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Questions posted in the
Neurology and Neurosurgery Forum have been answered by doctors from The Cleveland Clinic Foundation.
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Subject: Re: Could this be RSD? Topic Area: Reflex SympatheticPosted by Cheryl on August 01, 1999 at 10:36:04I am a 30 year old female. In July of 98 I had tendon recontruction on my left ankle for chronic tendonitis. This surgery relieved all my ankle pain. Four months later in Oct of 98, I began to have a deep aching pain on the inside of my left leg from the knee down. My orthopedic surgeon treated it with anti inflammatory drugs which did nothing to relieve the symptoms. After several months, the pain progressed up my left leg, but only on the inside. The orthopist prescribed neurontin. This relieved the pain initially for about 1 1/2 weeks. The dosage was increased to 900 mg three times a day, but it stopped helping relieve the pain. I was then sent to a spine surgeon who looked at mri of my spine and said it was perfectly normal. He sent me to a neurologist. I have had two emgs that were normal and an mri of my pelvis that was normal. The pain continued to be a dull ache all the way up the inside of my leg. The neurologist said this did not really sound like nerve pain to him. He talked to me about RSD but I don't have the swelling or discoloration that often accompanies RSD. The neurologist arranged for me to have a sympathetic nerve block last Thursday. The day after the block, i began to have tingling over the entire left side of my body. This tingling has progressed to pain. I can feel the pain from my toes to my head. It is much more severe when pressure is applied from sitting or laying down. It is less severe in the morning and gets worse as the day goes on. I have a headache on the left side and even have slight pain in left side of face, ear, teeth,and nose. I feel pain in the left side of my back, stomach, chest, and left arm and leg. The neurologist said this could not be a side effect from the block. He doesn't know what to tell me and said he has never heard of anything like this. I am scared to death. Does this sound like RSD or MS? What should I do next?
Posted by CCF Neuro[P] MD, RPS on August 03, 1999 at 12:38:58 Dear Cheryl: Sorry to hear about your pain. What was the sympathetic block done with? RSD is a fairly rare condition that is usually terrible pain that induces temperature change in the limb of question, sometimes swelling and sometimes discoloration. It is difficult to move the limb in question for the patient, and with immobilization, there is bone loss and limb atrophy (muscles). I think the would see another neurologist for a second opinion. Hopefully the block was chemical and will wear off and you will back to your baseline. Sincerely, CCF Neuro MD
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