I feel like a needle is pricking my toe.

[BA506]

Last week, when I got up from bed, when I lifted my right foot to take another step I felt this feeling like a needle was pricking my 4th toe. This went on for a few minutes and then went away and I went on with the rest of the day. The next morning it happened again, and is still happening. I have noticed that It also happens for a few minutes when I put my shoe on, at at night after I've been laying in bed for a while and decide to go to the bathroom. I'm thinking it might be diabetes but there are not many sites that explain one of the symptoms as pin pricking as the ones that do don't have very much information of the subject (whether they mean a "My foot has gone asleep" feeling or "Feeling of an actual needle" feeling)

[wellcone]

i am suffering from type 2 diabetes & feeling regular pricking type of pain in my feet & hand fingures pl. suggest  me what to do

[kidnurse]

The pricking feeling of fingers and toes, and the itchy line/"scratch" can be part of Morgellons.

[JerushaEdwards]

Hi. What ever came of your toe??  I have the same situation right now, with my 3rd toe.  I have noticed it over the past few days.  It felt like a spider bite at first inside my shoe.  Now it is milder, but frequent.  Over the years I have noticed if I take a long bath, my toes on this foot get a bit numb against the end of the tub, or feel this same pricking like feeling.  Thought they were too waterlogged.  I see no infection, and feel no bump.  It doesn't seem like that.  More a nerve thing, I think.  So what can you tell me now??  
I also noticed my right arm over the past weeks has felt sore in the muscle, like after you swing on a swing too long, and need to unbend your arm.  Maybe because I bend it when I sleep.  Also my right shoulder goes to sleep or gets sore more often than my left, when I sleep on it.  That has been over the past 6 years or so, though.  Probably unrelated.  But only today I noticed so much on my right side.  Also have a line like a scratch on my leg that itches like a mosquito bite, but there are no mosquitoes in November, and there is no bite there.  

Must not all count.. but I tell you what I noticed.  I've had headaches very often over the past week... but maybe it is eye-strain.  It is on my forehead.  My, what a mess I am!!  Sigh. Oh--and my ciatic nerve (sp?) on my right hip aches often if I sit wrong, and I do have a bit of arthritis or something going on in both my hips on cold nights, I think.  Enough!!

[caregiver222]

Diabetes is an excellent guess, although those pinprick pains usually occure late in the process, and aere symptomatic of osteomyelitis, which can be life-threatening and result in toe amputation, foot amputation, or leg amputation. Often these start in the tip, of a smaller toe, so the fact this is a single toe is significant.  If the infection migrates to the bloodstream you may have ther patient end up with endocarditis and a pig-valve procedure. All this for a little pin-***** on the toe! The bone in the toe is very close to the skin and a minor infection caused by stubbing the toe can cause the bone to be infected which causes the sharp pinprick pain in the tip of the toe. One or more toes may be involved. This is a "class one" emergency, even though it may sdeem minor because the infection may spread rapidly. Generally an x-ray is taken followed by an MRI of the foot. Because is is difficult top observe the toe someone should look at it closely. It should be noted it there is any blackness, which should be immediately debrided by a podiatrist. If (and I emphasis IF) there is an infection intravenous antiobiotics are usually necessary and an extended stay in the hospital. Sometimes antibiotics are injected directly into the toe. The problem is usually due to a compromised immune system (which can have other causes besides diabetes) and a loss of microcirculation. Oral antiobiotics do not form high concentrations at the foot and toe and will have great difficulty in penetrating the bone. The triage person would report this in the hospital as "Rule out osteomyelitis". Bear in mind I have described a "worse case" scenario, however this is a problem that requires a professional evaluation as of yesterday. Usually these pains become greeater after eating a large quantity of food, or at night. A diabetes screen would involve a test known as an HbA1c, however an x-ray, at the very minimum is necessary to decide if there is osteomyelitis present.

[S. Kaul, MD]

Hi there!

Well, without a clinical evaluation it would be difficult to determine the cause of your symptoms. Possibilities that may need to be considered include infections, inflammations, arthritis, neurological causes such as neuropathies, nerve impingement etc. I would suggest getting this evaluated by an internist initially and depending on the cause diagnosed/ suspected, it can be managed accordingly or specialist care may be sought.
Hope this is helpful.

Take care!