gout & neuropathy in fingers - Neuropathy Message Board

nanell · 12-22-2008, 02:00 PM

Does anyone have both gout & neuropathy? My fingers are such a mess. The pain is unreal most all the time. My children are the only reason I continue to tough it out each day. The pain triples each time I wash my hair, touch clothing, bump them or basically do anything with my hands or fingers. Doing the laundry is the most painful chore, with dishing washing close behind. I can't put anything in my pockets without doing it delicately making sure whatever it is is sticking out so I can grasp just the end. Gloves & mittens are impossible to wear. It is so cold here I just stay inside. I isolate myself so much of time so my young adult children don't see the pain that radiates from face & tensed body. I have clenched my teeth so hard that I lost many of them from fractures. At one point I even signed myself into a place because I feared not being able to cope another day. Many doctors passed me off, not finding anything. Finally a new PC said gout which after researching I found it to be so correct with all my symptons.(sp?) I'm not a drinker but did enjoy a glass of wine now & then. I cut that out immediately. I even went down to 110 lbs from being scared to eat anything that might make it worse or just plain couldn't/didn't want to eat. I ended up in an ER & had to have a blood transfusion...3 bags my sis said! That is when a neuro doc said I also have neuropathy. I take 1200mg neurontin, but I am still in constant pain. I'm so fatigue that I can not push myself to do anything. Besides it will just make the pain worse. I'm depressed so bad. This pain rules my every breath. Typing this with my one & only good finger, has worn me out. I want to look forward to grandchildren.....reap the rewards of raising such wonderful, happy children. I want to enjoy spending time with them. But I mostly just want to go to my room or their guest room and be alone to deal with the pain. Jabbing, stabbing, burning, throbbing......a feeling of sandpaper being rubbed on my finger pads....what a way to live. I am sorry to read of so many in pain. For awhile I thought it was just me. This is so sad that there are so many. God bless you all.

nanell · 12-23-2008, 10:48 AM

Thank you for replying. I have tried everything ever mentioned to cure this gout. I have spent a huge amount of money on 'cures'. I'm beyond broke now. Right after Xmas exactly 2 years ago, I woke up during the night with my left thumb, pointer & middle finger swollen to about 3 times normal size. The pain was unbelievable. My PC said she thought I had slivers because there were dark dots on the pad of my thumb. I knew that could not be as I had no point of entry but also I wondered if maybe it was from wreath making....maybe tiny pieces. It only got worse and more fingers became involved after I foolishly tried to remove the 'slivers'. 6 months later I went to a different PC who said I had gout and had storage of cystallized uric acid in my finger pads, under my nails and in my joints. He started me on allopurinol which seemed to make it worse but slowly over the next year it did diminished the build up in my joints. So that was a year and a half into my daily ordeal and the point where I collapsed from malnutrition & anemia. The neuro doc that saw me in the hospital said I have neuropathy. Now that was 6 months ago and although the build up of gout is down, I still see no end in sight in regards to this pain.

nanell · 12-25-2008, 12:28 PM

ummhh....

I really did reply to message someone else posted to me!

Merry Christmas to all of you. I hope today finds you in less pain than usual.

Aussie100 · 12-29-2008, 01:39 PM

Hi, could be a couple of things going on, i am wondering if you have had a nerve conduction test for carpal tunnel and have you had a MRI on your cervical spine, long term use of the drug allopurinol has been known cause peripheral neuropathy in a small percentage of some people, but after the drug is ceased symptoms improve.
Have they tried steriod injections to reduce the inflamation ? another thought is the use of splints when sleeping to see if it is comming from compressed median nerves, just seems strange that if the uric acid is well controlled but your symptoms haven't improved, what ongoing treatment has that neuro recommended for your terrible pain ?
best of luck
Aussie