Complex Regional Pain Syndrom

[ThaiPauly]

Hi,

 

After a fall 2 months ago I did something bad  to my foot, and it hurts a lot.

 

Doctor has x-rayed it , says there is nothing broken , but can find no answer to what is wrong with me except that I must have CRPS

 

Has anyone else experienced this problem?   Doc says it could take up to 3 months to heal, but I am at 2 already and there is hardly any difference since the day of my fall.

 

He has put me on a concoction of drugs, the last time I saw him he gave me Arcoxia, and he has repeated that prescription today along with Lyrica and Codegesic  for the pain.

 

Thanks for any info in advance

 

TP.

[carlyai]

I'm no doctor, but to me, when the word Syndrom is introduced, it indicates (to me) , they don't know what the cause is.

Feet are pretty complex, but I'd go for a few other doctors opinions. Be careful of Lyrica. Great drug but..read the literature.
I'd (again I stress, only me and my experience), I'd never use codine again as it causes bad constipation.

Did the doctor check your back for injury?

Back trouble can cause groin, leg and foot pain, but with no back pain.

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[Sheryl]

I fell about 3-4 months ago and landed hard on the side of my foot. When the pain persisted beyond 2 weeks, I saw an ortho at local military hospital who did an Xray, found no fractures, said it was likely a tendon and would get better with time but might take as much as 2 months.

 

I am not certain he did not overlook a hairline fracture (they can be hard to spot and the doctor appeared to be about 12 years old, i.e. a very young resident) but I didn't pursue it  since it was clear from the films there was nothing that would call for a cast.

 

I just waited it out. Now at about 4 months, it is still tender but definitely less than before. There was a very slow but steady improvement over time. I did not do anything other than avoid positions and movements that made it worse, and  pain med at nigh in the beginning.

 

However if at two months it really hurts just as much as it did on the day of the fall, then I think it would be worth seeing a different ortho and getting more films or possibly even a scan depending on where exactly the pain is (?foot or ankle? etc) . Possible the first one missed a fracture. While mine still hurt at 2 months, it definitely hurt less then than it had initially.

 

 

[Sheryl]

P.S. The criteria for a diagnosis of CRPS is pain lasting 6 months or more, and the pain is quite severe and usually not well localized e.g. the whole arm or leg throbs with severe pain

 

Good overview here  http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/complex-regional-pain-syndrome/basics/definition/con-20022844

[ThaiPauly]

Thanks for the info Sheryl.   I have read the link you supplied and I really don't seem to have hardly any of the symptoms they say are common for CRPS. The pain does not occur when resting my foot, only when I am walking , and that is seriously bad sometimes  I have to hang on to a door frame as I have nearly fallen over.

 

When I saw the doc again on Saturday he told me to rest, but when I asked him about exercise ( treadmill) he said yes to that too so I really don't understand what he is telling me, and he is the best ortho doctor at CMR

 

But I think I will take your advice and go to another hospital and see another ortho specialist for another opinion.

[Sheryl]

Please do, from what you describe it really sounds like something was missed.

 

Try Prof. Chanakarn Phornphukul 

 

At Rajavej Hosp or at Sripat

 

 

[wpcoe]

This totally a shot in the dark, but apart from the fall where you injured your foot, your symptoms match my gout attacks.  Have you had your uric acid levels tested recently?

[ThaiPauly]

Thanks wpcoe I will take that under advice, I hurt my big toe as well and that's not getting any better, the first doc I saw mentioned gout

[ThaiPauly]

I went to see the Doctor you recommended Sheryl, by coincidence he had performed an operation on one of my best friends the day before.

 

He has sent me for physio at Rajavej hospital and things are slowly improving, thanks for the tip he certainly knows what he is talking about

Edited September 12, 2017 by ThaiPauly
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[Sheryl]

Glad to hear it.