exactly the same. I've found if you turn your socks inside out so you haven't got the ridge rubbing your toes it helps. I also brought some diabetic socks from Aldi. There a little bit slacker than normal socks. And you can stretch them over your toes and carefully put them on. As for the shower I find if I put a flannel over my toes whilst having a shower it helps. As even the tiniest bit of water feels like it's coming down at a hundred miles an hour. Then after you can still wash your foot the best way you can. Mine still is sore but over time you get to know different ways to get around the problems. It's been six months with my foot and nine years with my hand. My nail was damaged as I had my knuckles taken out to straighten two of my toes. This has now come off. So pain in shower I've had to solve with the flannel.

Hope this helps. Take care