Severe Breakout Pain in second toe

I am a 70 year old man and I have suffered with intermittent chronic pain of my second toe every other day. While toe pain sounds trivial I can assure you that it is not, for it has robbed me of any quality of life. The pain feels I am being stabbed in the toe with a ice pick or stung by hornets over and over every few seconds and the pain lasts for 24 hours. Since the pain is so severe I can’t sleep therefore I only sleep every other day which makes life unbearable. My pain usually starts between 2:00am to 3:30am and will last until that time the next night and then stops and I am totally pain free until it starts back up again 24 hours latter. I have seen over 20 doctors and specialists and none of them has been able to diagnose the source of the pain and all of them are baffled as why the pain starts or stops like clockwork. The regularity of this pain has gone on for over 5 years! My wife told me today that she was looking over her prayer list of people that she had prayed for over time and her journal was dated 2008 and it listed her praying for my suffering of toe pain clear back then. I always thought my toe pain started over 15 years ago and that proved it and as I remember it flared up only once or twice a week back then. Over time it has only increased in the frequency of pain to where it is now. Things that I have tried, NSAIDS, Vicodin, Norco, morphine, gabapentin, Lyrica and Cymbalta. I have had Cortizone shots in my foot as well as directly in the joint of the toe. Earlier this year a pain specialist did a RFA ( burned the nerves) at the base of my toe and when that did not help he burned the nerves again without any relief. My family physician wondered if possibly my brain was sending pain signals when there wasn’t any physical reason to do so. He assured me that he didn’t think I was crazy, but he told me that he wanted to try a psychotic drug to see if that might help, but all that did was send me to the emergency room. I am at my wits end not only of pain, but sleep deprivation as well and while my condition may not be life threatening it surely is life robbing! I must conclude be saying this, since I mentioned my wife’s prayer journal of nearly 15 years ago I did so as a point of reference of the length of my suffering. Since I am still suffering with pain I in no way trying to doubt the power of prayer. I hope that my post will be seen and hopefully someone might have some insight as to my condition and a form of treatment.
God Bless

Thank you for sharing your experience I am glad that icing and Advil helped you. Unfortunately nothing helps eliminate my pain! I have tried icing, Advil, Tylenol, Norco, Gabapentin, Lyrica, Cymbalta and even Morphine, but nothing helps. I have suffered with intermittent every other day pain for many years and none of the twenty plus doctors and specialists that I have seen have been able to diagnose or treat my condition. I truly appreciate everyone who shares their thoughts and suggestions with me and hopefully someday by the grace of God the answer to my suffering will be found.