Fingertip sensation, not tingling/numbness

[jimmymcgill]

Hello I'm currently experiencing a panic attack. I've have this weird feeling in my fingertip for a day or two. It feels like it's not quite a pain, but kind of like that annoying feeling where it feels like you're being tickled to the point it hurts. It's almost like the fingertip is oversensitive, and feels like a pulse/throb more than something that moves around. It's only in one fingertip and it comes and goes. I have OCD and this is the arm where I focus a lot of my rituals (pinching my arm to prove it's not numb, I even pinch the leg on that side.) I was scratched by a cat on this arm but completed a full round of shots. Now before you say that it's probably from pinching, I don't feel any symptoms in any place other than the fingertip in my fourth finger (the ring finger I think?) and wouldn't I sooner feel something in the wrist? It gets worse when I press my finger nail into my callus, but sometimes it also makes it go away?

I'm nervous because it's starting to be annoying and I'm really scared because I don't want it to be a neurological disease. I can't find any explanation for why this is happening, and no matter how many times I google "tickly fingertip sensation" I get back "tingling" so i don't know if it's bad that no one else, not even on anxiety websites, has brought it up.

I think it started getting worse when I started paying attention to it, which points to it not quite being psychosomatic, but the intensity probably is. I've had symptoms blow up from me fixating on them and I've also had symptoms appear when I google them. Is what I'm experiencing sensorimotor obsession related? I have a pathological fear of death and every time I think "this is so annoying I want to chop off my finger to make it stop" I then think "oh my god I'm losing rationality that means there's something wrong with me"

Sorry if this post broke any rules I kind of went straight to posting because i need reassurance, and I don't like to browse the form idly too much because r**ies is a big anxiety trigger for me, to the point even reading the word is stressful. Sorry for the word wall also. I'm know i'm rambling.

edit: toned down and trimmed this post

[tan235]

I guess the question is - what do you think it is and do you really think it's something sinister. I don't know anything that starts with a tingling finger. I, however sometimes get that sensation in my hands or body, I"ll feel like something is on it and I'll brush it off but it comes back, almost like a cell phone vibrating on my body - I've always related it to stress and given I've had it on and off for about 5 years I'd say I'm right .. I'd relate the sensation to nerve damage perhaps, that feels like tingling burning, truth be told, If it were me I'd find something to distract myself .... make something, play with lego ... do something with your hands so you can ease off the OCD thoughts..

[jimmymcgill]

I guess the question is - what do you think it is and do you really think it's something sinister. I don't know anything that starts with a tingling finger. I, however sometimes get that sensation in my hands or body, I"ll feel like something is on it and I'll brush it off but it comes back, almost like a cell phone vibrating on my body - I've always related it to stress and given I've had it on and off for about 5 years I'd say I'm right .. I'd relate the sensation to nerve damage perhaps, that feels like tingling burning, truth be told, If it were me I'd find something to distract myself .... make something, play with lego ... do something with your hands so you can ease off the OCD thoughts..

I feel like it's a start of something neurological rather than purely physical. It's not a tingle and it doesn't feel like a burn either, it also doesn't feel like something is on my finger. And I don't know what could have caused nerve damage in just one finger tip either. And right before I posted this i had been doing something online to distract myself, but the sensation bothered me and i'm scared what nerve damage could mean for my health. Right after I posted this it started to feel a little bit better but there's still a slightly lingering sensation. Thank you for your response

edit: Also, i'm very sorry that you've had your symptoms for ~5 years.