pain in fingers and toes

Hi,
My 4 years old son complains that something (he calls it little pain) is always in his fingers and toes, however, he also experiences extreme pain once or twice a day. It is very painful to watch him to corp with the pain. It seems like he has to press them so hard to relief the pain or hit them on the wall or floor. I've taken him to rheumatologist at a major children hospital, but he's not been diagnosed to have any serious disease, such as reynolds disease, as they do not turn pale or purple at all. His blood work result was normal. I'm now trying to research what causes this particular pain in  my son's fingers and toes on my own as we've seen 2 specialists without any diagnosis. Please help. Thanks.

[PA_Mom400]

My son is 6 and complaining of exactly the same symptoms.  He gets relief the same way.  I cannot get an appointment with a rhematologist until the end of the summer.  Does your son play video games?

[margypops]

Yes the Use of his hands a lot with Video games could cause it,failing that is he okay at school does he get the Pain in his hands anywhere else or only at home?Is there any issues he is going through.

[PA_Mom400]

He has trouble all of the time.  The pain is constant in school as well.  He has asthma and allergies.  Nothing else to note.

[Atlanta_mom]

No, he does not play with video games much at all. I try to limit TV watching as well. We got him tested for fabry as well with negative result. (burning pain in fingers and toes is one of the symptoms of fabry. I've omitted all of possible disorders, such as reynolds, fabry, arthritis, bone cancer. I'm now seeking neurological medial advice overseas. I did not think this was anything serious when it started, however, the pain has not stopped more than 14 months now.... Have you found anything so far..?

[ocmomma]

my son is 3 and a half and is experiencing the same kind of thing.  i dont know what to do.  how does he deal with the pain?

[ocmomma]

you said he has allergies.  does he have a peanut allergy by chance?

[Atlanta_mom]

My son does not have any allergies. Do your sons complain his pain in his all of his fingers and toes, or just a few of them. My son explains the pain is in all of his 10 fingers and 10 toes. He never has an episode when he is having a lot of fun though. It seems like the extreme pain happens when he has some time alone or he is frustrated. Do your sons have any problem going to school at all?

[ocmomma]

he complains the pain is in all his fingers and toes. and i have noticed the attacks are not when he is with his friends or really into what he is doing.  it does seem to be when he gets frustrated with something or isnt really focused on anything.  he has not started school yet so i dont know how that will go.  we are going to get blood work done today but after hearing from you i dont think it will show anything.  before i found your posting i thought maybe it could be psychological, have you looked into that yet?  i just dont know what else it could be. like you i had found fabry's, juvenille arthritis and raynauds syndrome online and thought those could be possibilities.  

[Atlanta_mom]

I think my son and your son are experience the same issue. It never happens when he is having a good time. It happens when he is frustrated with something or when he has to go to school or any kind of activities that he does not want to go. (T-ball practice, etc)
I just had a discussion with a neurologist, and we are going to do more testing with a psychiatrist once we are back in US.
What is your son like? Is he active and strong-willed? Does he play in the group very well?  
How does he react to changes? Is he very flexible to daily plans?

[ocmomma]

It's so nice to find someone who understands what we are going through.  My son sounds the same as yours.  He is very strong willed (stubborn), everything has to be his way.  He is very very active.  As far as playing in a group... I'm not sure how i would answer that.  As long as things are going his way he is fine.  He whines a lot (I call him a drama queen).  Changing gears and doing as he is told is sometimes a challenge.  I always thought that was how a 3 year old was.  But if you tell him its time to go, he throws a fit.  I am so mentally, emotionally, and physically drained each day because I just don't know how to deal with all of it.  How is your son on a daily basis?  Do you have any other kids?  

[Atlanta_mom]

I know exactly how you are so drained each day! My son was the same way when he was 3 even though  he's gotten much more mature now. It is still challenging to change gears, plans, or going to schools. He always has to win the games or it is always has to be his way to play anything with friends. He only participates in activities that he is interested in. If there is a big group of kids doing something that he is not interested in, he would not participate or it is really difficult to keep him in sessions of lessons. (like soccer, gymnastics, etc.) I always thought it was just the way he is until a neurologist in Tokyo suggested he may have some developmental issues that needs further testing. It may not apply to your son, but she brought up asperger, which is one of pervasive disorder. She suggested that the pain is related to his hyper sensitivities. My husband and I are not convince he has asperger, however, I think it will be worth to get him tested by a psychiatrist. I do have another younger child, a girl. It is amazing to see how much they are different, and I never thought raising a child could be this easy, just because she is just so much easier to deal with.
What was he like when your son was a newborn? My son was not very happy all the time. He cried and screamed a lot, especially before he went to sleep. He would cry for hours on flights.  I just remember being so tired all the time....:-)
Did you get your blood test result? I hope everything was ok.

[ocmomma]

Everything you are describing fits.  He always has to win games and he will play off by himself in a group alot of the time.  We just got his blood results and everything was normal, which I figured.  I have always believed it was psychological, and now everyone is starting to agree.  Does your son have trouble dealing with anger?  My son is almost like the incredible hulk, you do not want to make him angry.  He will hit, kick, scratch and you can just see in his eyes that he doesn't know how to handle the emotion.  I have tried all kinds of discipline without any luck.  I believe the two are connected.  The behavioral change came with the pain complaints.  He is our only child, but we have been trying to have another for almost two years with no luck.  I plan on talking with his doctor and getting a referral to a neurologist or psychiatrist.  Please keep me informed on developments with your son.  It seems like you are the only person that understands and doesn't think I am just making all of this up.

[Atlanta_mom]

Yes, he has a very hard time dealing with his anger and frustration. For example, he was wearing his spiderman costume today and got very frustrated because it was a bit tight, there was a hole and his sister kept telling him  how cool he looked. Usually kids would like the compliment, but not mine ;-(  So he ended up having the pain attack. It is very difficult to understand his emotions. My son does not kick or hit, but it seems like he does not know how to deal with it. Also when he gets the pain attack, he bents all of fingers and toes and start hitting them on the floor. He sometimes bent his toes backwards and jump on them. However, if I say ''would you like to watch some TV'' or anything that gets his attention, the pain would immediately go away. Does it sound similar to your son's case?
I've tried and read so many discipline books as well, but it is always so difficult to stop him from inappropriate behavior. He would also be very goofy around adults or friends, keep falling on the floor, etc. I thought it was ok when he was smaller, but we think we need professional help now that he turned 5.
He is a very affectionate kind child and very bright. Have you noticed that he does not have the pain attack when he is not hungry....?

[ocmomma]

My son is very affectionate and very bright as well.  My cousin is a preschool teacher and says he is ahead and very bright for his age.  He was talking clearly and using full sentences at a very early age.  He can be distracted from a pain attack by something special or by something he wants.  I have been looking on different websites for some alternative ways to handle the anger and frustration, or "fits" as we call them.  I have a friends with a 5 year old son who was diagnosed with high functionaing autism at the beginning of the year.  I think she might have some insight, because she didnt have a clue her son was autistic until he was around 4.  As far as the hunger thing, I think he IS more prone to attacks when he is hungry or tired.  Have you seen a psychiatrist yet?

[Atlanta_mom]

We just got back to US, and we are in the process of getting Referrals from our pediatrician to neurologist and phychiatrist. I did make a meeting appointment that will help us to find if my son really needs further autistic testing at Emory autism center, however, the wait at Emory is until 2010. I just started researching where to go in the area, but I think I will have to meet some moms who have children who have pervasive disorders to find out more. Where do you live and have you gotten any good resources?

[Atlanta_mom]

Does your son have any allergies? We are finding that my son is allergic to something that caused him wheezing twice. I do not know if this is related to what he is experiencing. We are not convinced he has any pervasive disorders, and his pediatrician does not even think he is close to it. I am wondering if this is all psychological. We made an appointment with a neurologist at emory just to see if there is anything else going on. I just cannot seem to find anyone who suffers from this pain attack.

[ocmomma]

we had all the blood work done and it all came back normal.  so i knew it had to be in his head.  so the next time he complained about his hands i told his that the doctor said there was nothing wrong with him, and he hasnt had the pain since.

[chassielujo]

I was just researching pain in my sons fingers and toes when I came across your posts.  Wondering if you have any new information.  My son is 6 and has developed callouses under his thumb nails due to pushing his other fingernails under his thumb nails.  When questioned, he said he does this because his fingertips hurt.  I continued to ask about it and he said he also has it in his big toes.  When he experiences this pain, he bends his toes under and pushes down on them.  If wearing shoes, he said he presses really hard on his toes inside his shoes.  Wondering if I should talk to our pediatrician, but it doesn't sound like either of you have had any luck.  What do your sons' fingernails and toenails look like?  My son has very peely toe nails.  They have never looked normal.  His pinky toe nail is about 1/16 of an inch in width and looks very odd.  His fingernails also look peely, but not as bad as his toenails.  

[BOImom_1]

We have an 8 yr old son with all the issues cited above (jams toes into wall/floor for relief, etc.). He performs well in school, reads above grade level, and has a quick wit. It was just within the last couple of years that he started complaining about the pain in his toes and, to a lesser extent, fingers. Our pediatrician did his blood work a few months ago and it came back fine. She tried a topical cream on his toes to eliminate fungus as a cause (since his toes looked red and were peeling from the constant abuse). We have not been back to the doctor since, but his complaints of discomfort has escalated lately and I am looking for information.

I thought the comments regarding temperment were interesting. This is our second child and, unlike his older brother, he gets very emotional/angry at times. It can begin with very small issues and escalate into a tantrum rapidly. I hadn't associated this with the pain in toes and fingers before, but we had an episode this morning that correlates. I will be watching going forward.

Thanks to all for your posts!

[Moni_00]

I just wanted to add a small note!  I came on here for my 5 yr old son who was experiencing the exact same symptoms and had the exact same temperament.  And I just wanted to suggest to all these parents to try upping their vitamin intake.  I know it might sound silly.....but I was at my wits end!  I felt so bad for my son and would pray to God every night to help me find the answer.  When my son's lab work came back he was slightly low on vitamin d and on iron.  So I started supplementing with vitamin d and also added flinstones complete with iron daily.   The problem has not gone away.......but over the last three weeks that he has been taking the vitamins he has improved dramatically.  Going from complaining about the tingling hourly......to maybe complaining about it every 3 or 4 days......once a day!  So I just wanted to say, try it!  It may work for you, it may not......but there's no harm in trying.  It just may help:)
Good luck to all of you!
Monica

[specialmom]

My son has sensory issues which is caused by his nervous system.  He's had these problems on and off-------  we do occupational therapy and there, we learned about "brushing".  Basically, his nerve endings are sending faulty signals.  When we started occupational therapy and we started OT, in 6 weeks he stopped complaining about this.  We occasionally go back and do it when the issue resurfaces.

Google "sensory processing disorder" and read about this.  May not be the case at all for your kids, but it never hurts to have the information.  If it helps one child, it is worth it.  

If anyone feels like their child's cause may be the same as mine, let me know and I'll pm to you how to do the brushing.  goodl uck

[mommom5]

My son has the same has the same problem with his fingertips and sometimes his toes.  Although he has gotten better with his behavior, because of a great book, "Have A New Kid By Friday."  I think the ability to deal with the anger and frustration could be a result of the pain he is feeling.  Giving him something else to focus on may just take his mind off the pain.  I am anxious to get him on some good vitamins and I may also get him tested to see what his vitamin levels are.  Also, he is 8 years old, second grade, very bright,quick witted,and reads on a 5th grade/6 month level.  I will let you know how it goes with the vitamins.  It could be that simple!  

[Bill_Parent]

My son (8yr) has been having about the same thing, only limited to his small toes and little fingers but mostly his toes, for about maybe a year. It appears when he is upset / unhappy and or tired. It does not seem present when he is having fun or is content. He also has pain in his calf on both legs. He resolves this in his toes and fingers by bending them hard with the other hand or against something. His calf pain he just pushes his finger hard into the point of pain.
I would have thought this to be some kind of growing pains? It seems to maybe appear more so after physical activity outside of what would be his daily routine.
No Dr. visit yet but his checkup is coming up

[margypops]

May I ask if your child has any fever, or other symptoms or is this just the pain you describe ?

[riojas05]

HI !! MY son is 7 and complains about the same problem.  He has allergies and asthma. He also says it really doesn't bother him when he is doing something fun.At first he only complain at night when he was trying to go to bed but now it is during the day.  We saw a cardiovascular doctor but everything was normal. He told us it was just growing pains.  It stopped hurting for a little bit but now he is complaining about the pain again.  Not convinced it is growing pains. Have any of u found a solution
Thanks

[allyk100]

I dont know if any body can help me to suggest some solution for my son. He is 5 yrs old and has somewhat similar problem as many other are describing here. But he often complain this sever pain during night time, he often get up crying for this pain. he complain this pain just in his feet webbings and ask me to massage between his fingers which gives him a little relief when I do. I have not noticed any other symptom.