Severe Burning Fingers
 

I was recently diagnosed with Peripheral Neuropathy. All of my fingers on both hands, excluding my pinkies, burn as if they are on fire. Heat is a trigger for the pain which is only eased by holding ice. This lasts for several hours. I've taken motrin and it did absolutely nothing. I've also taken hydrocodon and again the pain did not stop or ease up a noticeable amount. This has been going on for a couple of months now. The pain has even gotten worse and spread into the palms of my hands.

I have had lab tests done to try and determine the cause. I have no vitamin deficiencies. None what so ever. I am very healthy in that area. I was tested for diabetes, celiac disease, thyriod disorders, blood counts, and the like. Absolutely nothing was even slightly off. I have no idea what to try next. I do not want to exhaust myself and my finances trying to solve this mystery when I may never even find an answer. What do you guys think? Any related experiences? Suggested tests?

Some background information may be helpful: I have suffered a back injury, however the damage was to the lumbar region (L1 and L4) so probably not related, also never had problems with it since the injuries have healed. I do have psychological problems, especially severe GAD which manifests into psychical aliments quite often, but never before anything like this. My GP does not think these have anything to do with the problem. I am also a 23 year old female and no other existing problems that I am aware of.

Welcome to NeuroTalk:

I would get your B12 levels in numbers, to see if you are below the new recommended low of 400pg/ml. Most labs report levels of 200 as "normal".... and they are not.

Also I would look to your daily routines. Soaps you use, things your hands are exposed to. Do they burn more at night? If so wearing the splints for carpal tunnel may help at night.

Are you on birth control pills? Those deplete lots of nutrients. If you are I can get you a list of those. Hormones in women and pregnancy can cause compression of the carpal tunnel in some women.

Do you lift weights or go to a gym or do something strenuous with your hands? Do you have loss of strength in your hands at all? Keep a journal and see if certain foods trigger you... the nightshades in particular can cause lots of burning in some people. (potatoes, tomatoes, peppers, eggplant and some hot seasonings, and paprika).

Some jobs like Pharmacy technician or Pharmacist that require opening safety caps on bottles all day long can really aggravate the carpal tunnel in the wrist. You can tap the inner wrist, with a wooden spoon, about an inch below the thumb and if you get tingling sensations, that is Tinel's sign...that shows you have some compression going on.

Yes, my B12 is above 400pg/ml.

I am not on any medications including birth control. I do not do any of those types of activities. I've already been told from medical professionals that I do not have carpal tunnel. While it is similar, it's the wrong fingers. My thumb is not always in pain, or the pain there is often less than the middle 3 fingers, and it is both hands.

I have been keeping up with things to see what triggers me, thus I know it is heat. Even a hot shower will start the pain. Not even every time, it seems completely random, but nothing else seems to trigger it. Without being exposed to heat there is no pain. It often starts out mild and then gradually becomes severe over a couple of hours. The food does not seem to matter.

I actually just did the spoon tapping, and no tingling. The doctor did quite a few tests with reflexes, vibrations, and stuff like that and it all checked out. He suggested a virus that could pass, but months later, I'm not so sure anymore.

Welcome TheHowlingWolf. :Wave-Hello:

Thanks for that update:

Here is something to try:

Magnesium lotion applied topically can block pain receptors (called NMDA receptors).

I'll give an example... I fell asleep the other night with my heating pad on my left side for a GI cramp. Normally I follow my past Chiro's advice and only do it for about 15 minutes. But I fell asleep... next day and the day after I had mega pain in my side-- no burn--but deep inside like lightning strikes. I rubbed in a generous amount of Morton Epsom lotion, that I use for other areas, into it, as I was desperate. In 10 minutes all the pain was gone, and has remained so for 2 days now.

http://www.walmart.com/ip/23711655?w...082072&veh=sem

This is at most WalMart's locally where I get mine. Also some Walgreen's, and online at Amazon. Use only a little --say a dime's amount on each hand. I'd go for the inner wrist first as I have good response for my carpal tunnel there. Rub into the fingers and a bit on top. If this does not work at least for some of the burning in the first 2 days, then do the elbow areas. If that does not work, then do the neck the next day.

Do you lift heavy weights during the day? Kids, dog food bags?
Do you rest your elbows on tables alot?

If none of this works at all, then the dorsal roots may be damaged. This can happen with viral illnesses, or vaccines.
The dorsal roots lie along the outside of the spine, along the vertebrae, and are way stations for sensory nerves going to the brain. They can get damaged and then send erroneous signals as a result. People vary in their ability to repair them...it is a genetic issue.

http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/thread147771.html
more at this thread.

But the Morton's is really fantastic for cramping muscles, improving circulation, providing magnesium to the body to use, and blocking those pesky NMDA pain receptors. Many of us here on NeuroTalk use this lotion with great success. It is so inexpensive and lasts a long time. It is really a small miracle.
Not all stores carry it however. That is why I give the short list of those that do here.

Once a day application is all you need of a modest amount.
If it stings going on, then you have some skin problem...it should not sting at all on normal skin. Just rub it in well.