Extreme pain in my feet. Neuropathy
This started in Aug. 2008 at age 43, I put my sneaker on and it felt like the sock was bunched up at the tip of my big toe. Adjusted the sock and it was still there, checked the sneaker and found nothing. I finally went to buy new sneakers and thats when concern set in, it was the same feeling when trying on new sneakers. No pain at this time. a few months went by and felt some discomfort in my toes in both feet, my doc sent me to a foot doc, he said it wasn't my feet but something effecting my feet, maybe my lower spine? The discomfort in my toes/ball of my feet stared becoming painful as time went on. in 2011 I went to see a neurologist, got an MRI and there was some issues but nothing major, also no diabetes. I basically got nowhere. The pain would start in the afternoons and night. When I woke up it would go away, my feet almost felt normal but sometime in the afternoon it would start, pain level was low to midrange. I started putting a large blue gel icepack around my foot at night while in my recliner, switching off each foot. The cold would help. That eventually led to putting my feet in a foot basin with ice and water. The pain gradually got worse. In 2021 it finally moved from only being on my toes/ball of my feet to my arch and top of my foot. Took a chance with the neurologist again but got nowhere. in 2022 I started to get sharp stabbing/electric jolts, not all the time, some days nothing, then one toe would get a shard stab every 5-10 minutes. When this happens its usually the same place, the next time a different to. It seems to now effect my legs from the knee down. Sometimes when in the recliner my calves feel discomfort. I never had a lot of hair on my legs and the hair was a light color, almost white but I notice there is no hair from my knee down. Early this year it moved to my hands. Not nearly as bad as my feet and sometimes they dont bother me. The odd thing is warm water makes them feel better when they hurt where as my feet ice water takes some of the pain away.
A few notes. Does not effect my motor skills and never had pins and needles. Ove the last 8 yrs I've tried Tramadol, then went to Neurontin and now Lyrica. Now of them help with the pain. The only thing that helps is Percocet but cant get a permanent script for that. I actually have a few but dont take them because of the Lyrica(Pregabalin), 200mg 3 times a day. Money is an issue to, no insurance. I also tried the usual like ALA, B1, b12, turmeric etc I spent a lot of money over the yrs, nothing ever worked. The burning part I thought may be Erythromelalgia which it cold still be along with neuropathy. Whats the pain like at times? I tell my wife its like getting your foot run over by a truck, them having boiling water poured on it. Its two pains, a deep nerve pain with a burning pain.
Anyone have a similar experience? I just want pain relief and to fix this issue. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
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I had almost identical problems to yours with the feet and hands along with electric feeling zaps. I also started having internal tremors. I had a plethora of tests done by a neurologist which showed nothing. Later she decided to test my B6 level and it was way too high. I was not taking a lot of B6- only about 2 times the RDA (some in a multivitamin and some in a B complex but it was accumulating in me. She told me to stop all vitamin B6 supplements including foods fortified with B6 like cereal. It took about 4 or 5 months but I finally got back to normal. If you have not been test for B6 then I would suggest doing that.
The doctors will never admit that medicine can have adverse reactions. Yet, often it is referenced in the insert/directions that come with these meds. We do need solutions. My numb and tingling feet are begging for help.
The immediate period after the nerve damage is key, after a few months/years the odds reduce. It took me over a year for a full diagnosis and when on the fringes (ie not diabetes, alcohol etc) the core neurologists don't have time.
I am not surprised at the doctors' reaction. I took methylprednisolone--a form of prednisone for two days and now have neuropathy that is not getting better. The doctors have yet to offer me a diagnosis or solution. They all want to continue doing more tests. Can you hear the anger in my voice?