hi there,  I too have rsd in my legs only now, thanks to my great doctor who started ECT about a year ago.  I actually had it in all four limbs, feet, ankles.......

 

It was getting to the point that I could no longer manage a few stairs, or somedays not even leave bed.  I got very depressed,, so the doctor decided to try Cymbalta.  Oh what a mess that was. If you are bipolar, do not use Cymbalta.  I was in the hospital 3 weeks.  Not good.

 

To see me now you could never tell I had RSD unless you spoke to me.  I am able to ride my bike, lift weights, go fishing, things I thought were gone for sure.  I still take meds, but not like I was, 31 pills a day.

 

Good things do happen to people, yet some people won't take the step to get there.

Best wishes,  Sylvia

Tomorrow my son will try transcanial direct current stimulation which is similar to ECT except they use a current 1000 times weaker than in ECT.  He needs to have it done every day for a week and they say it takes 2-3 weeks to know whether it has made a difference.  They are now doing a study on it at Beth Israel in NYC.  If you have RSD in one limb, you can be part of the study.  My son has it in 4 limbs and so does not qualify for the study but can have it as a clinical patient (we have to pay).  I contacted WC to see whether they will pay but they will not pay for anything experimental so I have to see tomorrow just how new this is.  I will update you on the outcome.  ECT seems much more drastic and much more expensive so I hope this smaller current works.  Sylvia, did your insurance pay for the ECT?

Linda

Linda,  Yes my insurance covers the ECT.  Your son qualifies to have disability and Medicare.  It's a Federal Law to deny SDI to anyone suffering from RSD.  I have Medicare as my primary, then my husbands Blue Shield as my secondary.  If you need any more info. in this direction, please let me know.  I hope he does real well with his treatments.  It is a true miracle the way it works.

 

Sylvia

My son has SDD and he just recently got a letter saying he is eligible for Medicare (2 years after the accident).  The letter said nothing about the cost of Medicare so I looked on the web and the cost of Part B is more than he is paying for Blue Cross.  He has Workers Comp and Blue Cross as his secondary and bc he is still an employee, the BC is relatively cheap (a fifth of the price of COBRA about which they sent a ltter in error).  So I deceded it would be better not to have Medicare.  Are there any benefits?