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I believe mononeurpathy is almost always caused by trauma. General neuropathy, especially peripheral neuropathy has so many causes the first thing the docs would want to do is make sure there are no really serious toxins or allergens that might be life-threatening in and of themselves causing the problem; IIRC some very dangerous metals can do this. Sounds like they have done that if you already know that it is not diabetes related (the most common cause).

I have had idiopathic neuropathy in my hands for about 20 years (first appeared for me in my late 30's). "Idiopathic" meaning, "we know you've got it, we don't know why."

Originally mine was believed to be nerve entrapment from my profession (software developer) but neither MRI nor nerve conduction studies have ever found any specific location for the entrapment.

Good news for me is that it hasn't gotten progressively worse, and in many ways was the most troublesome when I first noticed it. Once I got used to sleeping with it it's not so bad. I hope your husband will have a similar outcome (knocking wood.)

What is his history with Chicken Pox, Herpes, or Shingles? Those are degenerative causes, but they can do a lot more now with anti-viral drugs. Again, good news is that the few people I know personally found the worst case to be at the outset, as I did. There is so much uncertainty and not knowing scares the crap out of you. Plus, you actually do learn to sleep through it, or if the pain is very bad, to wake up and do something for a while until you can stand it -- like FR -- or get tired enough to go back to sleep.

Mayo Clinic's web site is good. So is neuropathy.org. You might also want to check the web site for restless leg syndrome. People who have peripheral neuropathy in the legs are much more likely to have RLS. The web page at NIH is pretty good (a little alarming, but it's a scientific description, not a support group.) http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/peripheralneuropathy/detail_peripheralneuropathy.htm

Keep us posted, and good luck.