Originally Posted by JerrySTL

Your user name implies that you are a vegan. My daughter had to give up being a vegetarian while racing in college. In her case is was iron that was the biggest problem and taking supplements and eating things like spinach didn't help.

Of course you stated that they did blood tests. Hopefully they checked out your iron level.

Pain in the big toe and pinky finger? Ding! Ding! Ding! Bells are going off in my head. Gout might be the problem. Things that can set off a gout attack include beans and legumes. If you are a vegan, I bet your diet is high in them. I love peas and lima beans but avoid them due to my gout. Fortunately for you red meats and shell fish are much bigger problems with gout. You are still better off eating beans and legumes instead of meat in this case. Oh - alcohol can really set off a gout attack. So can being dehydrated. You are drinking enough fluids when exercising, aren't you. IF gout is a possible problem, there's a very simple blood test that proves it. Suggest that to your doctor the next time your big toe hurts.