Thank you for moving my post to autoimmune issues.. As for diagnosis of Erythromelalgia, I had talked with my doctor about the problem, but until I had an actual big red flare in his office I don't think it was taken seriously.. Now he has a picture of my feet in a file and it's listed as another of my health issues. As for treatment, I was already on Cymbalta for depression and have been on antidepressants for years and was also taking Magnesium for constipation. Then we added Gabapentin and it seemed to help my burning feet in the beginning. But a couple of months ago I started itching all over so badly, so I did what I normally do and went on a search for the cause of that. Finally discovered that itching was sometimes a side effect of taking Gabapentin and Magnesium together. So I stopped both. I have lost weight, almost 10 lbs now and am unable to eat more than a few bites of food every few hours, altho when hunger hits me I MUST eat something fast. Just feel that urgent need and start to feel shaky. I am tired and weak and in neuropathic pain up through my thighs now. My husband would like to have his wife back and I don't blame him..
Hello, I noticed that you mentioned itching. Some of your symptoms sound like what I went through for the last 4 years. It turns out that my severe and ongoing itching was caused by my liver and I was diagnosed with Primary Biliary Cholangitis with Autoimmune Hepatitis overlap. Have you had your liver enzymes and liver function tested? It wouldn't hurt to rule out that problem with a simple blood test. Also, I wanted to ask you about your ocular migraines!!!!! I couldn't believe my eyes when I read that you were diagnosed with that. I was too!!! But the ophthalmologist that told me just said that's what it was and that was it! Were you prescribed anything for it? Did the doctor tell you that it was autoimmune as well? I have been so worried about this. Thank you for sharing.
Hello, I noticed that you mentioned itching. Some of your symptoms sound like what I went through for the last 4 years. It turns out that my severe and ongoing itching was caused by my liver and I was diagnosed with Primary Biliary Cholangitis with Autoimmune Hepatitis overlap. Have you had your liver enzymes and liver function tested? It wouldn't hurt to rule out that problem with a simple blood test. Also, I wanted to ask you about your ocular migraines!!!!! I couldn't believe my eyes when I read that you were diagnosed with that. I was too!!! But the ophthalmologist that told me just said that's what it was and that was it! Were you prescribed anything for it? Did the doctor tell you that it was autoimmune as well? I have been so worried about this. Thank you for sharing.
@cinnamon215
Thank you for the suggestion. My regular blood tests all come back surprisingly normal. I agree with the diagnosis of EM for me though. I have textbook symptoms such as the flares (redness, swelling, heat) caused by increased activity, salty or sugary foods, exhaustion, sitting too long, high heat or humidity, etc. I forgot to mention in my original post that I also use a pain cream with imipramine, cyclobenzaprine, and lidocaine applied directly to flares. It helps, but does not much reduce the occurrence of flares.
The Fibromyalgia, Migraines, and my Multiple Chemical Sensitivities actually all fall under the Central Sensitization umbrella. Other disorders such as Restless Leg Syndrome, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, etc. are in this same category. I was told that once a person develops one such issue, then they are at risk for developing other disorders falling under this umbrella. Try googling it for more details, but researchers point to minute damage to the pain receptors in the spinal nerves, as causation.
Anyway, the pain of Ocular Migraines is certainly taxing and worrying. The first time it happened, I thought one of my retinas was detaching due to the showers of white sparks I kept seeing! Luckily I still have my eyesight... I hope you can find some relief from the Migraines.
The pain is much worse if I stand for very long.. I have to keep my feet raised, because if they hang down to the floor they turn bright red and the burning gets awful. My feet feel different temperatures .. hot hot toes and ball of foot, but cold cold heels when flaring. The flares begin with either standing too long or them getting too hot. I avoid sugar now because it seems to make it worse. I distract myself as much as I can by playing games, watching entertaining or educational videos, following my dollhouse miniatures hobby and buying and selling online. I stay in touch with my family in other states by phone and that means a lot to me. My dear husband is wonderful to do the shopping and cooking, altho I still do kitchen detail and some laundry. I'm fortunate that we have a house cleaning team that come once a month.Other than the burning feet and SFN I am healthy, but lack of exercise is taking a toll on that, I'm sure! Thanks for listening... and I would like to hear from others with this malady of Erythromelalgia.
Hi hotfoot, I too have erythromelelagia it has changed my life actually turned it upside down no standing for over 20 minutes, no hot showers, no swimming I. warm pools, I spend most of my days with my feet propped up fans going day and night and sometimes run cold water in the tub and soak my feet until the burning stops. I take gabapentin, cymbalta and propananol 3x daily, if I miss one does of propranolol I'm up in the middle of the night soaking my feet. Horrible disease.
Recently I tried using frozen packs to cool my burning feet.. It helps and is easier than soaking in cold water or sitting in the shower spraying them in the middle of the night.. Hope this helps you...
@hotfooted, Do you mean you are applying frozen gel/ice packs directly to skin? Please be aware that using ice or anything frozen on hot, flaring skin, can cause nerve damage over time. This is due to blood vessels dilating during a flare, which leaves nerves vulnerable to intense cold. Try using an unfrozen gel pack. If you must use ice/ice pack, wrap it in a cloth, and apply for only a short time. It’s less convenient, but worth it in the long run.
Recently I tried using frozen packs to cool my burning feet.. It helps and is easier than soaking in cold water or sitting in the shower spraying them in the middle of the night.. Hope this helps you...
I tried the frozen gel packs & what relief but then the podiatrist said eventually it could damage my skin. I'm now using water bottles filled with water & keep in the refrigerator to stay cold, they really help when I have flare ups which is almost daily, its the ones like people use on the heads for a headache. Sometimes I put ice cubes in the bags to help them to stay colder longer.
Thank you all for warning me about keeping the cold packs on my feet too long.. I am aware of the danger, but only use them for a very very short time.. say 5 minutes or so.. It does help me get back to sleep sooner.. I promise that I'll be careful! Also, I have given up sugar in everything that it's possible and that has made a huge difference in the flareups.. I slept through the entire night last night and it's been years since that's happened..
Hi hotfoot, I too have erythromelelagia it has changed my life actually turned it upside down no standing for over 20 minutes, no hot showers, no swimming I. warm pools, I spend most of my days with my feet propped up fans going day and night and sometimes run cold water in the tub and soak my feet until the burning stops. I take gabapentin, cymbalta and propananol 3x daily, if I miss one does of propranolol I'm up in the middle of the night soaking my feet. Horrible disease.
Hi aluck.. Recently I was finally diagnosed with Diabetes type 2.. I hope you will refer to my most recent posts because I had a wonderful experience while visiting the Nutritionist for the first time.. My feet were purple and flaring dreadfully.. When she saw them like that, she immediately said there is something that many folks swear by an easily available herbal treatment.. It's available from Walmart, Amazon, even on Ebay.. "Frankincense and Myrrh NEUROPATHY"... It comes in a liquid "drops" form and you add a few drops to some hand or face cream, then spread it wherever your pain is.. She used 6 drops mixed with a tablespoon of hand lotion for me... The effect was instant! The flare began to fade and the pain began subsiding.. I ordered some from Amazon Prime and it arrives tomorrow.. I will be posting about how it affects me from now on... Hoping for more of the miraculous relief that I experienced that day! Be aware tho, some folks have responded that it did not work for the particular type of neuropathy/pain... Blessings..
Thank u, I recently started using CBD oil, 3 drops under my tongue 3x's daily it has not relieved all pain but has reduced flare ups, but I will definitely try this oil. Thanks
John, Volunteer Mentor | @johnbishop | May 10, 2019
Hello @hotfooted -- Thanks for the private message. Your question "why is there no specific Group Category for Erythromelalgia? I know Mayo Clinic has doctors and treatments for this condition, so I am puzzled" is similar to questions others might have been thinking so I wanted to address it here.
There is discussion on Connect for Erythromelalgia that I think you are familiar with which is the discussion that I am posting your question in here:
> Groups > Autoimmune Diseases > Erythromelalgia
-- https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/erythromelalgia/
I'm tagging Colleen @colleenyoung our director in case she wants to add any thoughts or corrections. New groups are added to Connect based on activity and need. Since I joined in 2016 Connect has made a lot of significant improvements and added groups and discussions as the need arises.
I would also like to mention a feature on Connect that most members probably are not familiar with - the search function. There is a good discussion on how to use search to find conditions, discussions and more here:
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Hello, I noticed that you mentioned itching. Some of your symptoms sound like what I went through for the last 4 years. It turns out that my severe and ongoing itching was caused by my liver and I was diagnosed with Primary Biliary Cholangitis with Autoimmune Hepatitis overlap. Have you had your liver enzymes and liver function tested? It wouldn't hurt to rule out that problem with a simple blood test. Also, I wanted to ask you about your ocular migraines!!!!! I couldn't believe my eyes when I read that you were diagnosed with that. I was too!!! But the ophthalmologist that told me just said that's what it was and that was it! Were you prescribed anything for it? Did the doctor tell you that it was autoimmune as well? I have been so worried about this. Thank you for sharing.
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Thank you for the suggestion. My regular blood tests all come back surprisingly normal. I agree with the diagnosis of EM for me though. I have textbook symptoms such as the flares (redness, swelling, heat) caused by increased activity, salty or sugary foods, exhaustion, sitting too long, high heat or humidity, etc. I forgot to mention in my original post that I also use a pain cream with imipramine, cyclobenzaprine, and lidocaine applied directly to flares. It helps, but does not much reduce the occurrence of flares.
The Fibromyalgia, Migraines, and my Multiple Chemical Sensitivities actually all fall under the Central Sensitization umbrella. Other disorders such as Restless Leg Syndrome, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, etc. are in this same category. I was told that once a person develops one such issue, then they are at risk for developing other disorders falling under this umbrella. Try googling it for more details, but researchers point to minute damage to the pain receptors in the spinal nerves, as causation.
Anyway, the pain of Ocular Migraines is certainly taxing and worrying. The first time it happened, I thought one of my retinas was detaching due to the showers of white sparks I kept seeing! Luckily I still have my eyesight... I hope you can find some relief from the Migraines.
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1 ReactionHi hotfoot, I too have erythromelelagia it has changed my life actually turned it upside down no standing for over 20 minutes, no hot showers, no swimming I. warm pools, I spend most of my days with my feet propped up fans going day and night and sometimes run cold water in the tub and soak my feet until the burning stops. I take gabapentin, cymbalta and propananol 3x daily, if I miss one does of propranolol I'm up in the middle of the night soaking my feet. Horrible disease.
Recently I tried using frozen packs to cool my burning feet.. It helps and is easier than soaking in cold water or sitting in the shower spraying them in the middle of the night.. Hope this helps you...
@hotfooted, Do you mean you are applying frozen gel/ice packs directly to skin? Please be aware that using ice or anything frozen on hot, flaring skin, can cause nerve damage over time. This is due to blood vessels dilating during a flare, which leaves nerves vulnerable to intense cold. Try using an unfrozen gel pack. If you must use ice/ice pack, wrap it in a cloth, and apply for only a short time. It’s less convenient, but worth it in the long run.
I tried the frozen gel packs & what relief but then the podiatrist said eventually it could damage my skin. I'm now using water bottles filled with water & keep in the refrigerator to stay cold, they really help when I have flare ups which is almost daily, its the ones like people use on the heads for a headache. Sometimes I put ice cubes in the bags to help them to stay colder longer.
Thank you all for warning me about keeping the cold packs on my feet too long.. I am aware of the danger, but only use them for a very very short time.. say 5 minutes or so.. It does help me get back to sleep sooner.. I promise that I'll be careful! Also, I have given up sugar in everything that it's possible and that has made a huge difference in the flareups.. I slept through the entire night last night and it's been years since that's happened..
Hi aluck.. Recently I was finally diagnosed with Diabetes type 2.. I hope you will refer to my most recent posts because I had a wonderful experience while visiting the Nutritionist for the first time.. My feet were purple and flaring dreadfully.. When she saw them like that, she immediately said there is something that many folks swear by an easily available herbal treatment.. It's available from Walmart, Amazon, even on Ebay.. "Frankincense and Myrrh NEUROPATHY"... It comes in a liquid "drops" form and you add a few drops to some hand or face cream, then spread it wherever your pain is.. She used 6 drops mixed with a tablespoon of hand lotion for me... The effect was instant! The flare began to fade and the pain began subsiding.. I ordered some from Amazon Prime and it arrives tomorrow.. I will be posting about how it affects me from now on... Hoping for more of the miraculous relief that I experienced that day! Be aware tho, some folks have responded that it did not work for the particular type of neuropathy/pain... Blessings..
Thank u, I recently started using CBD oil, 3 drops under my tongue 3x's daily it has not relieved all pain but has reduced flare ups, but I will definitely try this oil. Thanks
Hello @hotfooted -- Thanks for the private message. Your question "why is there no specific Group Category for Erythromelalgia? I know Mayo Clinic has doctors and treatments for this condition, so I am puzzled" is similar to questions others might have been thinking so I wanted to address it here.
There is discussion on Connect for Erythromelalgia that I think you are familiar with which is the discussion that I am posting your question in here:
> Groups > Autoimmune Diseases > Erythromelalgia
-- https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/erythromelalgia/
I'm tagging Colleen @colleenyoung our director in case she wants to add any thoughts or corrections. New groups are added to Connect based on activity and need. Since I joined in 2016 Connect has made a lot of significant improvements and added groups and discussions as the need arises.
As you mentioned in your question, Mayo Clinic has doctors and treatments for the condition. Our moderator @kanaazpereira shared a good description that talks about what Mayo Clinic offers earlier in this discussion. Here is a link to Kanaaz's post: https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/erythromelalgia/?pg=1#comment-122070
I would also like to mention a feature on Connect that most members probably are not familiar with - the search function. There is a good discussion on how to use search to find conditions, discussions and more here:
> Groups > Just Want to Talk > Search - It can help you!
-- https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/search-it-can-help-you/
John
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