[Pyr2]

Hi everyone, have been going thru a diagnostic nightmare since August of muscle spasms in neck/traps causing occipital headaches,cramps in forearms*and toes and twitching. I have been worked up extensively (3 brain mris, cervical, spinal tap, emg, mra, blood, etc). I do have cervical issues but likely not causing symptoms.

In addition to the above, I have recently begun having vague foot issues. Occasional stabbbing pains at the tips of my second toe and it will burn by itself and ball of foot hurts esp. when I stand on toes. This has sort of "moved" to the other foot a bit. Very crampy ankle pain, and vague soreness in my feet all over. I am an athlete and always in sneakers and now the sneakers feel tight and my feet ache me. No numbing, just some burning, pains and light tingling.

Is this how you all began? I am getting a repeat EMG this week. Dr. thinks possibly small fiber, b/c honestly, I get patchy burning sensations all over my body, scalp, tongue, face, shoulders, etc.

I have been cleared of MS and remain terrified of ALS despite the neuros saying no. I have also had some weird internal tremors while I sleep, and involuntary swallowing (the reflex just kicks in). Makes me think something wrong with my autonomic nervous system too. I seem to have nerve issues all over my body going wrong at once.....

Any ideas? Can you twitch, spasm etc witn neuropathy?

[IllPn]

mine started with burning feet then buzzing
nerves fire on and off over and over when I exercise it gets stronger

[Dr. Smith]

Originally Posted by Pyr2

Is this how you all began?

You know those old ribald jokes that answer every question with the same phrase (e.g. "between the sheets", "that's what s/he said", "if you don't, somebody else will"... )?

Well, around here, the phrase that answers every question is, "Everyone's different."

So some of us began very nearly the same as you, some quite different, and anywhere in-between.

I guess another way to put it is, "PNs are like fingerprints/snowflakes—every one is different."

Doc

[AussieDebbie]

Originally Posted by Pyr2

Hi everyone, have been going thru a diagnostic nightmare since August of muscle spasms in neck/traps causing occipital headaches,cramps in forearms*and toes and twitching. I have been worked up extensively (3 brain mris, cervical, spinal tap, emg, mra, blood, etc). I do have cervical issues but likely not causing symptoms.

In addition to the above, I have recently begun having vague foot issues. Occasional stabbbing pains at the tips of my second toe and it will burn by itself and ball of foot hurts esp. when I stand on toes. This has sort of "moved" to the other foot a bit. Very crampy ankle pain, and vague soreness in my feet all over. I am an athlete and always in sneakers and now the sneakers feel tight and my feet ache me. No numbing, just some burning, pains and light tingling.

Is this how you all began? I am getting a repeat EMG this week. Dr. thinks possibly small fiber, b/c honestly, I get patchy burning sensations all over my body, scalp, tongue, face, shoulders, etc.

I have been cleared of MS and remain terrified of ALS despite the neuros saying no. I have also had some weird internal tremors while I sleep, and involuntary swallowing (the reflex just kicks in). Makes me think something wrong with my autonomic nervous system too. I seem to have nerve issues all over my body going wrong at once.....

Any ideas? Can you twitch, spasm etc witn neuropathy?

You are an athlete, you run a lot. The pain is mostly in toes and ankles.

I'm no expert but this sounds like Plantar Fasciitis perhaps rather than Neuropathy. I'm not saying you don't have PN, but if I were you I'd read up on PF and see if that fits?

One telling difference with PF is that the pain is worse in the morning, whereas PN is often worse at night.

My opinion, not claiming to know here, I'm new to all this too. And yes, everyone is indeed different.

[St George 2013]

My 2 cents worth.......if they keep pushing the dx of small fiber neuropathy they can easily confirm with a skin biopsy. Not a big deal as far as the biopsy is concerned but sure did help my piece of mind when it was confirmed.

Debi from Georgia

[hopeful]

Originally Posted by St George 2013

My 2 cents worth.......if they keep pushing the dx of small fiber neuropathy they can easily confirm with a skin biopsy. Not a big deal as far as the biopsy is concerned but sure did help my piece of mind when it was confirmed.

Debi from Georgia

Hi,
I couldn't agree more. The biopsy is not difficult to have done. It did help with my piece of mind also.
Hopefu

[mrsD]

Could your shoes be too tight? Not enough toe box room?

I use Morton Epsom lotion on the tops of the feet when I have
cramping or swelling issues.

http://www.amazon.com/Morton-Epsom-L...s+epsom+lotion

apply once a day just a little bit (a quarter's dollop for each instep)
and see what happens Nightime is best and will help you sleep too.

I have high insteps so I lace my shoes in a different pattern to take the pressure off ...really helps the toes.

This website has the lacing patterns on it, and other information in a very complete way to help with mechanical foot problems:
http://www.northcoastfootcare.com/

Toes often get deposits of calcium and/or uric acid, in some people and those hurt. Should show up in blood testing and perhaps in fingers too.

Have you ever had Xrays of the feet to see if you have sesamoid bone problems? Or spurs?

[beatle]

Originally Posted by Dr. Smith

"PNs are like fingerprints/snowflakes—every one is different."

I concur! It is perplexing to me how someone with the same diagnosis as me (PN) can experience symptoms so differently. Some say they can't wear shoes at all and need to be barefoot whereas I literally can't walk without shoes. Others say they wake up with pain, tingling, numbness, etc., from being inactive during sleep and they subsequently improve throughout the day. For me, most days I wake up good and think I will be fine and the symptoms creep up and I can't medicate, pop the supplements, get my feet in water, apply Biofreeze and magnesium cream soon enough! Almost forgot the Rebuilder and Anodyne.

I digress. No two are the same.

[Synnove]

hi Pyr 2

Sorry to hear about all the diagnostic testing you have to go through. I can immagine you perhaps feel quite worrisome about all of this. It can be quite some exhausting times when one has to wait for all the test results and in all the meantime often feeling quite sick to begin with.

I too, have been going through something similar for a very long time, and apparenty, no end in sight.

I agree with the above posters regarding getting the skin punchbiosy for nerve count.

I have PN and also SFN. My first symptom of neuropathy started with the GU system and later traveled down legs to feet. It took months.
Now, at present I have symptoms of burning pain basically all over. (scalp, face included) The worst paresthesia symptoms I feel, is in my arms. In addition to the usual pins and needles burning and numbness, I have a feeling of spasm of all the musles in the arms sometimes.
AND, Mrs D, today was the day I was able to get the MORTON's EPSON lotion. I have tried it on my arms.

Pyr 2 , are these the symptoms you are feeling?

Do you have any issues with the discs in your cervical spine? Sometimes that can cause parestesia in arms if you have radiculopathy from herniated discs.
I hope the doctors will be able to give you a diagnosis soon

Best regards
Synnove

[IH8PN]

Originally Posted by Pyr2

In addition to the above, I have recently begun having vague foot issues. Occasional stabbbing pains at the tips of my second toe and it will burn by itself and ball of foot hurts esp. when I stand on toes. This has sort of "moved" to the other foot a bit. Very crampy ankle pain, and vague soreness in my feet all over. I am an athlete and always in sneakers and now the sneakers feel tight and my feet ache me. No numbing, just some burning, pains and light tingling.

Not to scare you but those symptoms sound similar to the way my PN started. Vague soreness in one foot, stabbing pains, burning pain, shoes feeling tight, altered sensations in one foot that moved to the other foot a month later. Initially I was diagnosed with plantar fasciitis which now I realize it obviously was not.

Could be nothing, but you may have to wait awhile until symptoms manifest and become more apparent to really now for sure. I wish you luck.