Hey lovely...sorry to hear your having a bad time...im sure itll get better soon! You know Im a fellow RSD sufferer and mine is also awful at the minute. Pain is terrible...ive been having to use a crutch to walk (only one cause RSDs so bad in one arm I cant use it) so its a right pain.

Aw hun if your worried its spreading, go see your doc. Im sure its not...just make sure you keep as warm as possible so you dont aggravate it. its probs just in reaction to the pain if that makes sense...it obviously affects your body as a whole even if it is mainly in one place. My bp is low...and this happens to me cause of the pain...so maybe your high bp is to do with something else? (actually-ive recently been diagnosed with CFS/ME so mayube my low bps from that haha) but if your worried get checked out. My spreading of RSD came suddenly..one minute I was fine, the next minute I was in excruciating pain and the rsd had spread to a whole new limb or body part...i duno if its the same for everyone but thats the way it worked for me.

keep busy and warm,..i find this helps me...but yes I too am finding it difficult at the moment...its not nice when it gets cold...let us know how you go...take care and hugs xxx

I also have RSD in my left leg/ankle/foot and knee. There is a special group for us RSDers, with over 350 members. I know those spasms. I can't believe I can spasm while on muscle relaxants. Our temps. in PA, are milder than usual. When the cold stuff set in it also sets into my leg. I cannot let my leg get cold. But in answer to your question, no, I do not feel this year is worse than other years. Good luck to you!

heatherhurts

Thanks Kate and Heather. I think my BP is up from stress. Normally it is low, which is, I wonder, possibly another symptom of RSD or CP? I feel awful even complaining when you guys have it in more places. I have injured myself a few times since being diagnosed so long ago, and every time I expected it would spread. Even my primary care doc who knows little about RSD was worried it would spread. When I fractured my ankle 2 years ago, he was really worried. But other than a little extra pain, there were no RSD symptoms. And the pain wasn't RSDlike.

But this is different. The meds that worked for 14 and 3/4 years, keeping me at a 2-3 in the summer and usually a 4, sometimes 5 in Winter had me at an 8 last night. I know that's not high for some RSD patients but it sure scared me! My muscle relaxant has saved me all these years b/c it truly affects those awful calf and leg spasms. Last night I felt like I hadn't even taken it. I have to remember that it's winter and that means taking my meds every 8 hours whether I feel like it or not.

My knee has been bothering me off and on for months, especially when on the stairs. It could be something simple. I guess my mind just jumped to RSD b/c it made sense that it just spread a few inches up. But I will get it checked out if it continues.

It's so nice to talk to people who know what RSD pain and the spasms, are like. I have a friend with RSD who is treated with painkillers but no muscle relaxers. I can't imagine that! Sometimes the spasms are the worst part! And as I grow older, my lower and upper back problems are getting worse, so it usually helps that, too.

It's probably nothing, just Winteritis, as I call it. ;) Thanks for checking in, and Kate, forgive me. My memory isn't what it used to be!

RSD here too. An exclusive club I wish I didn't belong to.

I also have RSD too. Mine is starting the winter nasties, in a increased pain bout right now, but no it's not worse so far than any other year.
RSD/Pain causes my blood pressure to rise not fall. The more pain the more the rise, sigh.

Good luck to you and hope you find out what the heck is going on,
MM

Add me to the awful list as well. RSD affects my rib cage. In many ways I feel blessed because I know how damn painful it is in my ribs....I just can't imagine if my extremities were affected. I'm praying that it won't spread to my left arm though.

I have a difficult time with canes because of fibro....I've added a walker to my list of disability toys. It's so much easier. I also have a power chair for those very brutal days that it would be impossible to move without it!

Oh honey your not alone. I'm here for you....and Kate and Heatherhurts, and Keeska, and MM! We're all here and understand your pain and your fears.

In regards to your unresponsive pain, I'd check with your doctor. It might be time for an increase in dosage on your muscle relaxers or perhaps even a complete switch of brands.

Its quite likely your blood pressure is high because your pain level has increased and is not controlled at this time. I'm in Michigan and have noticed that my blood pressure which is normally quite low......has jumped around a lot these last few years. I chalked it up to getting older but my PM said that it's more likely my bodies response to a lot of pain.

Keep us appraised of how your doing OK? PM me if there's anything I can do to help.....or you simply need a sounding board:-)

Hugs!

hey thalia jen , i suffer from the same problems u are experiencing : a spike in pain with the weather , not just higher blood pressure but erratic blood pressure . i have fibro . and the pain is very much affected by the cold weather . i think the temperature changes affect us because coldness cause us to tense causing intense muscle spasms , further aggravating both conditions . both my cardiologist and rhuemat . believe these are all related . i am so sorry for your increased symptoms . mine do go into periods of a type of slight remission without warning at times . the best that i can do for myself is not to get too alarmed which of course is the hardest thing of all . stress causes the worse symptoms for me of all . as far as the rsd board is concerned u will find it extremely inactive .

I sent someone to this group from another group who has rsd and needs support. You guys are the greatest. Wishing you a painless holiday.
Anne

I'm in your club! May I have the password to come into the treehouse?

Smurfette.