Please help...do I really have SFN?
 

Hello. My story in a nutshell:

--car accident more than a decade ago, chronic back/neck pain, burning feet started a couple of years after that...


I've been in PT and take Lyrica. I recently went to a top notch neurologist who took over an hour to examine me and told me that I have a pinched nerve in my back (ordered CT scans), and that I have Small Fiber Neuropathy. The soles of my feet burn like...well, I can't even describe how they feel. It's horrible. He did a bunch of tests and I guess I'm losing feeling in my legs. I have an appt. in August for a skin biopsy and just got a bunch of blood tests. He said that we need to try to find out the cause of the SFN, but since I have such severe allergies/asthma, that that could be the cause, but he did say that this isn't related to my accident.


I asked him...what if all of the tests are negative, and he looked at me like I was nuts lol and said that they won't be.

I also have other symptoms--trouble swallowing at times, urinary problems, etc. I did recently get tested for some autoimmune diseases b/c I have been waking up with stiff slightly swollen joints in my hands. They hurt, but RA test was negative a few months ago. And iirc, my B12 is okay.

I'm wondering...do you think my skin biopsy will be positive? What if it's negative? Will have have to start from square one? Thank you! This is a lot to digest. It's crazy that there's actually something that explains my horrific pain.

Spinal forum
 

My Neurapathy started four days after a MVA. I believe that the biopsy is the definitive test for SFN, but the pinched nerve in the back could be either cause or complication. you might search the spinal forum here and gain some insite. Good Luck, Ken in Texas.

Did they do a full set of MRI's of your back? If you had a significant back injury from the car accident, there is the potential for syringomyelia to develop down the road - which could cause these type of symptoms.

Some of the other things you describe also certainly suggest the potential for autoimmune issues.

The skin biopsy is such a tough thing. If it's positive, you know there's a problem but it doesn't tell you anything about what's causing it or how to treat it. And if it's negative, your still stuck with the pain and other symptoms - but don't know why.

Sounds like your doctors are going down the right path(s). Hopefully they can find a treatable cause. In the interim, spend some time looking around the forum for things that can help if you don't know the cause (diet, exercise, stress reduction, supplements).

Thank you. Yes...I do have back problems caused by the accident, but the dr. thinks the SFN is different. He's sure that I have it, and it the diagnosis does make sense. So skin biopsies are a reliable way to diagnosis this? There aren't high incidences of false positives/negatives?

My feet didn't start burning right after my accident. I'm not even sure when this started, tbh, b/c I have been dealing with chronic pain for so long, but they have been much worse for the past two years. Since I have back problems I always assumed the burning feet were coming from my back. The neuro had many very interesting tests that he did with paper clips and other little tools and he was positive that this is what's wrong with me. It's fascinating...how much they can tell just by examining you!

It's nice knowing there is a reason for my pain, but I think somewhere in the back of my mind I still had some hope that I'd get better, even after all of these years. Thanks again. I'll take a look around.

Hi Dreamer,
I'm sorry about your pain. Hopefully the dr. can figure out what is causing your neuropathy. Your feet do sound like sfn.
I sent you a private message.

Thanks. I didn't get a PM. Yes,..I do think this diagnosis fits. They tingle as well.