Electrical Sensation Hands and Feet

[MaryJane808]

Hi-

I am attempting to search for answers before pursuing medical advice and subjecting myself to a long list of medical tests. I get this sharp electrical charge in my fingers, it begins radiating in the middle of my hands and seems to volt itself through my fingers until it is completely gone. This has been a recent development within the past two months. I have told myself this is simply tension and it is focusing in one area. It is acute and lasts seconds, it may however repeat itself multiple times within a short duration. It is not necessarily daily but does happen 3 or more times a week.  Initially this was just in my hands, but I am now having the same take place in my feet and toes. Is this crazy? Am I mentally coaxing myself into this? Does anyone else have this same experience? It is truly and electrically feeling borderline a horrid pain. I deal with things through humor, I make a mental joke to myself about this grinning and bearing that maybe I developing some super power as seen in my son's cartoons. (I am a mature 39 year old woman- I know this is not the case). Any thoughts on this would be greatly appreciated. Thank you

[RedFlame]

Hi MaryJane,  

It doesn't sound crazy at all!  

People with MS have a similar experience but the electric jolts originate from the neck and then go down, and it's not a painful thing.

I am wondering if you have some peripheral neuropathy.  Do you have numbness in your fingers?  

I don't think you are mentally making this happen, I think we often wonder about that--particularly when the issue is neurological.  Symptoms are so remote.

Hopefully others will chime in who know more than I.

Hang in there!

Red

[slightlybroken]

Too bad your new sensations don't come with powers LOL. You could be Electrica☺

There is several things that people with MS suffer from that involves "electric feelings". The one that Red spoke of does originate from bending the neck. It's called the Lhermitte's sign. It is very painful..but the electric feeling runs down the arm or leg when bending the neck.

I think what fits your description is paresthesia..since your experiencing the feeling both in your feet and hands.

Here is a definition and causes that I found on the web:

"Paresthesia is a symptom, not a disorder. It refers to an abnormal sensation that can occur without any apparent cause, although paresthesias also may occur in response to a stimulus such as hitting the "funny bone." Paresthesias are described as a tingling sensation, "pins and needles," prickling, electric shocks, burning, vibrating, buzzing, or crawling. Paresthesias also have been described as a sensation of the limb "falling asleep." Paresthesias may occur from abnormalities in the central nervous system (brain and spinal cord), the peripheral nervous system, or from direct compression of peripheral nerves.

Paresthesias are symptoms of many different conditions including entrapment neuropathies (e.g., carpal tunnel syndrome, cubital tunnel syndrome, radial tunnel syndrome, meralgia paresthetica), spinal nerve compression (e.g., cervical and lumbosacral radiculopathy), trauma, restless leg syndrome, metabolic disturbances (e.g., diabetic neuropathy, vitamin B12 deficiency, hypothyroidism, alcoholism), kidney disease, exposure to toxic chemicals (e.g., mercury, arsenic), and inflammatory connective tissue disorders (e.g., arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus). Less common causes of paresthesias include cancer, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), hypocalcemia, malabsorption, multiple sclerosis, stroke, Guillain-Barré syndrome, and use of certain medications (e.g., isoniazid, vincristine, diuretics, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs [NSAIDs]). Nonspecific numbness and tingling of the face, arms, and hands also is common in hyperventilation syndrome and panic attacks."

If your doctors suspect a neuropathy, they could run an EMG to check your peripheral nervous system. There is certain medications that help..neurotin. Paresthesia can be treated, but your doctors just have to find the cause.

[Ndobbins]

The sensation I'm having in my right foot kind of sounds like your symptoms. I feel as if I am sliding on ice at times when walking. I also have a buzzing feeling at times when sitting under that foot & sometimes feel like someone is sticking dress pins in my toes & feet! I also have that pain in my hands too.
Take care.
Nancy

[rendean]

Hello and welcome!!

I read your post and had some questions for you. Do you have any other medical issues such as diabetes or any autoimmune diseases?

I personally have not heard of this type of pain occurring because of tension but I could be wrong.

Could you please give us a brief history regarding your symptoms and anything that helps or hurts  your hands and feet?

And, one more request please, a great many of our members have vision difficulties so if you could break your post into smaller paragraphs with lines in between,as I have done, it would help greatly. Thanks!

Again, welcome,
Ren