Hi everyone. I have come here after Dr Google instantly recognized my symptoms. A little bit of history. I live in Cooma NSW Australia. I notice you already have a member, Frostbite from the same small town. I have fibromyalgia and a degenerative lumbar region and live with chronic pain. On January 18, I had a significant fall down the stairs and badly sprained my ankle/foot laterally, high ankle and medially, tearing a number of ligaments and tendons and nerve damage to the sural and the nerve running over the front of my ankle to my second toe. The nerve pain was immediate, unrelenting and while “in the boot” for 8 weeks, my foot was having panic attacks where I had to get the boot off as quickly as possible. Along with colour changes, burning, pins and needles, itching. At 9 weeks I was diagnosed with CRPS by a surgeon and referred for physio with an extremely experienced gentleman who I travel nearly 2 hours there and 2 hours back, who by the way doesnt agree with most people seeking help from Dr Google. Recently I have been having attacks where my foot is hurting then gets Itchy then turns bright red and feels like pins and needles of wasp stings and I have to run to submerge it in cold water again and again. My socks have to be super soft and at times the pain can only be softened by a very soft fluffy blanket gently wrapped around it. My physio says he has heard of nothing like this and my foot/ankle is not showing typical CRPS and suggested we Dr Google so instantly, here I am. Some of the photos are just like how my foot behaves but haven’t thought to take a photo. It is really cold here and I’m having trouble keeping myself warm so generally other than the pain and burning my foot isn’t too bad until I get into the shower. I’m sorry to have meet you all this way. But thank you for sharing so I could find out about this disease. If Frostbite is still watching the conversation, Hello from Cooma. Regards Sharyn
I must also add that I was actually using isoptin (verapamil) for headaches and mood stabilizer over the last year or so as required, particularly when I injured my ankle as my mood was so low. I noted on some of the info pages this may cause EM. And as I think about it my son and I are always arguing over the heater in the car as my feet burn. I always have slept with my feet uncovered or off the end of the bed. My hands also go red on the palms bilaterally and ache and itch and pins and needles and my other foot does get pain also. But I never really “noticed” till I thought about it.
Goodnight All.
Regards Sharyn
I have spoken a number of times with Frostbite. He hasn’t visited the forum in a few years. He is a very likable chap. I wish he would return.
My doctor performed a differential diagnosis between erythromelalgia and CRPS after I began eliciting bilateral symptoms at my knee (front side) following an athletic injury to my knee (only the left). As an anesthesiologist who specializes in pain disorders, he thought I had CRPS. On account of Dr. Google, I thought I had erythromelalgia. He subsequently ordered a bone scan and put me on a sodium channel blocker, mexiletine. After I responded very favorably to mexiletine and my bone scan was normal, he concluded Dr. Google was probably right and I did have erythromelalgia.
I’m always interested when I read origin stories that involve an injury, since that was my experience.
Hi Carter. Funnily enough I have read a few stories over the internet where erythromelalgia has occurred after injury. I’m wondering if it hastens the inevitable onset because the nerves are damaged and irritated or maybe there were subtle signs previously.
Regards Sharyn
There has been some research indicating erythromelalgia may be related to neuropathy and that would seem to suggest injury as a possible triggering mechanism. My symptoms had an explosive onset and then stabilized. I’ve not seen any discernible progression in the 3 years since. Perhaps because I had a finite and not insidious trigger?