Some very good advice here. Yes, the gout thing has been considered. But my previous doctor never seemed to want to deal with issues. Just throw meds at symptoms. For instance, when I asked her and showed the big toe thing she threw Endo-something at me. I was to take in a way similar to how you take steroids. I didn't take the stuff. It was guaranteed to tear my stomach up and I don't like it when she throws meds at things without knowing exactly what's being treated. It's like shooting at the dark. You can't see the target let alone know what the target is.

Don't think it's a spur. It's not in that area. The pain I mean and it's not like that kind of pain you described, MrsD. I've never been one to wear tight shoes. Can't wear any kind of heel either and haven't been able to for many years. My feet, right across the ball area, would get so sore from just a few hours of wearing heels (even the so called 'flats' with the tiny half-inch or less heel) that I couldn't walk well or without pain for several days afterwards. I'm at a bit of a disadvantage in that being adopted I know very little of my family medical history. So gout, arthritis and other things like that are a big unknown.

My previous doc didn't even bother to x-ray the ball area. How's that for common sense?

A number of years ago I had what I believe was a gout attack. The ball of my left foot, the same one giving me trouble now, swelled up and was so painful no matter what I took for the pain...I couldn't even touch it. I wanted to rip the toe off it hurt so badly. What's going on now feels like the same pain only muted compared to that attack. And so far no redness and swelling like what I saw that one time.

And the last blood work done for auto-immune was aimed specifically at the PN diagnosis, looking for specific things known to be associated with PN. So that's due as well I believe. Thanks, Billye.

It's just when one has PN and things start happening like this one tends to panic. "OMG! It's spreading!!" Sigh. And not having a diagnosis lends itself to this panic cause I don't know what to expect...or not.

My other half did point out to me a little while ago that the thing with my hands....if it was 'just' the carpal tunnel it would be odd to see it happening in both hands at the same time to the same degree in both. I hadn't thought of that aspect of it til he mentioned that. Sigh, that scares me.