Arthritis Forum - Throbbing, Burning, Red, Swollen Hands & Feet NSAIDS no help

I am a 33 year old caucasian female who is otherwise quite healthy. However, for the past three or four years I have been plagued with hands and feet that will feel like they are on fire, swell, throb, get red for no apparent reason. Symptoms first appear in the morning upon waking. Then they seem to come and go throughout the day. This is pretty much a 365 days a year condition. Many times people I know, as well as perfect strangers, will comment on the inflammed appearance of my hands -- at times it can be that noticeable, and always that painful.

I have been tested and re-tested numerous times for all the obvious conditions, such as RA and Lupus, but my blood levels are all within normal range. I always have normal blood pressure, heart rate and temperature. My hands and feet do not get blue or white, or go dead cold, so the docs have ruled out Reynauds. No joint deterioration was shown on x-rays and an EMG test was negative. After many visits to the Rheumatologist I am still without a diagnosis.

Symptoms do not really respond to NSAIDs. While I do seem to get mild relief from the pain with Prednisone, the symptoms themselves do not subside. My primary doctor prescribed Lasix to see if the swelling could be controlled. I've lost tons of water weight, but no difference in the overall swelling, throbbing redness or pain.

Does anyone have any suggestions, ideas...anything? I am at a complete loss. Thanks!

No one responded to you in all this time? See my post here on CMO.

Hi I have similar issues, hands swell painful, red and have been tested for lupus, arthritis, carpal tunnel and tried lasix. I am also investigating the possibility of having thorasic outlet syndrome and what problems it causes. please write back and let me know how you are doing.... also i have awful numbing. S

I am just about to shedule yet another appointment with my doctor. I'm just at the beginning stages of trying to figure this out so I've only been to a dermatologist. I have the same burning, tingling, very swollen feet and hands - and then the skin on top of my feet is red and blotchy when things flare up.

Have either of you had any luck since these posts?

I am a 35 year old male with very similar symptoms. Three months of red, painful hands (very sensitive to the touch) and now the same feeling is on part of my feet. I have some numbness in my finger tips. I seem to have more sweat on my hands than I recall previously. I too have had no blue or cold sensations.

I have done basic bloodwork and likely suspects of RA and lupus seemed to be ruled out. I have gone to two dermatologists who treated me for the small possibility that it is eczema related, but the topical steroids and oral prednisone did nothing.

If anyone gets some helpful information please share!

i am a 22 yr old female...no insurance..sparatically my hands and/or feet get very itchy, then they blow up, they are red and very numb. also the hand gets very hot to the touch, this is usually just one hand not both, and usually my right hand. although sometimes the left hand does it too, but its mostly the right. my whole foot doesn't swell, mostly just the toes. it almost always goes away within an hour or two, but comes back at least twice a month. lately i have been feeling very sick, with what seems to be a cold/flu that hasn't gone away completely for 3 weeks now. i don't know if the two are related, but i don't have money to go to the doctor. i'm so young that i'm very concerned this is something serious. also, if it helps to know, im over weight, but have no cholesterol problems or blood pressure issues. if anybody knows what could be the problem please let me know. THANKS!!

This same thing suddenly started for me about 2 months ago. My hands and feet get very red, sweat and feel tingly and painful. They are sensitive to even wind. In my car, I have to make sure the air vents are aimed away from my hands. I wear support socks and that seems to help me feet. I sweat at night too. My feet and my chest area. Enough that sometime I have to take off my top because it is wet and uncomfortable. I am 35 so I don't think that this is menopause. Do any of you have the sweating going on too? I have had a zillion tests and a CT scan to check my liver and they cannnot find anything. I am going crazy. I just started with a rhuematologist so we'll see. Any sweating out there??

Hi I am a 29 year old female that just recently had similar problems with my hands and feet. It's really the top of fingers and toes on the index and middle finger. It almost looks like blood vessels are broken on them and they itch and are on fire. When I run cold or hot water on them it feels like needles running through them the pain is so severe I dont want to mess with hot or cold of anything. The swelling is really only in my hand and not on the actual fingers. The swelling is between the thumb and the index finger and on the knuckle. I have bad disc's in my neck and a hangman fracture, so I didn't know if this was related or not. I am really interested to find out if it is. So if any one has any input I would appreciate it!

I just posted about my hands and forgot to tell you that yes I have hot flashes at nigh for the pat 3 weeks out of no where! I can't get comfortable either. I feel like I am going through menapause too.

i'm much younger, but i have almost the same symptoms. my feet go red and feel like they're on fire, and they swell and start to ache a little.
this is usually after school, or after i've been for a walk or shopping. sometimes it happens after i have a shower too :/ i think i'm going to a rheumatoligist soon, to see if they say anything.

I just started to have the same problem, it started when I got off my medicine in order to have a test. I am on Synthroid, I had my thyroid removed about 4 years ago, and I had to have a test last week which required I stopped the Synthroid. A few days afterwards, I started having red hot feet, they felt swollen, and were only relieved if I lay down with my feet on a pillow, under the ceiling fan. Hands too. As soon as the test was done and I started back on my meds it slowly went away.
I also experienced some numbing of my arms and legs, but not too much. Maybe a hormone imbalance??

Hi Everyone, I'm new here and so happy to meet you all. I have suffered from much of what all of you have for nearly a year. Gone through all the tests etc. Finally my family doc. has classified it as a rare problem called Erythromelalgia. I'd suggest you check it out on internet. My feet burn terribly, hurt, become bright red and very swollen. There are drugs that can help. Hope this helps someone out there.

Just a thought. I have psoriatic arthritis. About 10% of people with psoriasis get it. Unlike RA, the arthritis is not symetrical.

Do any of you have psoriais? Pitting of nails or nails that separate from the nail bed. No difinitive test for this. I think they just rule out other forms and look for psoriasis/nail issues.

Did the original poster get a diagnosis yet?
I'm going through the same thing and have been to 7 different specialists with no diagnosis yet.

Did you try Zalmanov emulsion(yellow) ?

Of course, ideally to have bath for whole body

but you can have local bath for hands only

Best regards

I am 53 y/o female. Many years of dealing with this - many tests. Doc says cut down on salt - ok some relief. Then while trying to find allergies I stumble on food allergies - specifically gluten sensitivity. Since following this gluten free (mostly - sometimes I screw up!) I have had possitive results - hands & feet are no longer red - sometimes swelling occurs when I am surprised by something with gluten in it.

I know exactly what your going through... My mother has this BAD and I get it every so often.

Check this: Allergies!
My moms hands get this way when she drinks cola of any brand, when she is working with raw foods, walking through a mall/store. She can barely use any type of creams or soaps or her hands do this.

My hands get this way superbad during 4th of july when around all the firewords, chemicles of any kind in the aair (ie. insense).

My feet get this way when I wear sandals and go through fields or grass.

The only fix is to wash wash wash our hands and take some allergy drugs.

Allergies... amazing enough.

Very excited to find you! Have been searching for cause(s) of these symptoms for companion. Communication is difficult so we're running on trial and error and guesswork and the only correlation I can find is with nuts. I haven't been able to get any med professional to agree but I see that some of you are finding this as an allergic response too. We're seeing periods of extreme tactile defensiveness/pain all over and swelling, heat and what looks like hands and feet dipped in fire engine red paint. We've reduced nut intake and that seems to have taken care of it for now.

Thanks for the info and good luck.

All, I can't believe I have found other people who are having the same symptoms I am. I am currently 40/female and my hands have periodically turned red and started to burn. It is only my hands and they don't turn blue or feel cold. I have had testing done, nerve conductive study (very painful), sonograms for blockage in veins/artery, blood work, etc. and absolutely nothing is helping this problem. I have been given a referral to visit a rheumatoid specialists but not sure if this is the correct person to visit. The redness is normally in my hands but at times have happened with my feet/toes. Also, when this is happening I have found my nose turns very red but there isn't any burning/tingling sensation. Burning/tingling only happens in my fingers. I rub them gently or put them under running cold water. This only helps relieve the burning/tingling sensation for a few minutes. Then the pain comes back. The pain is only happening when my hands are turning red. It starts at my finger tips and moves through the palms and stops. Please keep me posted on what you find out and I will do the same. I am anxious to get this to stop as it is happening more often than it used to.

The site is not a replacement for professional medical opinion, examination, diagnosis or treatment. Always seek the advice of your medical doctor or other qualified health professional before starting any new treatment or making any changes to existing treatment. Do not delay seeking or disregard medical advice based on information written by any author on this site. No health questions and information on eHealth Forum is regulated or evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration and therefore the information should not be used to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease without the supervision of a medical doctor. Posts made to these forums express the views and opinions of the author, and not the administrators, moderators, or editorial staff and hence eHealth Forum and its principals will accept no liabilities or responsibilities for the statements made. Schizophrenia health This page was last updated on June 11, 2008
© 2008 eForums, Inc.