burning infeet, tingling and itching

[Guest guest]

NEUROPATHY

Gabe Mirkin, M.D.

If you lose feeling in a particular part of your body, lose control of your

muscles or have abnormal nerve sensations such unexplained pain, burning in

your feet, tingling or itching, you usually have a neuropathy: nerve damage.

Nerves can be damaged by something pinching or stretching them, such as

excessive pressure from moving a limb repeatedly, as in carpal tunnel syndrome

in

your hand, scar tissue, or a disc problem in your back. Nerves can also be

damaged by lack of a vitamin, such as B12 in pernicious anemia, diabetes,

infections

such as Lyme disease, shingles and herpes, poisonings such a by heavy metals

like mercury and lead and diseases such as multiple sclerosis.

Pain in your thumb and three fingers next to it is usually caused by a pinched

nerve in your palm called carpal tunnel syndrome, but all cases of neuropathy

can be caused by generalized diseases. At the very least, your doctor should

order a vitamin B12 level to check for pernicious anemia, a hemoglobin A1C

to check for diabetes, a Lyme antibody to check for infectious diseases spread

by tick bites and herpes titers to see if you have had a recent infection

with that virus. You should never ignore a neuropathy because many causes are

controllable before you suffer permanent damage to your nerves. If you have

diabetes,/ lose weight, eat high fiber, low-fat and take medication. If you have

pernicious anemia, take B12 pills. If you have herpes, take acyclovir,

and if you have Lyme disease, take long term antibiotics. If you have severe

pain from your neuropathy, you can treat it with an anticonvulsant pill called

Tegretol (200 mg three times a day) and topical 0.025% capsaicin cream three

times a day.

AP Isakov, JR Broome, AJ Dutka. Acute carpal tunnel syndrome in a diver:

Evidence of peripheral nervous system involvement in decompression illness.

ls

of Emergency Medicine 28: 1 (JUL 1996):90-93.

Checked 8/9/05

[Guest guest]

Hi Harry,

Thanks for this one! I have some problem with it, and now I know why my leg

is sore after swimming recently. Too much excessive movement on my

non-stroke side. Thanks again.

Ruth

burning infeet, tingling and itching

NEUROPATHY

Gabe Mirkin, M.D.

If you lose feeling in a particular part of your body, lose control of your

muscles or have abnormal nerve sensations such unexplained pain, burning in

your feet, tingling or itching, you usually have a neuropathy: nerve damage.

Nerves can be damaged by something pinching or stretching them, such as

excessive pressure from moving a limb repeatedly, as in carpal tunnel

syndrome in your hand, scar tissue, or a disc problem in your back. Nerves

can also be damaged by lack of a vitamin, such as B12 in pernicious anemia,

diabetes, infections such as Lyme disease, shingles and herpes, poisonings

such a by heavy metals like mercury and lead and diseases such as multiple

sclerosis.

Pain in your thumb and three fingers next to it is usually caused by a

pinched nerve in your palm called carpal tunnel syndrome, but all cases of

neuropathy can be caused by generalized diseases. At the very least, your

doctor should order a vitamin B12 level to check for pernicious anemia, a

hemoglobin A1C to check for diabetes, a Lyme antibody to check for

infectious diseases spread by tick bites and herpes titers to see if you

have had a recent infection with that virus. You should never ignore a

neuropathy because many causes are controllable before you suffer permanent

damage to your nerves. If you have diabetes,/ lose weight, eat high fiber,

low-fat and take medication. If you have pernicious anemia, take B12 pills.

If you have herpes, take acyclovir, and if you have Lyme disease, take long

term antibiotics. If you have severe pain from your neuropathy, you can

treat it with an anticonvulsant pill called Tegretol (200 mg three times a

day) and topical 0.025% capsaicin cream three times a day.

AP Isakov, JR Broome, AJ Dutka. Acute carpal tunnel syndrome in a diver:

Evidence of peripheral nervous system involvement in decompression illness.

ls of Emergency Medicine 28: 1 (JUL 1996):90-93.

Checked 8/9/05