Pain in fingertips is this from the fibro?

[Faustina]

I sometimes have very sore fingertips which feel as though there are tiny pieces of glass shards or steel wool stuck in the fingertips even though I have not been exposed to either of those substances. Anyone else get this? Is this related to the fibromyalgia?
It can feel sharp and also tender.

 

[Jemima]

Hi Faustina,

Does it happen when you've touched something with your fingertips, or is it just random? This sounds like it could be a form of allodynia, which is a potential fibromyalgia symptom. It can feel like prickling, stabbing, burning, tingling, or electric shock-type sensations on the skin. Allodynia can be caused by fibro but also other health issues, so if in doubt, perhaps check in with your doctor. I hope you figure it out, or at least figure out how to minimise it

 

[Faustina]

Dear Jemima,
Thank you so much for your response! It's like a light bulb going off. This is it for two people under my roof. You mentioned allodynia and I read about it and realized that it foots the bill even more for my mom than for me. She is elderly and has numerous serious health problems. We have brought up her skin pain issues with many of her physicians, plus it has unavoidably come up on examinations and tests which caused her pain due to being touched or having to remove her sock or have a ultrasound wand passed over her skin, etc...None of them ever mentioned allodynia! Eureka! You just diagnosed one of my mom's really worrisome problems. Now for me, when I wash dishes, my fingertips hurt and feel as though there are tiny shards poking in them. Maybe it does go along with the fibro for me.
With my mom, who has a long list of health woes including rheumatoid arthritis Sjogren's and many more, this explains what her rheumatologist, dermatologist, cardiologist, and primary internist never hit on. She is now considering trying gabapentin again to see if she can get some relief. Thank you so very much!

 

[Jemima]

Ah, if it happens when you wash dishes, it could be the temperature setting it off - that's one of the three distinct types ("thermal" allodynia.) The other two common types are "dynamic" and "static", the first of which is triggered by something moving over the skin and the second of which is triggered by continued pressure (a bra strap is a common example.) There are some previous discussions here in the forum that you should be able to find using the search function if you are looking for ideas to help this! I hope you find a doctor who is a bit more switched on in the future. Good luck to you both