Abstract

Regional sympathetic dystrophy syndrome (reflex sympathetic dystrophy, complex regional pain syndrome) is a multifactorial disorder characterized by chronic pain, edema, sweating, sensory changes, and temperature disturbance in affected extremities. In the September/ October 2005 issue of the International Journal of Pharmaceutical Compounding, the successful treatment of artist Karen Balzer, who suffers from total body regional sympathetic dystrophy syndrome, was described. At that time, a compounded solution of morphine administered by an implanted intrathecal infusion pump provided her only relief from constant overall burning paresthesia and severe chronic pain in her legs and feet. In this article, that case is revisited, and Balzer’s current treatment with oral methadone (which is simpler and less expensive than her prior therapy but equally as effective) is described with comment from her pain management specialist, Jack P. McNulty, MD. Formulations for compounded oral, subcutaneous, and transdermal fo

Related Keywords

• Jane Vail
• regional sympathetic dystrophy syndrome
• RDS
• complex regional pain syndrome
• CRPS
• neuropathic pain
• neuropathy
• neuralgia
• pain control
• pain management
• analgesia
• analgesics
• methadone
• NMDA blocker
• N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor antagonist

Related Categories

• FORMULATIONS
• PAIN MANAGEMENT
• CASE REPORTS
• DOSAGE FORMS/DRUG CARRIERS
• NEUROLOGY