Numbness/burning sensation in toes

[Guest guest]

I have had numbness at the tip of both of my big toes for over a

year, now. It is now slowly spreading down the pad towards the

joint. My gp is kind of stumped right now, since the xrays show no

damage to my big toe, and the numbness is obvious...I feel

absolutely nothing at the tip, and only a pressing sensation to

about halfway down to the first joint. There is definite pain along

the bottom of my toes between the first and second joint. Also, in

the last two weeks, I have had a severe burning sensation in the

numb area of my right toe. The prednisone and plaquinel have not

helped, at least not yet. She is giving it two more months, and

then will probably send me to a neurologist. She's guessing either

some type of damage to the joint in my toe, or possibly in my ankle.

Has anyone else had this problem, and what caused it? What we do

know is that it is NOT a diabetic issue (I have no signs of diabetes

and my blood sugar is fine, except when the prednisone plays with

it ), and it is NOT a circulation issue. It is driving me nuts,

and I'm now concerned since it has begun to spread.

Oh, and I'm firing my rheumatologist. You probably don't remember,

but last month when I went to find out the results of my xrays, he

said that there was some calcifcation in my foot, and nothing else.

When I asked which foot and where, he looked at the chart, looked me

in the eye, and said it didn't say. Thinking this was odd, I asked

my gp to have them fax over the report. Ahem. Calcification in

BOTH feet, where the achilles tendon meets the plantar fascia.

Right where I thought it would be, but had also thought maybe in my

ankle joints, particularly the right, where there is still on-and-

off pain and significant swelling that is not going down with the

predisone. There wasn't, but that is fine...at least I know, and I

have the RIGHT to know. ALSO, and this really ticked me off, BOTH my

little toes have fused. It does mention that this MAY have been

present since birth, but they are not sure. Um...that is a little

more than just calcification, my friend. Even if it IS benign, he

should have told me. Ooooooo...I'd tell you how I feel about this,

but I don't think cussing is allowed on this board. I'm not some

little old lady who nods and worships everything he says. If he

doesn't want to " bother " with me, he should just tell me, and I

could find someone else. Grrrrr.

[Guest guest]

,

I have a very similar problem. I have no feeling in most of my toes and it

has traveled all back to the middle of my foot. No one knows what the problem

is for

sure. I have a very bad neck with a lot of problems. I believe that this

problem is stemming from that injury. Also my fingers are numb but I do have

carpal tunnel.

I also have burning in my feet plus they can be painful. I just live with it

what else can you do. I know there are many problems in my neck.

Lynn (meMom)

tandarat wrote:

> I have had numbness at the tip of both of my big toes for over a

> year, now. It is now slowly spreading down the pad towards the

> joint. My gp is kind of stumped right now, since the xrays show no

> damage to my big toe, and the numbness is obvious...I feel

> absolutely nothing at the tip, and only a pressing sensation to

> about halfway down to the first joint. There is definite pain along

> the bottom of my toes between the first and second joint. Also, in

> the last two weeks, I have had a severe burning sensation in the

> numb area of my right toe. The prednisone and plaquinel have not

> helped, at least not yet. She is giving it two more months, and

> then will probably send me to a neurologist. She's guessing either

> some type of damage to the joint in my toe, or possibly in my ankle.

>

> Has anyone else had this problem, and what caused it? What we do

> know is that it is NOT a diabetic issue (I have no signs of diabetes

> and my blood sugar is fine, except when the prednisone plays with

> it ), and it is NOT a circulation issue. It is driving me nuts,

> and I'm now concerned since it has begun to spread.

>

> Oh, and I'm firing my rheumatologist. You probably don't remember,

> but last month when I went to find out the results of my xrays, he

> said that there was some calcifcation in my foot, and nothing else.

> When I asked which foot and where, he looked at the chart, looked me

> in the eye, and said it didn't say. Thinking this was odd, I asked

> my gp to have them fax over the report. Ahem. Calcification in

> BOTH feet, where the achilles tendon meets the plantar fascia.

> Right where I thought it would be, but had also thought maybe in my

> ankle joints, particularly the right, where there is still on-and-

> off pain and significant swelling that is not going down with the

> predisone. There wasn't, but that is fine...at least I know, and I

> have the RIGHT to know. ALSO, and this really ticked me off, BOTH my

> little toes have fused. It does mention that this MAY have been

> present since birth, but they are not sure. Um...that is a little

> more than just calcification, my friend. Even if it IS benign, he

> should have told me. Ooooooo...I'd tell you how I feel about this,

> but I don't think cussing is allowed on this board. I'm not some

> little old lady who nods and worships everything he says. If he

> doesn't want to " bother " with me, he should just tell me, and I

> could find someone else. Grrrrr.

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

,

I have a very similar problem. I have no feeling in most of my toes and it

has traveled all back to the middle of my foot. No one knows what the problem

is for

sure. I have a very bad neck with a lot of problems. I believe that this

problem is stemming from that injury. Also my fingers are numb but I do have

carpal tunnel.

I also have burning in my feet plus they can be painful. I just live with it

what else can you do. I know there are many problems in my neck.

Lynn (meMom)

tandarat wrote:

> I have had numbness at the tip of both of my big toes for over a

> year, now. It is now slowly spreading down the pad towards the

> joint. My gp is kind of stumped right now, since the xrays show no

> damage to my big toe, and the numbness is obvious...I feel

> absolutely nothing at the tip, and only a pressing sensation to

> about halfway down to the first joint. There is definite pain along

> the bottom of my toes between the first and second joint. Also, in

> the last two weeks, I have had a severe burning sensation in the

> numb area of my right toe. The prednisone and plaquinel have not

> helped, at least not yet. She is giving it two more months, and

> then will probably send me to a neurologist. She's guessing either

> some type of damage to the joint in my toe, or possibly in my ankle.

>

> Has anyone else had this problem, and what caused it? What we do

> know is that it is NOT a diabetic issue (I have no signs of diabetes

> and my blood sugar is fine, except when the prednisone plays with

> it ), and it is NOT a circulation issue. It is driving me nuts,

> and I'm now concerned since it has begun to spread.

>

> Oh, and I'm firing my rheumatologist. You probably don't remember,

> but last month when I went to find out the results of my xrays, he

> said that there was some calcifcation in my foot, and nothing else.

> When I asked which foot and where, he looked at the chart, looked me

> in the eye, and said it didn't say. Thinking this was odd, I asked

> my gp to have them fax over the report. Ahem. Calcification in

> BOTH feet, where the achilles tendon meets the plantar fascia.

> Right where I thought it would be, but had also thought maybe in my

> ankle joints, particularly the right, where there is still on-and-

> off pain and significant swelling that is not going down with the

> predisone. There wasn't, but that is fine...at least I know, and I

> have the RIGHT to know. ALSO, and this really ticked me off, BOTH my

> little toes have fused. It does mention that this MAY have been

> present since birth, but they are not sure. Um...that is a little

> more than just calcification, my friend. Even if it IS benign, he

> should have told me. Ooooooo...I'd tell you how I feel about this,

> but I don't think cussing is allowed on this board. I'm not some

> little old lady who nods and worships everything he says. If he

> doesn't want to " bother " with me, he should just tell me, and I

> could find someone else. Grrrrr.

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

, The numbness could be caused by a nerve impingement. The

clacifications at the point of origin of the plantar fascia isn't all

that unusual. It is caused by the tear and repair of the plantar

fascia. If you ever get pain in the arch of your foot and/or toward

the ball of your foot, that would be the plantar fascia (plantar

fascitis). If the numbness is getting worse and you are having pain,

then I would go see an orthopedic foot and ankle specialist or a

podiatrist. Orthopedic foot and ankle specialist are more prepared to

treat patients with RA and can treat problems through out the leg

but, podiatrist are also just as trained only they keep there scope

of practice to the ankle down. I don't know that you should wait. If

it is a nerve impingment, then it should be treated before it becomes

permanently damaged. This also will not show up on plain XRays. It

may require different scans, but sometimes foot and ankle specialists

can give you an idea of what is going on just by their exam....Marina

[Guest guest]

That is what my gp thinks may be going on, and she is hoping that it

is being caused by swelling within the joint from RA. The reason

she wants to wait to see if the pred. and plaquinel take effect is

to rule out just the temporary pressure. As I mentioned, I noticed

this first about a year ago, and my mom said it was probably

nothing. I actually thought it might be related to my C-section,

since it was an emergency procedure and I knew they had cut a couple

of nerves (I have reduced feeling in my lower abdomen because of

it). I figured that I may just not have noticed it for six months.

Doc says that I would not have *only* numbness in my toes from

that...it would have to be in my legs, as well. So, she thinks it is

coming from the joint of the " knuckle " of my big toe, which is quite

painful, or my ankle, which has swelling around the joint that will

NOT go away. She will order more tests (something for nerve

conduction...anyone know the name?) if either it does not get better

in the two months, or gets ANY worse than it is, now. I'm figuring

that if there is going to be permanent damage, it probably has

already happened. My fault for not mentioning it, but I wanted to

give it time to go away, and since it wasn't bothering me, really

(only notice if I stub my toe or touch it for some reason), but now

it is getting worse, and I'm losing some of the ability to move it

(it is sluggish, and does not go as high as I tell it to....weird

feeling, and I'm sure what paraplegics feel....I tell it to do

something, and my mind says it is doing it, but it doesn't, or does

it more slowly than my brain is registering).

As for the calcification, I figured it was probably in my heel, like

I said. I've had pretty severe plantar fascitis off and on for

several years. There have been times I literally had to CRAWL to

the shower in the morning. I couldn't stand any weight on my feet

at all until I warmed them up in the shower for a half hour. So

much fun. So, I wasn't surprised. I had just hoped that it also

explained the swelling and pain in my ankles, since the pred has not

reduced the swelling, and it still gets painful if I'm on my feet

for more than a half hour or so, or sit too long.

Oh, and did I mention I have a lumpy boob? Get to go in for an

ultrasound for that. At least I'm not worried....I've got another

benign cyst in the same breast, and my mom has the same problem. No

breast cancer in our family at all, so I'd be surprised if it was

anything other than a cyst. It just sucks that I have to go in for

the tests, especially since I may have found another job.

It SUCKS to be falling apart like this at 37! Geez....I didn't

abuse my body THAT much as a kid, did I?

--- In , " marina_troi " <marina_troi@y...>

wrote:

> , The numbness could be caused by a nerve impingement.

The

> clacifications at the point of origin of the plantar fascia isn't

all

> that unusual. It is caused by the tear and repair of the plantar

> fascia. If you ever get pain in the arch of your foot and/or

toward

> the ball of your foot, that would be the plantar fascia (plantar

> fascitis). If the numbness is getting worse and you are having

pain,

> then I would go see an orthopedic foot and ankle specialist or a

> podiatrist. Orthopedic foot and ankle specialist are more

prepared to

> treat patients with RA and can treat problems through out the leg

> but, podiatrist are also just as trained only they keep there

scope

> of practice to the ankle down. I don't know that you should

wait. If

> it is a nerve impingment, then it should be treated before it

becomes

> permanently damaged. This also will not show up on plain XRays.

It

> may require different scans, but sometimes foot and ankle

specialists

> can give you an idea of what is going on just by their

exam....Marina