probable RSD ... next steps?

[jshors]

Nine months ago I had major sinus surgery, which left me in a fair amount of pain. A month ago I developed an intense burning inside my nostrils and in my upper lip and gums. I saw a new ENT and he said that I probably had RSD. I saw a pain specialist yesterday and she put me on Lyrica, and agreed that I have RSD. I'm going to see her again next week. I've read that RSD is treatable if one goes after it early. Is there anything else that I should be doing? Additional medicine? Injections? I do not want to have this terrible burning for the rest of my life, and any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you.

JS

[jshors]

Thanks, everyone, for your comments here. I really appreciate them. Great advice, which I will definitely take to heart. Thank you!

[Cookie122]

Some useful sites for you to check out if you haven't already is www.****.com, www.****.org, and /or www.****.org. By going to those sites you can learn more about RSD and how to treat it if you do have it. I agree with Rex though, get more tests and more opinions before accepting you have it.

[strictlyforpain]

Probable RSD? What!? Don't just go for that diagnosis. Having RSD is different from believing you have RSD. I did bone scans and other tests to verify RSD and I did have it for sure after a foot surgery.

You don't want to succumb to an RSD diagnosis that's not well established for one. For two the mind is very powerful with RSD. I went to see a podiatrist who claimed good luck with getting surgery patients past RSD. He gave me some blood pressure medication that was a dialator and really expanded the flow of blood through my body. He also gave me celebrex packs for a month. He then said find a hobby, immerse yourself in it. Do not think about foot pain, you have no foot pain, walk away from it all and never look back.

I did and the RSD was left behind. I'm not saying that something else didn't work or what-not I'm just saying it all played out for me.

I'd strongly suggest you button up your mental game and take the fight to the dog. Try ignoring the pain and moving past it. Tell yourself the pain is normal post-op recovery and you are healing and it's normal. Get a 2nd, 3rd or 4th opinion. Keep telling practitioners you don't want RSD and you are ready to fight it and you want to be part of winning that fight. Do it the Winston Churchill way and never, ever give up.

Find someone who doesn't treat RSD. Find someone who cures it. There's a big difference. You have to win the battle in your mind and someone trained in that battle can really help. I'm not at all saying it's just mental. I've seen what RSD does to people it's real. I'm just saying if you take the fight to RSD you might win.

Rex