Friday, September 26, 2008 bill5martin asks

Q: Is there anything I can do to help my mom ease her pain from RSD/CRPS? Maybe alternative treatments?

I have asked many questions about RSD/CRPS. People on here have been so helpful. I just wish I could do something to help this site out.... I have some more questions. So here I go.

Can RSD/CRPS just go away? If so, how long does it usualy take?

Anyway, my mom has RSD/CRPS in her right arm. She is in constant pain and takes Dilaudid 4mg every 4 hours (6 mg when the pain gets to bad), which barely takes the edge off (4 Mg) of the pain (6 mg helps). She once took an extra dose two hours early thinking it was time (8 mg in two hours). It was a double edged sword though. It all but killed the pain. When it wore off the pain was much worse though.. I was wondering if there are any alternative treatments that work. Things I can do for her without getting a script for her. She currently takes Klonopin for anxiety. My fiance has Undifferentiated Connective Tissue Disease. Her rheumatoidologist has prescribed Klonopin for it. She used to take it for anxiety and then switched to Xanax Xr. That is when her symptoms started getting worse (When she stopped the Klonopin 6 mg a day). The Dr. said it helps with pain somehow. I know it can also be used o treat seizures. Maybe that is how it can help. I was wondering, if they increased my mom's Klonopin(She takes 5 mg total per day). Would it also help with her pain? If so How much would be a good amount? I believe 20 mg is the maximum amount that should be prescribed in a 24 hour period. Unless they have changed the dosing guidlines. I remember my fiance took a strong muscle relaxer called Zanaflex and it worked miracles for her. I know my mom was given it in the hospital once. Could that also help her? My mom is allergic to a few drugs. Neurontin and Codeine being two of them. She is also allergic to shell fish. So anything with that in it. She can't take.

Is there anything I can do to help her. She needs a lot of help doing things and has gotten very depressed. She already had problems with depression, but now she said she feels her life slipping away. I just want to help. I read that Marijuana makes opiates stronger. If I knew my mom would smoke it. You can believe I would go out and get her a bag, even though medicinal marijuana is not legal in my state. I just want to see her pain free and happy. If I could I would switch places with her.

Feel free to message me, if you have any questions. If you are a Dr. I can provide you with my moms medications and doses, if it can help you answer a question better.... If I can help anyone on here in any way by providing you info on Pain med's or benzodiazapines. I would be more than happy to try and provide information. So many people have helped me. I would like to give back.

Also, where can she find a pain Management Dr. The one she had she doesn't like. Her doctor recommended another one, but my fiance saw him. Both seemed to be arogant and didn't listen. The one was a p***k. I found a great pain managent doctor on here who answered my questions. She is not in my state though.:(

Most of my family live in Pennsylvania. Delaware county to be exact. Please send me some names if you can. I will not name the two doctors on here.

Bill

Answers (4)

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Cort

9/26/08 11:31pm

Hi Bill,

I certainly salute your commitment to your mother and your efforts to help her. Have you checked out the Internation Research Foundation for RSD/CRPS? It looks like it might be a pretty good information source. Theres a video on the emotional consequences of the disease.

http://www.rsdfoundation.org/en/index.html

With regard to pain doctors. There is a box at the bottom of pain.com where you can find pain practitioners in your area. They don't rate them but maybe you can search around and try and figure out who would be suitable for your mother. You might check out the Foundation to see if they recommend any physicians.

http://www.pain.com/

Good luck with everything.

Laura Derbyshire

2/23/09 5:54pm

Hi Bill

I dont know if you are still watching this site but maybe someone out there can help me. I live in the UK and my mum suffers from severe osteo arthritis. She is 82 and has an intolerance to all painkillers apart from paracetamol. This just does nothing for her pain. She ideally needs knee replacement surgery but because of her intolerance and a problem with her heart, the surgeons are reluctant to do this. They think her problems will be made worse because she wouldnt be able to do physio or have pain relief. We are desperate for help. Her GP has prescribed amytryptiline which I think is an anti-depressant and helps with messages to the brain. She takes this before bedtime and it helps her sleep but that's all. Its got to the point now where she is becoming very down with the pain and it just frustrates me that nothing can be done. Please, can anybody help us with this problem, or maybe suggest something that we haven't thought of. Mum has tried morphine which made her extremely ill, patches which also made her very ill and every painkiller in the book. Thanks for your time.

Laura

Deb

1/17/11 3:07am

Yes, go to rsdrx.com and check out puzzles. Recent studies indicate Vitamin C and D are very important. This is the only physician I have heard of with success in putting RSD in remission, unfortunately he no longer is able to treat patients, but his studies are on the site above as well as rsdinfo.com. Tramadol HCL is often effective (100 mg qid).

Good luck, Deb

BettyC

9/16/11 11:03pm

I have RSD also and have had this since the early 1980's. Most gen practitioners don't know how to treat this disease --at least in my state of residence. I went to a pain center after 3 years of undiagnosed pain, numerous visits to specialists, and with my arms finally in splints. Initially I had Bier blocks which worked miraculously for the first year. Since then I have been able to take Neurontin at low doses and it really helps. I am fortunate. This disease can be unpdedictible in how to treat from person to person. I got no relief from seeing a rheumotologist at all. And again, most GP's do not know how to treat this disease. Her best bet is going to a Pain Center or some other Pain Specialist. Cortizone treatments or Narcotic meds are not likely to work if she has true RSD.

Q: Is there anything I can do to help my mom ease her pain from RSD/CRPS? Maybe alternative treatments?

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