Hi everyone. I am a 25 year old female and I haven't been diagnosed with anything yet, but I think I probably will be soon.

About three months ago I had an episode where both of my hands went totally numb from the wrist down. At first I was diagnosed with carpal tunnel, since I work on a computer all day, and was given wrist splints, which helped, but not totally. I saw a neurologist and an EMG ruled out carpal tunnel entirely. The doctor said I was too young for carpal tunnel anyway, it was all due to anxiety and sent me home. His nurse practioner mentioned in passing the possibility of small fiber neuropathy. I do have a history of anxiety, I went home, kept wearing the splints just in case, and eventually the numbness went completely away. I felt great.

At the end of June, I started having terrible headaches and I eventually figured out my neck was the cause of the pain. I wound up with a pretty stiff neck, but by sleeping with a pillow the neck has healed almost entirely. The 4th of July was my last day of really bad neck pain. Since then it's been OK.

Then, just a few days ago, on Wednesday, I was going to work and noticed a burning in both of my hands... not really pain but that a prickly, needle like sensation. It went away but kept coming back... Every five to ten minutes I would have a little wave of tingliness. It has not stopped since then, and I have since developed little shots of pain, like I am being zapped with something in my hands. It helps me to take warm baths, and yesterday I tried exercise and that helped briefly... it's not in my legs at all, just my arms. When it first started it hurt me to comb my hair out in the morning. The last couple days I have not noticed any problem. Is it normal for the pain triggers to change like that? I am not overweight. I don't have good nutrition, I admit - I don't eat much, probably two small meals a day - but I don't think it could possibly be diabetes! Could it all be due to my neck?

Remembering what the nurse said I did some research online and found out about PN. Everything I read says that it is progressive, debilitating, you have to be on heavy, heavy pain meds, it gets worse and worse, there is nothing they can do. It doesn't hurt so bad right now, and it's not constant, but I am terrified and feel so hopeless... I am 25 years old. Everyone I find who has this seems to be middle-aged or older and while I feel for them, it's not the same. Before 2010 I was healthy as a horse and I don't understand why this is happening to me. Do I really have to look forward to fifty+ years of being on powerful drugs? What I want most in life is to have a family and I'm engaged to be married, but you can't be pregnant and taking all those pills can you?

I know I should go see a doctor but it seems pointless. It seems like the doctor can do nothing but help me "manage my pain" and at this point there is not much pain to manage... I have read "don't leave it go, it will get worse if you don't do anything about it" but does treating the pain slow down the disease? It will get worse, regardless. I know this is a lousy attitude to have since I have had only 5 days of symptoms... but I can't help it. I'm sitting here at the computer crying... is there any hope at all? Do young people get idiopathic PN? I'm so sorry for this post which must seem like a rant. I just don't know what to do.