Burning hands?
 

Hey all - I have a question.
Do you have trouble with your hands burning?
My hands tingle and burn occaisionally, and have residual numbness from those "episodes".
Same as the bottom of my feet.
As I said b4, my right big toe is slightly numb all the time, but I thought the feet got numb first?
Anyway, dumb question.........sorry!

Thanx, Liz

Hello Nursegirl
 

Sent you a private message.
Cathie

My hands are burning all the time. Feet too. :(

NuseGirl
 

Hi -

My PN started as equal opportunity feet and hands - woke up one morning with a complete numb foot up to ankle, and hand up to wrist on the same side of my body - and spread from there..........

THey think auto-immune - but still arent sure.....

Hi there
 

Mine went from feet to knees.
hands to elbows
left shouler.
Isn't this a children song???:hug: Nursegirl Sue

My sxs - primarily pain & burning began in my feet. It was about a year into it before my hands & arms were affected. The pain & burning in my hands has never reached the level in my feet.

Actually, my hands have calmed down some over the past few years. I generally have very little problem when my hands are not being used . . . altho at nite they get very numb until I am up in the AM . . . but any activity brings on discomfort in my hands and at times up to the elbows.

rafi

Today my burning hands make me sad :(

The classical pattern of "length-dependent" neuropathy--
 

--that many physicians are familiar with--that of the longest nerves in the toes and feet being affected first, as they are farthest from the center of circulation--is a common pattern of presentation with diabetic/impaired glucose neuropathies, but it's not the only presentation (or even the only diabetic one).

Not all neuropathies are length dependent--compressive neuropathies (such as radiculopathy--nerve root compression) and autoimmune neuropathies, in particular, can pop up anywhere. So can neuronopathies (often referred to as ganglioneuropathies--attacks on the dorsal root ganglia). And, of course, shingles and its attendant neuropathy can show up anywhere.

What can be annoying are physicians who, if you don't present with the "classic" presentation, assume you don't have peripheral neuropathy and assert your problem must be central nervous system in origin. The brain and spinal cord should be checked, of course, but such physicians need a little continuing education.

Glenn,

I am just adding that my burning hands and feet began AFTER the first fusion I had. I just wonder if freeing up the nerves had something to do with it after a long time of compression. But at the same time the C5/C6 was still bad. After the second fusion it stopped altogether in my hands but it took a few months.

I do have a question though. It is still in my feet. I do have lumbar radiculopathy. The odd thing is no anti-convulsant meds touched the PN in my feet with the exception of Klonopin...it was the only med that helped. And now I am finding that Voltaren makes it almost go completely away! Okay for my question. Isn't PN supposed to "wrap around" completely as in a stocking? Because mine doesn't. It is always just on my outer ankle and foot; worst being the left side. So, I am going to assume it may be more radiculopathy. And, yep, have had thorough and complete tests. The small fiber stuff was supposedly so minute it almost didn't show up.

The patterns of sensory symptoms are quite variable--
 

--in compression neuropathies like radiculopathy. Even in non-compressive neuropathies, some nerves may be affected more than others and one doesn't necessarily experience a "wrap-around".

On other thing--healing nerves often produe similar symptoms to those that are being damaged. It seems as nerves re-grow and try to re-connect, they will produce abnormal sensations it take the brain a while to adjust to and re-interpret (on this board, I, Brian, and I believe others have experienced this). These sensations may be hard to distinguish from those of continuing damage, except in long term retrospect.