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Man, I really hate to even write this, because I hate the pain from PN so much. But I feel it will help others, including me in distinguishing certain pains from other ailments and also to relax some and not panic when you experience a new type of pain.

Describing the pains are in itself hard to do. I basically feel,them in my fingers, hands, toes and feet. Mostly for me it has subsided to only about 3 types now - pins and needles -or stinging sensations, deep, dull aches in the bone or muscle, or a kind of odd tearing pains at my toes or finger tips. Also, sometimes, I get a bloating/numb feeling in my fingers or toes, mostly toes though.

Recently, I have been having a stinging pain felt in the middle of my back, as if being stung by a bee. Around that area, it is all numb - except for the reoccurring stinging sensation. There is no rash or other abnormal thing that I can see.

This has been going on for the last 3 days, the 1st day the worst; the second almost gone, and then now, it seems to have come back in somewhat frequent pulsating episodes.

Point being, I was getting scared I had shingles, or fibromyalgia, or even MS.

The thing is, PN is very similar symptomatically to these since it is a damaged nerve disease, so its hard to decipher.

I personally feel that it's just the "flavor-of-Pain" of the week type of thing - as I often have new and frightening pain sensations for a week or so, before they fade out and turn into something else.

I have had many test done to rule out such things already, but sometimes I get panicked, and think" well, did I really get the right test for MS, or I'll get the question - "Does having neuropathy make me more susceptible to getting things like Shingles, MS, or something else?"

Truthfully I don't know. But I can't run to the hospital, to get a new test redone, every time I feel a new painful sensation, so hopefully this thread here will help alleviate some of our worries about such things.

Anyone else here want to share their "alternating pains" stories. I think it would be very helpful to us all, specifically in putting aside paranoia and unwarranted fears.

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