Complex Regional Pain Syndrome
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Studying this subject. It is a poorly understood disease. The only real specialist in the USA is Dr. Robert Schwartzman. He is in Philadelphia and Dean of Neurology at Drexel University.

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CPRS - Has anyone had pain relief by getting Botox shots? I have Complex Regional Pain Syndrome after getting a spinal laminectomy/fusion surgery. My right foot swells if I do any activity such as walking, standing, or just sitting with my leg down/not propped up at hip level. The pain can be extreme. I'm taking Lyrica 300 mg d, Cymbalta 60 mg d, and have used large doses of opiates like Opana 80 mg. I've even had a spinal stimulator but it didn't work well and was removed (one doc later told me the stimulator by Boston Scientific is "junk"). I'm 44 and concerned about damage to my liver and kidneys from taking opiates for the rest of my life. I've seen articles that Botox can help with CPRS -- but don't want to spend the $4000 if it isn't covered by insurance.

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Goldie:

You should know that the FDA has recently approved a new medication called Butrans (Buprenorphine Transdermal System 5, 10 and 20 mcg/h). It is specifically made for pain management and made from the same medication in Suboxone/Subutex.

I have used it in Europe, before it was approved in the USA. It comes as a skin patch (skin colored) and should last three days, per patch. So, you may want to switch over to Butrans, as it is now available in the USA. Various names of this medication is the number one prescribed medication in Europe for pain management.

It is manufactured in the United States by the same company that makes Oxycontin (Purdue). Here is the link that will take you directly to the page that gives you all of the information about Butrans; http:/­/­www.purdue.ca/­en/­products-research/­prescription-medication

You will like it, as it is 24 hour relief and you just have to change the patch every three days. No more under the tongue stuff, or ingesting any medication. It works the same way Fentanyl works.

I am sure your physician would have no problem switching you, as you are correct, in that, Suboxone is typically made for people trying to get off of Narcotics, while Butrans is made specifically for pain management. Also, Butrans does not have the Naloxone in it, as does Suboxone.

Good luck!

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I was diagnosed with that complex regional pain syndrom after my accident. The ironic thing is I had heard someone talking about on TV a few years prior to my accident and I was like, just another way to get pain meds. It's also called Sympathic Reflex Dystrophy, I have a lot of the symtoms. I have a permanantly broken leg screwed to a titanium rod that I walk on. So, I walk on a broken fibia, the tibia was mainly removed due to mrsa infection getting in the bone. 12 surgeries including a bone graft and it's not going to heal. When I walk even short distances the pain is awful, but it's in my lower back and it feels like knives in both hips. I will break out in a sweat for no reason - I thought it was menopause, but it's one of the symtoms. Regardless, I am off narcotic pain meds except suboxone because I couldn't control them, they controlled me totally. I could take 300 mg's of hydrocodone a day and function - it's when i ran out that I had a problem functioning. The suboxone has completely taken away any desire for lortab - I've had them in my hand and not even cared. They created the sub for people on herion who didn't want to have to go to a methadone clinic. Only certain Dr.'s are allowed to prescribe sub & it is expensive if you don't have insurance. But if you think about how much money you spent on other drugs (if that applies to you) it kind of puts it in perspective.

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I have no doubt that you are correct and I'm also sure that just like with Fibromyalgia, there are still doctors that do not believe it exists and that this results in some patients being misdiagnosed and their disease being poorly managed.

Here's the link to a pretty comprehensive article on it, as well as source references with more information:

https:/­/­rxchat.com/­wiki/­Complex_regional_pain_syndrome/­

Are there any other comments or questions?

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