View Full Version : Peripheral Neuropathy
Hi all,
So after my freak out about MS ive now convinced myself it's not MS but peripheral neuropathy. I have pins and needles in most places and on and off numbness (not full numbness but more reduced feeling). My toes often go numb too. I'm not diabetic so I know that reduces my risk by a lot but someone suggested on here the other day that my tingling In my leg could be that and now I can't get it out of my head.
I have random pain every so often - but I also have fibro so I put it down to that! I'm driving myself mad again :-(
I'm seeing a neuro on Wednesday of next week because of recent migraines so I am going to mention this all to her - I actually saw the same neuro last year with similar symptoms and she said that it was anxiety related / hypersensitive nervous system.
I feel so anxious again because of it but wasn't feeling anxious before the symptoms started. X
This is something I have took more then a passive interest in over the last 2 years, I started to get tingling/burning sensations of my hands and feet, my gp ordered a b12/folate blood test which came out too high not low! and has continually came out too high.
However I do not seem to have any of the things which could potentially cause PN, nnot been checked for autoimmune diseases, have found it hard to be listened to.
Have you gone back since?
I'm so worried about it now :-(
I have this in my feet due to chemo treatment. There is NO mistaking it. It's constant and does not come and go. It's not just pins and needles but painful stabbing pains along with an overall numbness to cold, heat and pain. I take 900-1200mg of Gabopentin daily just for some relief. Fun fun eh?
Based on what you describe, it's not PN.
Positive thoughts
Oh comments here sometimes can scare us, I know. This is how my ALS fear began and it is now out of control.
Your symptoms sound like anxiety, I have buzzing sensation and a burning spot under my right foot and twitches all over.
Fishmanpa, Im sorry you suffer with PN. I hope the meds help? I didn't realise it didn't come and go, mine comes and goes. More pins and needles than pain. And I can still feel pain in soles of feet.
Popejoan, I know. One sentence can make your mind go into overdrive! How are you now?
Hi Daisy, yes you are right. it is still better than google but definitely even one sentence is enough for you to convince yourself you have that disease. I'm not doing very well at the moment, fear is intense, going to see my GP on Friday and will ask if he can prescribe me some anti anxiety medication. Can't go on like this.
Fishmanpa, Im sorry you suffer with PN. I hope the meds help? I didn't realise it didn't come and go, mine comes and goes. More pins and needles than pain. And I can still feel pain in soles of feet.
It feels like I'm walking on scrunched up socks all the time. I have a constant numbness yet feel pins, needles and stabbing pains that make me flinch and cringe. Here's an example... My wife and I were working on a project and she dropped a rather large screwdriver on my foot. It really didn't hurt at all. The next day I had a bruise like it had been stepped on by an elephant! I've stubbed my toe and while it hurt, I didn't realize I had really hurt myself until there was blood everywhere! It's similar to diabetes type numbness in that I have to be careful and wear socks at all times.
The meds help with the really bad stabbing pains and take away some of the pins and needles. Like I said, what you're describing is not what I have and I have PN.
Positive thoughts
Sorry to hear you have PN, fish. I'm assuming other rational explainations are anxiety/stress either directly or indirectly, as it seems possible Benign Fascilation Syndrome can also cause tingling/burning apart from its usual twitching.
My case with twitching is kind of strange, I had a major health anxiety issue with believing I had CJD back in 2002, it ws kickstarted by my vision getting problems with ghosting in both eyes, nothing was found to be wrong at that time, So I started to believe it was CJD, I had twitching, jerking you name it. It wasnt CJD ofc either and it wasnt until 2012 I discovered my eye issues were actually corneal disease.
I discovered it was corneal disease (keratoconus) purely because my left eye got much worst - its at the stage now where I am awaiting an operation on my cornea. But before this was found out there was a month or 2 months wait for appointments and so on, I started getting headaches, which made me jump to Brain Tumors, unfortunately I have been unable to shift this fear, I have periods where I dont think about it but as soon as any sensation/symptom appears off I go again, so at present im back twitching, pins and needles, tingles that are like bee stings randomly around the body and burning senations of my lower legs.
Fishmanpa, I'm sorry to hear you have it. Does it affect you a lot, other than the pain? I hope it eases for you.
Popejoan, i really feel for you because i know how much anxiety can consume you. it definitely shouldn't be underestimated. People say to me, don't worry until it happens which i do try and do but it doesn't help someone to say that when they suffer with anxiety...i've always been anxious. Have you looked into cbt? I found that helped me quite a bit. I worry less than i used to. Theres nothing wrong with going on tablets for a bit, even if it helps you break the cycle. You can't go on feeling like you do :(
Vigilante, BFS is definitely a concern for me - although i don't get worried about it because i twitch all the time! My left arm didn't stop twitching for about 2 weeks before but stopped when i used the muscle which always reassures me. I convinced myself i had CJD too, actually one day i plan to write a post of all the things i have convinced myself i have had! I would have been dead a long time ago had i have had them all! I hope your operation goes well x
Fishmanpa, I'm sorry to hear you have it. Does it affect you a lot, other than the pain? I hope it eases for you.
Popejoan, i really feel for you because i know how much anxiety can consume you. it definitely shouldn't be underestimated. People say to me, don't worry until it happens which i do try and do but it doesn't help someone to say that when they suffer with anxiety...i've always been anxious. Have you looked into cbt? I found that helped me quite a bit. I worry less than i used to. Theres nothing wrong with going on tablets for a bit, even if it helps you break the cycle. You can't go on feeling like you do :(
Vigilante, BFS is definitely a concern for me - although i don't get worried about it because i twitch all the time! My left arm didn't stop twitching for about 2 weeks before but stopped when i used the muscle which always reassures me. I convinced myself i had CJD too, actually one day i plan to write a post of all the things i have convinced myself i have had! I would have been dead a long time ago had i have had them all! I hope your operation goes well x
Thanks
Yeah I do think BFS would make sense alongside health anxiety, I have had twitching on and off like a random spot and its gone again, same for PN type symptoms, burning feet/hands/pins and needles in hands while asleep but that is episodic too, but at times it can just be ignored, I guess at times of worst anxiety states it all comes out to play.:doh:
I was feeling great before xmas and over xmas, but first I had pre-op for my eye which I was dreading (scared of being knocked out as silly as that sounds) my bp was far too high so they will not operate untill it is confirmed under control from gp, then a few other life stressors it was endless for a few weeks and I have been wrecked with symptoms ever since.
As for my bp - just another anxiety sign really, gps tried ace inhibitors didnt touch my levels, I asked for propranolol instead which I was told is not great for bp issues, my bp dropped from 160+/105+ to 120/130/70s, just using 80 mg sustained release, which is more an anxiety type dose.
My dad has this and he definitely knows it. To be honest though, it tends to be a catchall diagnosis covering a range of causes and symptoms or when the precise cause can't be found as it just means nerve disease or damage in the peripheral nervous system. Please don't research it because it will lead you down all sorts of paths.
As always, Dr. Google is not very well qualified and gives terrible diagnoses. I innocently used him once as I thought I might be getting flu which I've never had and wanted to know what the exact symptoms were. By the time I'd finished, he diagnosed me with anthrax. Best to trust a real doctor. (It was just a cold btw)
Pip
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