Originally posted 18 May 2018
Happy Friday everyone. Since I am relatively new to this condition, and visits to the various pain management team members have been a month or more apart, I have some burning questions, namely:
Does anyone else have temperature changes, like physically hot or cold to the touch compared to the opposite part? In my case, cold? And if so, what helps for this?
Has anyone else been prescribed Clonidine (also known as Catapres) patches? Or even orally? And if orally, does it work the same as patches?
Do any of you take regular anti-inflammatories? Are they an important part of the regime? (I’m a bit resistant because I don’t eat regularly enough and that causes stomach issues)
Does anyone here have epilepsy and if so, have you found a course of medication that doesn’t aggravate that?
For people with CRPS affecting your foot or leg, do you have any positions that seem to make the condition worse, or more uncomfortable? Conversely, have you found a really comfortable position, particularly for sitting? I’ve found that lying in bed is the only time when I’m truly comfortable, where everything is level. That means every waking position is a bit distracting!
Is stress as big a factor as it seems to be from all the reading I’ve done? Have you found a way to mitigate stress enough that it doesn’t make this condition worse, or prolong it? With meditation? Or anything else?
I’m asking a lot of questions and will completely understand if no-one’s in the mood to answer them. At least I’ve documented my questions for the next time I see someone!
Some answers, looking back!
Temperature changes are very common. Some people’s CRPS limbs feel very hot to the touch, others feel very cold. For a lot of people, they experience “hot CRPS” in the early stages and “cold CRPS” later on. It can also vary from day to day.
Clonidine patches really work, though CRPS is an off-label use for them. Unfortunately I developed an allergy to the patches and had to stop using them after about a year.
And I can’t STRESS this enough – stress is a HUGE factor in managing your pain. Find a way to reduce your stress! One way to reduce stress hormones is to have a sauna as often as you can – just 20 minutes is all you need.
