Comlex Regional Pain Syndrome affects every system in the body. It progresses over time bringing new symptoms with it. The CRPS symptoms in this article are symptoms that cannot be put in any category, they are symptoms associated with CRPS. I will also share my personal experiences with them.
A symptom associated with CRPS is an electrical zapping or electric shock type of pain. This CRPS symptom can be very painful. The zapped feeling does not fade once the initial scare or noise is gone. It lingers for hours or even days raising our pain levels even more.
The zapping is caused by damage to the nerve fibers. When there are multiple areas of nerve damage, the nerves become irritated. When this irritation accumulates, the result is a sudden electrical discharge sending the electric shock pain through a limb or the whole body.
The causes of electrical shock pain are things such as, the slamming of a door, being startled by someone, a sudden loud noise, the tv or music being too loud, or the vibration from riding in the car.
To me, the electrical zapping feels like being electrocuted. It strikes like lightning and the pain it causes will usually last a few hours. If the noise is loud enough, I will be in pain for a few hours or sometimes days.
A symptom associated with CRPS that is often overlooked is running a low grade fever. CRPS interferes with the ability to maintain body temperature. It can come and go, or linger for days, weeks or months.
About four days after the symptoms of CRPS began, I started running a low grade fever between 99.1 to 99.7. I was not sick, and there were no signs of an infection. I did not make the connection between a low grade fever and CRPS until after I researched every symptom CRPS could cause. My fever went away after a couple of weeks.
Hot flashes are common among those with CRPS, and affects both men and women. For men, hot flashes can be an uncomfortable subject because they are usually associated with menopausal women. It does not make them any easier to tolerate, but knowing they are a symptom associated with CRPS helps.
My experience with hot flashes has been mild. I am comfortable one minute and feel like I am burning up the next. This happens, on average, once a week. Around the time I am expecting my period, I get them at least once a day. I also have intense night sweats during this time. Normally, night sweats are mild and will not wake me up.
With the exception of the electrical zapping, these symptoms associated with CRPS are not painful, but they certainly make life miserable.
Sources
Personal experience
http://www.rsdrx.com/rsdpuz4.0/puz_79.htm
