[kjoyhamilton]

Hi all, I am new here but trying to find out if problems that my husband is having could be related to his RSD. A little background, he has been dealing with RSD for 14 years after having his foot crushed and the nerves were damaged. He has a spinal cord stimulator that is just in there, not functioning. He is using the Duragesic patches, and on Neurontin, Nortriptyline and Lunesta. He has just had blood work done and has high cholesterol and his liver enzymes are elavated.

OK, so back in May he started have migraines that kept him in bed for a month before they subsided enough for him to be able to function. He was ok after that, until July. Then he started having stomach problems. He has pretty much been in bed since the end of July with severe cramping, right below his sternum, gas, (TMI here...) and bleeding in his BM. He has been to his primary care and they have scheduled a colonoscopy of both upper and lower next week.

I'm just wondering if these aren't just side effects of the RSD progressing. Unfortunately his RSD treatment is being covered by workers comp, so getting anything done there is a nightmare. He has a pain doctor, but we thought that maybe going through the primary care for now might prove better results.

Has anyone else had problems like this? Any advice would be greatly appreciated because we just don't know what to do.

[Truth Seeker]

Hello,

I felt compelled to respond to this post.
My RSD also started with a foot injury and on March 12\2010 it will have been 14 years since all of this began.
Migraine headaches is not something I had to deal with, but I am very familiar with the colours behind our eyes and in our brain.
About two years into this disease, I felt pressure of "magnitude" in the back and top of my head, it was pressure of combustible levels, acompanied by what felt like drills against my skull, the pain was so severe, that I literally screamed for mercy.
RSD does effect our organs, in my case mostly on the left side of my stomach, but it also effects other organs as well, including the brain organ, but it does not leave our intestines alone either.
Large amounts of gases will be present.
I found small amounts of blood in my BM as well as Urine, both of which had changed drastically, my urine no longer was of a natural colour, but rather looked brown and the amount of BM did by no means warrant my food intake, it was and is as if my system is releasing a lot of toxins.
At some stage I did have a urinary tract infection, for which I was actually treated, meaning through medication, yet I never mentioned all of the other things to a doctor, because I had learned not to trust doctors with anything related to RSD.
I have never had a stimulator, nor would I have ever allowed anyone to put one into my system, as far as I am concern, they should be banned.
Based upon my experiences, RSD is numerous diseases all rolled into one.
Trauma plays a huge part here, it may have started with physical trauma, but doctors will trigger a magnitude of other shocks to our system through their careless attitude and most certainly lack of knowledge as it relates to this disease,
Trauma can come in different forms, but all are unexpected, therefore there is no way that we could be prepared. When trauma stifles us, may it be physically, psychologically or emotionally, than it will play like a video over and over again, we will remember the actions of others, their cruel words, the look in their eyes, the stupid pitiful smile on their face, their body language, but most of all, we will remember how they made us feel.
I believe, that trauma can go into stuck mode, hence creating internal electric shocks of magnitude, which eventually will change the create cycles into very destructive cycles from which there is no escape.
Based upon my opinion and experiences, only the brain can release the hold of this destruction, but this will take a long time.
Basically, the brain has to restore, repair, regenerated and rewire the entire system.

I also have a serious problem with people who "claim" to be able to teach us how to deal with our pain, when they have never walked in our shoes, this truly goes beyond the ridiculous and irresponsible.

The "best advice" I have for your husband is, to remember who created us in the first place, we do not need to believe in religion to understand that there is a higher power who has created our electrical engineering.
Nature provides us with so many tools we can learn from, if we have the willingness to observe, because nature does repeat itself on many levels, our system is not unique in the cycle of life.

Respectfully

Truth Seeker

[kjoyhamilton]

Thank you for your response. I had read quite a bit over the years on RSD, but when I set to reading the posts here I have learned so much more. It's so hard to support someone when you don't understand what they are going through, so I figure one of the things I can do is get as many answers as possible.

And, I agree about the stimulator. It took them 4 surgeries to get it in right and it only worked for about 6 months. The company that makes them is one of my work customers and I want to swear at them every time they call.

[reruho]

kjoy
I am really happy about everything you are trying to do for your husband. I would suggest you go to Dr. Hooshmand's website www.rsdrx.com. The man is a genius and is very straight forward about everything. I have learned about the things that my PM and others just shook their heads at.
Reta

[meglaser]

I also started with my foot and is now in three limbs I also have abad back.

I started with my migrains after my concusion, but when my RSD should is bad I seem to get the bad migrane fortuanely I know when they ary coming. I too have a stimulator and just got off of the duregesi c patch and percoet I am sufferi ng tremendously. I have singapea = where my bloodpreaure bottoms out and pass out and / or tak e a seiusure. to add to the long list my stomach is affected as well. My stomach and the bad sinkape but more so my stomach will land my in the hospital I do not mean to sound like I am complaining but your husband sounds like he is going through many of the symtoms like me. I started with the RSD ruughly 10 years ago an d I am also finding that I am forgetng more and my limbs are jerking an d I started stutering about 3 weeks ago (the higher the stress the worse my symtoms are. God Bless!

MEG

[kjoyhamilton]

[quote="reruho"]kjoy
I am really happy about everything you are trying to do for your husband. I would suggest you go to Dr. Hooshmand's website www.rsdrx.com. The man is a genius and is very straight forward about everything. I have learned about the things that my PM and others just shook their heads at.
Reta[/quote]

Thank you, I did find his site and have been reading all of his puzzle pieces. I am working on getting my husband an appointment with the doctor that Dr. Hooshmand is referring people to, as he appears pretty up on everything as well. Fortunately we're in Florida - so it's only about 2 1/2 hours away.

[kjoyhamilton]

Meg,

I have been reading these forums and have read your recent posts. A lot of what you are going through is so familiar with my husbands problems. Thank you so much for responding!

[reruho]

Kjoy,
I am in Florida, too. Jacksonville to be exact.
Reta

[kjoyhamilton]

Reta,

Have you been to Dr. Masood Hashmi at Space Coast Neurology? That's who Dr Hooshmand is referring too. I'm waiting on a call back from our attorney's so I can get an appointment set up.

[reruho]

Kjoy,
No. I have a good PM in Jacksonville and things are under control at the present time.

If things were to take a serious turn I would put some serious thought into going to see him.

Reta