Is my podiatrist making stuff up about nerve damage and rashes?

Why would your doctor make stuff up? That's unlikely. She could be mistaken. That's more likely. Why not get a second opinion?

xyzzy, given the additional information you've provided, I would recommend asking your doctor about seeing an endocrinologist. They specialize in thyroid and hormone issues and it sounds like your issues go beyond the run of the mill. Either endocrinologists or rheumatologists may be consulted about unusual cases of osteoporosis as well. I think seeing one or both of those specialists will be a good start, although if you've been advised to get nerve conduction studies checked then that sounds like something that could also be very helpful. The thing about seeing someone like a podiatrist, or even an orthopedist, is that they focus on only one system. Endocrinologists and rheumatologists also have a focus on a specific system but they also have an internal medicine residency under their belts and so they have more of a systemic perspective. Not all reasons for rashes and numbness in your foot have anything to do with your foot itself, that's why having someone think about your issues in a more systemic manner is important. To answer your question directly though, yes, nerve damage (neuropathy) can cause dermatologic issues. Here is a link to an eMedicine article describing the dermatologic manifestations of neurologic disease - specifically I'm http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/1094517-overview#aw2aab6b8. Although I'm showing you this link to answer your question, what you describe (at least in this very brief description) does not sound very typical for any of the disorders listed on this page. IANYD.

I would see a rheumatologist. Does "dermatomyositis" ring a bell as what the podiatrist might have identified as a possible diagnosis?

It definitely wasn't dermatomyositis--she was referring not to the rash, but the misplaced sensation where I would "feel" pressure and tingling up near my toes when she was touching the numb area. It's on the tip of my tongue, but I just can't remember what she called it.

I just wanted to add that if you are considering any kind of surgery you should be talking to a board-certified orthopedic surgeon specializing in feet and ankles, not a podiatrist.

There are a lot of medical issues that have both peripheral neuropathies and rashes as symptoms. I would still start by seeing a rheumatologist, who may refer you to a neurologist and/or an endocrinologist. Also, as foxy_hedgehog says, you need to follow up about the surgery recommendation with an orthopedic surgeon. What does your primary care doctor think about all of this?

My podiatrist is also an orthopedic surgeon--but she only performs surgery once a week. Most of the time she's doing diagnostics and fittings for orthotics, etc. My primary care doctor is mystified, which is why she referred me to a specialist. She is aware of, and diagnosed, a rather extreme level of osteoporosis for my age (she says I have the spine of a 75 year-old woman), brought on by a combination of anorexia nervosa, thyroid cancer, and unusually low levels of estrogen resulting in long-term amenorrhea. This is how we got onto the whole foot thing because my problems with my feet cause me to fall fairly often, and I broke my wrist just by bumping it when I fell in my kitchen. My body is a freaking party. :) She's already checked for diabetes, which seems to be a major cause of neuropathy of the extremities. I think, based on the advice I've received here, that I will return to my primary and ask her for an alternative treatment path. The podiatrist seemed obsessed with my bunions, but the costs associated with that surgery are prohibitive. I'm much more concerned about the random neuropathy and the rash that won't die.

I have surgery related nerve damage to my knee and have the referred sensation/pain that you describe. My doctors have only ever called it nerve damage.

My podiatrist is also an orthopedic surgeon--but she only performs surgery once a week. Most of the time she's doing diagnostics and fittings for orthotics, etc. Sorry but that doesn't sound like an orthopaedic surgeon to me. An orthopaedic surgeon is a medical doctor who has specialised in bone/joint surgery. They tend not to deal with orthotics and the like. A podiatrist can perform surgery but goes down a different training pathway and is more focused on the feet. I can't see anyone who has trained as an orthopaedic surgeon doing days when they fit orthotics because, to be blunt, it is a waste of time and skills (and you could be billing people for knee replacements instead!). But that sounds... really weird. I know other people have detailed every possible specialist one can see, but I would like to throw 'dermatologist' in the mix. Weird rashes - it's what they're for! Does neuropathic pruritis ring a bell? It's a descriptive term that doesn't actually tell you what's wrong, just means "nerve-disease itching", but it might help remember what your podiatrist said.