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PN and painful cracks on fingertips
Sometimes I want to blame everything on my neuropathy. For as long as I can remember, I have suffered with painful cracks in my fingertips. It only occurs in the winter. I know it’s related to dry skin and cold weather. The tips of my thumbs are rough and peeling year round. But these cracks - they occur in a matter of hours some days, and are so painful. I use lotions, creams, ointments, etc - I understand the treatment. What works best is the liquid bandage product. It stings though!
My question is, do a high percentage of PN patients have this? My fingertips stay slightly numb, and I know the nerves are damaged.
Just curious.
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Hi @julbpat - My hands are always dry and sometimes with cracks. Like you said winter is harder on them for me also. I have used the liquid bandage stuff and while it does work it can really sting if you have an open spot in the skin. Kind of reminds me of the New Skin product for bowling that I used to use. I'm not sure if it's the same stuff but I think so. What has really helped with my dry skin on the hands is keeping some O'Keefe's hand and foot stuff - https://okeeffescompany.com/products/working-hands. I actually found it in a local hardware store years ago and try to keep a tube or can of it handy.
O'Keefe's is a product I've never tried. I will buy some (after reading the label, of course!) and try it. Also, I recently had OT for my dizziness. He used a red laser tool on my stiff and painful neck and shoulders. It worked! He also treated me to some hand therapy with it, even though it wasn't related to dizziness. I'm going to get one and try it on my fingertips! Just ordered it from Amazon. He and the other therapists had done the research, and actually each purchased one for themselves. I'll let you know how it works. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B4NTX5JQ?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&ref_=cm_sw_r_cp_ud_dp_9QQ3ZYC2MZ2ARRBZB3X4
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2 ReactionsI get those and despite having neuropathy and a lupus diagnosis, have always blamed those cracks on winter dryness. Now that my kids are grown and I don't do dishes and keep the heat way down, I don't get them!
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2 ReactionsI've had painful cracked and peeling fingertips in winter since high school. I was (trying) to play basketball and I remember seeing blood all over the ball.