Weird toe shooting sensation

[whaleharbor]

I'm thinking this must be inflammation related but wondering if any of you have had this.

When I step on my left foot, my left second toe has a weirdo shooting/numb sensation for the first few steps and then it goes away.  Also happens when I've been sitting for a while and then take the first few steps.

Just one little part of one toe.

If I press on the ball of my foot under the toe it mimics the sensation for the first few presses and then resolves itself completely

There is no pain, no visible swelling…

I used to not worry about every little thing but it seems like the better I get the more I worry….

—whaleharbor

 

Minocycline 100mg every other day with food...lots of food: Zydus brand. Celecoxib 200mg twice per day: Greenstone brand.

[linda]

No history of diabetes? It sort of sounds like the kind of sensation that people get with neuralgia, nerve damage from diabetes, altho they usually say it also burns or stings. I know, it's difficult not to worry about everything, and just about the time you decide to go to a doctor, the symptom disappears only to be replaced by some other weird thing! Very frustrating.

[Maz]

[user=217]whaleharbor[/user] wrote:

When I step on my left foot, my left second toe has a weirdo shooting/numb sensation for the first few steps and then it goes away.  Also happens when I've been sitting for a while and then take the first few steps.

Just one little part of one toe.

If I press on the ball of my foot under the toe it mimics the sensation for the first few presses and then resolves itself completely

Hi Whaleharbor,

I have this Morton's neuroma between my third and fourth toe of my left foot and shooting pain/numbess were the first symptoms. Apparently Morton's neuroma are very common particularly in women (of course!) and not necessarily related to RA. It's basically scar tissue that encapsulates the nerve between the bones of the ball of the foot. It's more usual for this to occur in the ball between the third and fourth toes, though I understand RA (plantar) nodules can also produce similar symptoms, depending on location. Also, Morton's neuroma is usually very painful and can make it difficult to walk…like walking on a pea, too. I can't feel the neuroma from the plantar side of my foot, but when I put my full weight on my foot, I can feel a slight bulge between the affected toes from the top. I think podriatrist's usually likely to try orthotic devices first and sometimes they spontaneously disappear. I'm taking fibolytic digestive enzymes and hoping this will help remove the scar tissue. In the beginning it was very painful, but I haven't done anything about it as it doesn't hurt anymore…just feels like I'm stepping on a pea for the first few steps and then resolves.

Does this sound anything like your symptoms?

Peace, Maz

 

[whaleharbor]

Linda, Thanks for your feedback and words of encouragement.  Diabetes is very unlikely because my rheumy checks me every 6 months.  Blood sugar is always quite nice and low, but since I'm on prednisone albeit a low dose…he is careful…thankfully.  Just 3 months ago, all was well (God bless).  Plus there is no burning.

Maz, your research is amazing…I think it sounds very similar.  Apparently most common between the 3rd and 4th but also possible on other toes.  There is no pain or stepping on a pea sensation at all but otherwise, sounds surprisingly similar.

I apologize to you all.  After 2 decades of relentless RA hell….18 months of normalcy with minocycline has been such a blessing…but any hint of pain or unusual sensation causes complete panic in me.  😯

Thank you Linda and Maz and all of you for your compassion. 

Hopefully it will not persist but if it does, I'll get it checked out and report it here for some poor person in the future reading this archived posting wanting to know what  happened.

I appreciate you all more than words can say.

— whaleharbor

 

Minocycline 100mg every other day with food...lots of food: Zydus brand. Celecoxib 200mg twice per day: Greenstone brand.

[whaleharbor]

Just an update for posterity…

I went to my orthopaedic surgeon today who confirmed a morton's neuroma and gave a cortisone shot in the foot.  The shot wasn't too bad..but I've been through a lot of cortisone shots in my time…

He took x-rays (not that you can see a neuroma on an x-ray but I guess to rule out other stuff…) and said my feet looked pretty good.  Showed me my arthritic areas but I was surprised that they were not much, much worse looking.  😀

Maz you are the expert diagnostician.

— whaleharbor

 

Minocycline 100mg every other day with food...lots of food: Zydus brand. Celecoxib 200mg twice per day: Greenstone brand.

[Maz]

[user=217]whaleharbor[/user] wrote:

I went to my orthopaedic surgeon today who confirmed a morton's neuroma and gave a cortisone shot in the foot.  The shot wasn't too bad..but I've been through a lot of cortisone shots in my time…

Whaleharbor, thanks so much for the update! These sundry things are such a nuisance, aren't they? As if we don't have enough to contend with. :X Do you take any fibrolytic digestive enzymes to help with breaking up fibrotic tissue? Just wondering, because I noticed a big difference when I temporarily stopped my Neprinol…it was when my Morton's neuroma first appeared. Then, when I restarted them about a month later, the pain went away entirely. I just have the knot there now. Doesn't seem to be getting any bigger either. Same thing with the Dupuytren's nodule on my palm.

Also, in the recent thread where Dupuytren's is discussed, Trudi posted a great German website (thanks Trudi) and I did a bit of searching on it last night and they've found that when NAC (N-Acetyl Cysteine) is used, it can also break up these collagenous tissue build-ups. I'm using both, but didn't realise NAC was also good for this purpose…knew it was good to prevent lung fibrosis, but didn't know it could help with fibrotic tissue elsewhere in the body….doh! :doh: Trudi, if you're reading this…thanks for posting that site!

Whaleharbor…hopefully the steroid shot will take care of the pain for you and just wondered if the above info might be helpful to you, too….anything is worth avoiding surgery.

Peace, Maz

PS This is the link to Joanne's palm nodule thread, but saw you posted on this thread, so you will likely read it, too, anyway. 😉 For others interested in NAC for breaking up fibrotic tissue, this is the thread where Trudi posted the German website about Dupuytren's and their studies of NAC:

http://rbfbb.org/view_topic.php?id=3175&forum_id=1&jump_to=28640

[Trudi]

[user=27]Maz[/user] wrote:

Trudi, if you're reading this…thanks for posting that site!

Your welcome, Maz :).  Your the sleuth, though, coming across the NAC on the website.  You don't leave any stone unturned!!

Trudi

Lyme/RA; AP 4/2008 off and on to 3/2010; past use of quinolones may be the cause of my current problems, (including wheelchair use); all supplements (which can aggravate the condition) were discontinued on 10/14/2012. Am now treating for the homozygous MTHFR 1298 mutation. Off of all pain meds since Spring '14 (was on them for years--doctor is amazed--me too). Back on pain med 1/2017. Reinfected? Frozen shoulder?

[marg]

Morton's neuroma – nasty. I have this in my left foot. It only became persistent and quite painful about a year ago.

In researching on the net I read that DANSKO shoes often help. These are clog type shoes and the toes are bent up so there is no pressure on the neuroma. Starting with the first pair I had almost immediate relief! Now I have 5 pair – most I went to Buffalo to buy as the few styles here in Ontario were certainly not with fashion in mind!!

If you live in the States, the web site http://www.endless.com has tons of styles and good delivery ( but they don't deliver out of the country).

These shoes may not help everyone with this condition but they are wonderful for me.

[Patti D]

Hi Maz,
You know I have those toe bumps as well below the base of my 3rd toe. I am also getting prolotherapy for the cyst on my wrist & little finger. Would NAC help with a ganglion cyst which are what both cysts are.
So lumpy, so bumpy, so grumpy and now dumpy. Oh yeah lets not forget the mother of all cysts the thyroid isthmus. I would like to get rid of all of these little extras.
Shoes are really difficult to buy if you want some to look like a work shoe.I developed 2 big bunnies as well at the base of both big toes.

None of this is slowing me down though, Haleluia!!!
Patti

[Maz]

[user=287]Patti D[/user] wrote:

You know I have those toe bumps as well below the base of my 3rd toe. I am also getting prolotherapy for the cyst on my wrist & little finger. Would NAC help with a ganglion cyst which are what both cysts are.

Hi Patti,

I'm really not sure – good question! As far as the article that Trudi posted mentioned re: NAC and Dupuytren's nodules, it didn't exactly cure them, but it did help to soften the nodules and reduce the effects of contractures. This is just my best guess, but I would think that NAC in combination with fibrolytic digestive enzymes would be good for helping all forms of fibrous nodules/cysts. Not entirely sure a ganglion is fibrous in nature, because an old home remedy for them is to smash a book on them! OUCH! My merry isthmus hurts just thinking about it! :roll-laugh: Think your prolotherapy may be a kinder, gentler method than the book method.

There are some reasonable versions of serrapeptase and nattokinase out there, like Drs Best on http://www.vitacost.com which may well help the toe bumps, if they are fibrotic in nature, like Morton's neuroma and Dupuytrens.

Sheesh, I should go to bed now…nearly 1am!

Marg – thanks so much for the Dansko shoe suggestion. I've heard their clogs are great and will look into buying a pair. I love slip ons that are so easy to get on an off…if they help take the pressure off the Morton's neuroma, too, then this is a great benefit. Cheers!

Peace, Maz

 

[whaleharbor]

[user=27]Maz[/user] wrote:

[user=217]whaleharbor[/user] wrote:

Whaleharbor, thanks so much for the update! These sundry things are such a nuisance, aren't they? As if we don't have enough to contend with. :X Do you take any fibrolytic digestive enzymes to help with breaking up fibrotic tissue?

I will have to look into this   Thanks again Maz for all you do for all of us.  You have helped me so much I can't even begin to tell you.

— whaleharbor

Minocycline 100mg every other day with food...lots of food: Zydus brand. Celecoxib 200mg twice per day: Greenstone brand.

[Kim]

I love my Dansko shoes…….can wear them all day.

kim

[Author]

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