burning, itching feet

sparkyrich

Well-Known Member
Messages
197
Hi all,
anyone else have trouble with burning, itching feet? Mine are giving me problems today (and one day last week) and they're driving me MAD! I can't bear my feet being touched - I've all on doing my own toenails. The thought of someone else touching them gives me nightmares, so I've dodged the foot checks for the last couple of years although I've had no other problems, touch wood.

Now though, because of the burning/ itching, I've been doing a bit of research and came across an item that described this perfectly. More to the point it also described a symptom I went to the Doc with long before being diagnosed type 2 ie. a feeling like I was stood on a ball of tissue paper when there is nothing actually there.

The Doc didn't dismiss me out of hand (bless him) but referred me to a local clinic where they zapped my foot with electricity after sticking probes all over my head and body. Unfortunately they didn't find anything amiss in their report so the advice was to live with it which I have done. It's steadily got worse, but not to the point where it seemed worth mentioning. Having read the article though, I'm getting a bit concerned because the writer suggested the burning/ itching and the numbness/ tissue paper ball thing are all symptoms of neuropathy related to my diabetes. I'm no dancer but I'd still like to remain attached to my tootsies for the forseable future... any thoughts?

Incidentally, I had my review the week before and my hba1c was 6.3 - still awaiting the results from the rest of the tests
 

anna29

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Retired Moderator
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4,789
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Hello sparkyrich .

Am not sure about the tissue paper ball thing you mention.
The other burning/itching/stabbing pain things 'yes' it sounds like chillblains or neuropathic pains
Even could/can be both or all of these :thumbdown: I have this ...
It is unpleasant and painful , far worse in the colder weather too !

I know what you mean with not being able to tollerate anyone or thing near your feet .
They get so sensitive and tender to tollerate this.

Have you ever had a diabetic foot screen or checkup?
Here at a foot screen/check up they can check all these things you mention out.
You are entitled to a yearly foot screen these are usually by GP/diabetic clinic referred.

Inbetween make sure you keep your toots warm try some snuggly thermal diabetic friendly socks.
Good foot wear is essential - your feet uphold you and carry you about everyday .
Never warm your feet up on anything hot like hot water bottles,radiators,top of a hot pipe etc...

Numbness and desensitivity of the feet and toes should ALWAYS be reported to your GP asap.
Even if you arn't sure - best to play safe .

Anna.
 

davesoutar

Member
Messages
22
suffering from the same problems with my feet, is this common with type 2? and can anyone recommend any kind of treatment?
 

Tracey167

Well-Known Member
Messages
309
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Hi

I had very itchy/sore toes last winter and was diagnosed with chilblanes, so this year i have invested in a pair of slipper socks from marks and spencers and also a pair of slipper boots and since wearing them my feet have not had a chance to get cold so no chilblanes, try not letting your feet get cold if it means wearing 2/3 pairs of socks it will be worth it. Do you have red little spots where the itching is? as this is the sign for chilblanes as if you keep scratching they become sore. I also found that when my feet were itchy they felt red hot so this probably is the burning sensation you are getting.

tracey167
 

davesoutar

Member
Messages
22
h thanks i, i dont have any problem with itchy feet, more a burning sensation and very sensitive all the time, when standing barefoot it feels like iam standing on something, if that makes any sense.
 

AliB

Well-Known Member
Messages
334
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Insulin
I had this for several years prior to changing my diet. Yes, it is neuropathy related. I also used to get 'gouty' toes, like having needles stabbed into them!

A short while after dumping gluten and most carbs and changing to an all-natural food diet, it, and the awful restless legs that also used to plague me, went away (and will stay away as long as I am very careful to avoid the gluten). Eventually, I was no longer a walking 'fungus-factory' either. My health has steadily been improving ever since - which begs the question, are they really 'diabetic complications' or are they caused by the same problem that causes the diabetes, namely **** and toxic garbage and and not enough decent nutrition.....?
 
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Cobra3164

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123
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Hi Sparky. I am wondering if you may actually have an underlying skin condition, the reason I mention this is I get the same sensations of chronic itching and burning sensation in random parts but especially my hands and feet. Obviously being diabetic doesnt help with any skin condition. As a suggestion I have found with the help of my gp and always consult your gp first, when it flares up I take one 180mg of a antihistamine called fexofenadine which does calm the sensation of itching and burning down. You will need to ask your gp for prescription for this and dont forget to ask you diabetic nurse as well, they are the experts not myself but I hope this is of some help to you.

All my best

Simon aka Cobra3164
 

AliB

Well-Known Member
Messages
334
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Insulin
Another thing I have found is that because the nerves end in the hands and feet, what you feel in your feet can often be a reflection of what is going on elsewhere in your body.

One area that itched a lot was on the very bottom edge of my left heel. When I checked that area with a reflexology chart (the online interactive DK one is good) it equated with my colon. As I have had issues in my colon it tied in.

Another thing I found was that around 10 days after dumping the gluten, my liver had a huge clear-out. I could feel loads of stuff going down my hepatic tubes in my left side, and at the time I got an intense pain in my left foot that would build up to a crescendo and then die away every 30 seconds or so. Sure enough, when I checked the chart, the area where I got the pain in my foot equated with the liver nerve meridian! The pain gradually subsided over the day and was gone.

Our bodies are extremely good at giving us signals. We are just hopeless at deciphering them!

Since I dumped the gluten over 4 years ago, I have become very good at reading my body.

Avoiding gluten isn't such a daft thing. There are a lot of links between gluten and diabetes - and in fact a whole heap of other diseases and health issues. If you Google gluten and just about anything, you will find links. People just don't realise the damage that modern wheat is doing to them. It is far removed from its ancient counterpart and contains many new and 'foreign' proteins that the body cannot process. It has also been hybridised to contain far more gluten than the ancient strains. Gluten is the latin word for glue.

There are estimates that as many as one in every three people is affected by wheat and gluten in some way.

But be advised. Swapping to commercially-made gluten-free foods won't benefit you. Not only are they exorbitantly expensive, they are also usually very high in sugar. I don't bother with them at all. Now I eat pretty low-carb, my body no longer craves the starch and sugar. I rarely have anything sweet apart from an odd square or two of 85% or higher dark chocolate.

What I have come to realise is that the body needs to be fed with the elements it is made of. We are not made of plastic - so why eat 'plastic' food? So much of the food out there consists of calories without nutrition that it is doing far more harm than good. Virtually all processed foods, including highly-processed vegetable oils (that turn into something resembling varnish when heated), and nutritionally 'empty' sugar, and most things in packets have been denatured in some way. They no longer have their complete quota of nutritional elements.

Food and the body has to be able to communicate with each other. We know that an orange is an orange because of the array of elements within it. Those elements tell the body what to do with it. If any of them were missing the body wouldn't be able to process it. We are suffering due to multiple deficiencies driven by the huge plethora of fractionated and denatured and adulterated 'foodlike substances' that are out there and most people are none the wiser.

Personally, unless it is completely natural and un-meddled with, I won't touch it. Even the natural stuff has been 'got at' these days, but it's still better than the processed garbage. And the way my body has been healing tells me it appreciates it too.....
 
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celast

Well-Known Member
Messages
157
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
What I get some of the time,not so often is a burning sensation on the top of my toes.
 

blood

Newbie
Messages
1
i get that 2 its drives me mad ,i,v had type 2 for 1year still learing ,about things that you can suffer with............just read they are stopping the strips.. :wave:
 

Pauline1951

Member
Messages
15
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Insulin
Hi fellow sufferers of burning and itching feet. This condition can drive you mad the pain is so bad.

I took an antihistamine and at the same time DAKTACOURT think that's how you spell it. The cream is only available on prescription. The cream has to be put in the fridge so when you apply it to burning feet - it's cold - pure bliss.

The instructions say apply twice a day. I did not do this instead I applied when it flared up. In my case the severivity and frequency soon dimished. I still get it but a little bit of cream and I can cope. Best wishes to you all.
 

Indy51

Expert
Messages
5,540
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
It is also a good idea to be tested for B12 deficiency as it can also cause neuropathy.
 

carty

Well-Known Member
Messages
3,379
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
I take a bit B complex high strength and that has helped a lot
CAROL
 

Paul Fennessy

Member
Messages
6
Hi all,
anyone else have trouble with burning, itching feet? Mine are giving me problems today (and one day last week) and they're driving me MAD! I can't bear my feet being touched - I've all on doing my own toenails. The thought of someone else touching them gives me nightmares, so I've dodged the foot checks for the last couple of years although I've had no other problems, touch wood.

Now though, because of the burning/ itching, I've been doing a bit of research and came across an item that described this perfectly. More to the point it also described a symptom I went to the Doc with long before being diagnosed type 2 ie. a feeling like I was stood on a ball of tissue paper when there is nothing actually there.

The Doc didn't dismiss me out of hand (bless him) but referred me to a local clinic where they zapped my foot with electricity after sticking probes all over my head and body. Unfortunately they didn't find anything amiss in their report so the advice was to live with it which I have done. It's steadily got worse, but not to the point where it seemed worth mentioning. Having read the article though, I'm getting a bit concerned because the writer suggested the burning/ itching and the numbness/ tissue paper ball thing are all symptoms of neuropathy related to my diabetes. I'm no dancer but I'd still like to remain attached to my tootsies for the forseable future... any thoughts?

Incidentally, I had my review the week before and my hba1c was 6.3 - still awaiting the results from the rest of the tests
hi



i found this rather interesting, because i have some neuropathic problems associated with my feet. I have slight loss of feeling and sensation in my both feet, iam also type 2 diabetic. What i found intresting is i have burning sensation in my right foot, because iam on my feet alot during the course of the day because of my job my foot also swells and feels uncomfortable.

I went to the podiatrist about this problem back in january this yerar, and they referered me to hospital with a suspected charkot foot. I had never heard of this before, anyway its quite a serious condition and can result in the loss of toe, foot leg or even life if not treated.

I was lucky they caught it quite early and still have a good arch in my foot although i have been immobalised since january with a cast on my leg. I gop to the hospital every 2 weeks to get it checked, there dosent seem to be anything phisicly wrong with my foot now at all but the consultant measures the tempreture of both feet, and because the problemed foot is still 2 degrees hotter than the other one , he still insists i need to have the cast back on.

it maybe worth your while going to see your podietrist and get it checked for sure.
 

Des Gray

Member
Messages
13
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Dislikes
not much
We are coming into winter (Kiama Australia) now , I wear bed socks but about 3 hours later my feet are burning and have to take off the socks.
 

DeejayR

Well-Known Member
Messages
2,375
Type of diabetes
Type 2 (in remission!)
Treatment type
Diet only
This thread dates from 2012 and yet we're still standing around looking at this feet problem and wondering what to do. My early experience was of a feeling like tissue paper (see above) stuffed under my toes and now it's like walking on cobbles, another term used by others on here. However, I don't have tingling or burning, and pain only occasionally for a short time in one toe or other. So no big deal, but it looks as if it's up to us to sort it out.
My surgery simply refuses to look beyond the toe-prod test prescribed by the NHS. For those who have found a solution in causes outside diabetes, well done.
Incidentally I've just had a helpful conversation with a gluten-shunning reflexologist exactly on the lines of AliB's long text above. I'm sorry that AliB seems to have left the forum.
 
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Tim55

Well-Known Member
Messages
1,052
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Dislikes
Rap and hip - hop
Hi There

It was this problem that sent me to see my GP in the first place, almost 12 months ago now.

It had developed very slowly but when I began to have trouble fastening my shirt because i couldn't feel the buttons I figured I needed to get it looked at.

GP immediately suspected diabetes and sent me for blood tests which confirmed it.- my typical levels back then were 17 to 19.

My experiences with NHS was pretty consistent with eeryone else on here and I have been trying for LCHF ever since, and I eat to my meter.

I test every morning and before my evening meal and my typical levels are between and 4 and 7.8 which I am generally happy with, last 2 HBa1cs were 5.6 I think, DN was delighted with me!

However, while my fingers are working a little better now my feet remain a problem.

There is another thread on here, under "complications" I think, which advocates the use of Alpha Lipoic Acid and vitamin B12 suuplements.

Since I think the advice I have received from here so far has been good I ordered these yesterday.

Let you know if they help me out!


.
 

VinnyJames

Well-Known Member
Messages
624
Type of diabetes
Type 2 (in remission!)
Treatment type
Diet only
I still have issues with my feet despite my diabetes being reversed. It's nothing worse than 'they don't feel right.'
I had a blood test for B12 levels and that came back normal.
So the nurse said don't waste money on supplements.
 

Des Gray

Member
Messages
13
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Dislikes
not much
Maybe age has something to do with it, I am 85 and each year it seems to get worse. There going to be bl..dy hot when I get to 100.
 
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malcymjc

Member
Messages
10
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
What I get some of the time,not so often is a burning sensation on the top of my toes.
Hi I am still waiting for confirmation of Type 2 diagnosis but I to get a burning sensation in the tips of my toes and the top half of my toes are red. Incredibly sensitive and worse at night.