Hi - I'm new to this message board and would like to hear from others with similar problem in the hopes that I am heading in the right direction. I'm in my late 30's and have no other health problems or injuries.

About 6 months ago, I begin having a fierce burning sensation in both of my palms. It felt truly and painfully *hot* -- touching cold things, ice packs, etc... really helped. It lasted for a week or two and then was gone.

Around that time I found that my fingertips were really lacking in sensation. But it's subtle... I can feel solid objects, but I can't feel hair or thread or cloth or texture or still water... anything that bends. I feel a little crazy when I try to explain. It also takes a few seconds for me to figure out whether something is hot or cold. It is constant and affects both hands and all fingers.

I went to the neurologist who didn't really do much except a very quick NCS and EMG. He said that the velocity was a little slow and suggestive of Carpal tunnel in one hand. I'm not sure that's right because I don't do any repetitive actions, it came on all at one time and I didn't have a pins and needles feeling. I wore wrist braces and took vitamin B-6 and after two months of no change, decided that was enough.

More recently, I have had some pins and needles sensation at night, but only in my pinky and ring finger. I have woken up lately to find that I had total numbness and couldn't move those fingers until I shook them. I also wonder, though I'm not sure about it, whether I might have some minor atrophy in my hand. I do have a little trouble with things like peeling an onion or buttoning a button or other fidgety little things, but I'm not sure if that's a sensory issue or a motor one.

Also, recently I was playing with my cat and while I could feel her biting and scratching at my hand, it really didn't hurt at all. It scares me a little to realize this, but I don't think I feel pain anywhere on my skin.

In one sense, it's not that big of a deal -- I'm not hurting and the loss of function is not huge. But... it is a bit depressing to me to be unable to feel my children's skin or the texture of cloth or to pet the dog and actually feel her fur. So if I want to dig for an answer, who should I see about this? My GP has tested for B-12 deficiency twice. I get the feeling that whichever specialist I head to, I'll get their take on it... a rheumatologist will think it's some kind of systemic autoimmune issue or a neurologist will think it's spine related and an orthopedist will look for bone spurs or an endocrinologist will think it's a neuropathy from thyroid or diabetes or something. Anyway, what to do? I'd like someone to tell me it's all completely normal and nothing to worry about, but I'm pretty sure I can no longer believe that.