This Is MS Multiple Sclerosis Community: Knowledge & Support

Anyone tell me if this sounds like something familiar:

Sudden onset of shards-of-glass/burning pain in the small joints of my hands/wrists and feet. Symmetrical. Made worse by cold (such as washing hands), made better by heat (such as washing hands with hot water). Better with rest, worse with use.

[No pain at all if I kept joints warm and rested.]

Largely cleared up after about 10 ten days, with some residual ache for another week. Still sensitive to overuse.

No redness or swelling.

***

Anyone ever run into something like this? What was the cause?

GP and orthopedist both think it is some kind of peripheral neuropathy. I see the neuro in mid-december.

Thoughts in the meantime? Just be crazy and throw it all out there.

Thanks!

Jen.

oh yeah the frost bite pain. at first I thought you were talking about the stigmata pain but yeah if it is the same deep ache that I get it is a peripheral axonal pain. mine is usually followed by the inability to move my toes, sometime higher and higher like the song Im being swallowed by a boa constrictor.

Yes - deep ache. Feels like it is in the joints/tendons.

And it gets worse with use? Does that sound right?

Okay, this is super helpful - thank you!

Jen.

Do a search on Raynauds Syndrome. I got this earlier this year. Had to keep my hands very warm to help with the pain, and running under hot water helped heaps.
It's something to do with circulation and blood vessels, can be secondary to other problems.

Thanks -- I had thought about that. Didn't know if Raynaud's also had the thing where using your hands (feet) made the pain worse.

Sure did! If I forgot and grabbed a door handle the wrong way - Really painful, almost like a sprain. Had to really watch what I did for a few weeks.

Okay - interesting. That's a possibility. Thanks!

Hey there, sorry to hear about the pain you are suffering. How long have you been experiencing the numbness for? Are you taking any additional meds? Do you use denture creams? It's been reported that some denture creams can lead to an excess amount of zinc in the body, which sometimes can lead to zinc poisoning. This has in turn been linked to conditions such as neuropathy being diagnosed in people who may not be aware that their denture cream could be the potential root of the problem. Be sure to check this, as there is currently legal action being taken against the makers of poligrip and fixodent, for example, so check your brand/eliminate all doubt. Hope this was helpful. And sorry to waste your time if it wasn't. Best, marsha

Nope, no denture cream -- thanks for the suggestion. Not on any meds.

The worst of the pain lasted about ten days then cleared up. Still prone to achiness with use, but not like it was. Sensitivity to the cold is resolved too.

Jen.