Out of nowhere, he will start screaming and say he cannot walk. This is totally different from pins & needles!!! (He knows the difference) I thought at first it was attention seeking behavior, but it happens randomly & unexpected. He won't let me touch his feet, and they don't look or feel abnormal when this happens. It eventually goes away, and some time passes between these episodes. He is in perfect health with no prior problems. I am puzzled, I've never heard of this happening, and really didn't find much except for "diabetic nerve pain" I will be taking him in this month for his checkup and will be mentioning it there. I just wondered if anyone else has experienced this with their child??
I don't think I would wait for his next appointment to take him in. My girlfriend ignored her sons pain in his leg for some time just assuming it was growing pains. Ended up being Leukemia. So call the doc and see what they say and if you need to take him in. Good luck.
Call the nurse line at your doctor's office and ask, you don't need to wait for an appointment.
This sounds neurological to me...the way you describe it. Besides a podiatrist you probably should also take him to a neurologist. Nerve damage like this can be caused by a lot of different things such as lyme disease, hypertension, vitamin deficiency, low thyroid, etc. A specialist will have to help you to figure this out. I would not wait till his check up. Here is a link showing all the many causes or nerve damage that may cause a burning sensation:
http://www.webmd.com/pain-management/burning-feet-causes-...
Ask to see a pediatric podiatrist. I would get this checked sooner rather than later. I'd ask for a referral or make another appointment with his pediatrician.
This is not the sort of thing you Google. IF a child won't let you touch him, he's either having a tantrum, faking, or in need of medical attention. If you rule out 1 and 2, your only option is 3. A child just can't be allowed to decide if a parent can check his feet (or other body part) or not. If you can't solve a problem immediately with something like ice or heat, you go to the pediatrician, not to Dr. Google. Yes, you might need a neurologist or a podiatrist, but you start with the pedi so there is a referral and so the child's existing record follows you to the specialist. But searching on line for sources of this kind of neuropathy doesn't help you and it just wastes time.
Since this pain is intermittent and unexpected, I'd consider having your phone ready to video him in the throes of this pain so the doctor can see the child's behavior. I'd also keep a journal for when it started, how long it lasted, and what he was doing just before and just afterwards.
And I'd call in to the doctor instead of waiting for the regular check-up to see if they want you to come in sooner. A child who is screaming and unable to walk deserves more than a "mention" when you go in for a check-up sometime down the line. If he's faking, then taking it seriously will take care of it. IF it's real, then you teach your child to come to you with these problems and show him you will address them.
Could he have a rash or possibly athletes foot. Does he walk barefoot. Is he barefoot at some type of after school preschool?
My mom had burning, excrutiating, shooting foot pain for a few weeks prior to developing a rash and subsequently being diagnosed with shingles. She is the only person I ever heard of with shingles on the foot but her doctor said you can get shingles any where you have nerves so basically any where on your body.
Your son seems very young for shingles though. Has he had chicken pox or been vaccinated for chicken pox?
Burning sensations are usually related to nerve damage - it could be legs (not necessarily feet). Seems a bit unusual.
Is it both feet at the same time?
The first thing that came to mind (only because my son had this) was athletes foot. That can totally cause a burning sensation (irritation) in the feet. But usually you can see the irritation.
Can you bump up his appointment? It could be something as simple as he's low on vitamins. Your doctor will know which questions to ask. Good luck :)
well, i know my kids well enough to know when they're being drama queens and when something's an issue. not 100% of the time. i can think of one situation where i let things go for a few days when i should have been on it. but for the most part we know our kids, right?
screaming and not being able to walk is kind of a big deal. i wouldn't let that go for a month.
but then, my kids didn't get to refuse to allow me to check on what they claimed was bothering them either. how do you let a 5 year old dictate that you don't get to look when he's screaming in pain?
take him to the doctor today.
khairete
S.
