Burning and creeping skin pain - Im new to here!

[julia21]

Hi , Ive been suffering with burning pricking skin sensations on the right side of my body for over 2 months. Also pain and pins and needles in my left arm and left foot goes numb. Its so severe it is constant and keeps me awake at night too. Im getting very anxious night sweats and palpitations too. Been to the doctor who said it may be a pinched nerve...or that I may have had shingles and this is post pain...He gave me amitripaline. Made me sleepy at first but no longer helping with the constant pain. Now given me gabapentin to try. Im worried about taking these medications .. they are not a cure and only may mask the problem . Has anybody tried any other treatments or OTC drugs?? Feeling worried and desperate

[holehead]

Hi Julia 21

Have you had any recent blood tests you could post,as there are good people on the site who can support/ suggest options etc.

[julia21 in reply to holehead]

Hello, I m off to see a neurologist this Thursday, don't know if I should start the gabatentin the doctor gave me? I m sure he will do some blood tests. My doctor saying I might of had shingles is worrying me after saying it was a compressed nerve.. let's hope I know what I'm dealing with and how to sort my constant pain.

[Joannemlf]

Hi Burning,

I have small fiber neuropathy which causes all of those symptoms and more. Is the doctor you have been seeing a neurologist? If not, I highly recommend seeing one. I had unexplainable pain, (several types of pain): including tingling, numbness, pins and needles, burning etc. My neurologist took a biopsy from the outside of my leg just above the ankle, then sent it away to be studied. They actually count the number of nerve endings in the skin. If the count is not above a certain range, then you most likely have it too. I also had an EMG (nerve conduction test, to check the large throughout the body. That turned out that I had only slight neuropathy, so when the biopsy turned up positive for small fiber neuropathy, my doctor wasn't surprised. The lower the count in the skin, the worse the illness is. I have it in all four limbs, both shoulders, both hips and lower back. Recently I've been having small parts of the trunk of my body having sporadic, similar types of pain which means it continues to spread. I highly recommend definitely pursuing this possibility. At the very least it could rule out that illness.

[julia21 in reply to Joannemlf]

Thankyou Joanne, your condition sounds hard to bear. Do you take any medication for it and what is the outlook like for you? Yes my gp is referring me to a neurologist I'm seeing next Thursday! I'm very worry about what they might find? Been researching and nerve tumours come up!!

[julia21 in reply to Joannemlf]

Hello are you under any medication for your symptoms?

[julia21 in reply to Joannemlf]

Hello Joanne are you on any medication now to help with your symptoms,?

[julia21 in reply to Joannemlf]

Hi Joanne saw neurologist he's sent me for various blood tests and I've had an MRI on my spine and brain today! He told me to start gabapentin but I'm too scared to take this medication until I get a clear diagnosis.do you take anything or otc drugs that help you.

[Lisahelen]

Im assuming as you have got as far as seeing the neurologist, you have had bloods done. These should be including your b12 folate ferritin iron etc. Low b12 can often cause the symptoms you list. If you have results of bloods check to see if they have been tested. If not, you could mention it during your appointment and question the possibility.

[julia21 in reply to Lisahelen]

Thanks I haven't had bloods tested yet, see the neurologist this Thursday. Hopefully give me some answers to my pain and symptoms

[julia21 in reply to Lisahelen]

Awaiting blood test and had MRI on spine and brain today ! Back to see neurologist next Tuesday hopefully with a plan and diagnosis! Feel quite unwell at the moment! Not sleeping and tingling and numbness!

[holehead]

Hi

Agree with Lisa Helen get full bloods including B12,folate ferritin and VIT D

My B12 deficiency comes with similar symptoms but don't self medicate until you get tested

[julia21 in reply to holehead]

OK thankyou for your advice

[stephbriggsuk]

I was diagnosed with erythromelalgia (EM, or "man on fire") and Raynaud's a few years ago, although I have suffered from both for as long as I can remember. My feet and lower legs turn BRIGHT RED, with burning and tingling. It's been compared to having second-degree burns.

Medication for Raynaud's is available - nifedipine - which increases capillary flow, but in turn, it can make EM worse. What I've been allowed to do by my doctor is decide to take the nifedipine only if the Raynaud's flares up, and to stop it whenever the Raynaud's seems to be less of a problem as the weather warms up.

The EM tends to flare more as the weather warms up, whereas the Raynaud's kicks up in winter. Interestingly, my symptoms for both were fairly mild and didn't require medication...until I moved from Winnipeg, my hometown in Canada, to the UK. I suspect the higher humidity in the UK, especially during winters, may have been a factor. Winnipeg winters are much colder and dryer.

I use Dramamine (Gravol), which works most of the time, and occasionally paracetamol. My mom also has both diseases, and it's believed there's a strong genetic component to EM as well as Raynaud's; Mom's brother also has Raynaud's. Research is ongoing for treatments but at the moment, none are available to the general public as far as I know, which sucks.

This talks about the gene that's believed to cause EM: wired.com/2017/04/the-cure-...

This has general information resources for support and research updates: erythromelalgia.org/