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Can anyone tell me why my toes are behaving strangely?

SparkJack

Well-Known Member
Messages
152
Location
Southampton
Type of diabetes
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
I can be sitting or lying and my toes will go stiff and splay/split into two groups. I then have to wait for the stiffness to disappear so that I can bend them etc.
It's a very odd sensation. After reading some of the material on here and in another series of books I was wondering whether this might be due to the simvastatin I take. Has anyone else experienced anything like this?
 
I'm not sure if this helps, but I had this happen a lot just before I was diagnosed. It used to really freak me out!!

My BG levels were over 20 at the time but the problem disappeared once I got into single digits.

Have you been able to test your BG when your toes are in spasm? It may be worth seeing if perhaps you're running a bit high...
 
I get this quite a lot - regardless of my BG level (happened just last night after I'd checked my BG (it was at 7.2)). I'd be interested to find out what it is!

Bloody hurts as well!
 
Hi. Guys I KNOW exactly what you all mean.
Its like locked cramp and sinews contract into spasm, toes curl over and foot arches into stiffened rigid position. Have noticed it IS worse in colder weather than the warmer weather. Ring any bells?
Yep Patch it does *loody hurt too !!!
I am due at the podiatry clinic next week and will ask them about this.
Will let you all know what they say.
Anna.
 
Happens to me too - didn't know by toes could separate quite as far !!
 
It's good to know I'm not alone. I think my doctor thinks I'm well on the way to the 'funny farm.' Seriously if the podiatrist can come up with n answer it will be great.
 
I also put the question about my toes tingling and doing strange things to my doctor who just brushed my question aside. Recently when going into A&E because of extremely high sugar levels I also told them about my toes and again they just ignored the question. But, yes, my toes like so many of us, do behave as if they have a life of their own and I would love to know why.
 
Mine do it too! Also the tendon down the side of my ankle, which twists the foot outwards.

Can be awkward if it happens while driving, but usually it's when I'm in bed.

I wasn't worried about it until this thread started :shock: :lol: . Just put it down to a version of cramp. It tends to happen if I overstretch.

Viv 8)
 
This happens to me too on a regular basis, and has done since I was diagnosed with diabetes.

It 'does' hurt and is annoying. Sometimes I have several toes at a time go into a cramp, and I just gently stretch them forwards until they relax. I'm relieved to hear it's not just me, as I've never read about it.

Helena.
 
Mine do that too when I have a cramp in bed at night. I stop it by standing heavily on that leg and pushing it forward to stretch the muscle.
 
It happens to me as well, ruddy painful is is.
I have asked GP, diabetes consultant and neurologist. Nobody seems to know the answer, non diabetic neurologist said he is a sufferer himself.
I paid to have tests for possible vitamin/mineral efficiency- no issues on that front. Non diabetic bg levels.
So am stumped. Tried foot soak and Fiery Jack. Best thing I have found so far is daily foot massage using aromatherapy oils mixed into body butter.
Haven't had these cramps for 6weeks now since starting foot massage, so its still early days.
 
Magnesium taken regularly, if you get a lot of very painful cramps, has helped me. Apparently, calcium can help too but I haven't tried that though.
 
Hi all,
Visted the podiatrist yesterday, had toots checked, tickled and treated.
Asked the question about the painful spasm/cramping in toes and feet.
Was told it is nothing to do with the circulation at all, its to do with the messages the nerve endings recieve!
She explained it is with nerve damage and neuropathy with the high BG levels the nerve ending are extra sensitive and weakened and recieve the wrong messages to your extremeties [toes] and muscles also.
They do their own thing - resulting in cramps,muscle spasms,burning,itching, stabbing like pain,pins and needles,painfull sensations etc...
Was told when blood sugars are lowered the painful symptoms lessen [may never go away completely] and can be retriggered/restarted off by raised BG levels and the changes in weather and climate too can affect them also.
Too reduce the painful cramps and sensations of the toes and feet, she said there is some good effective medication treatments available.
Hope the feedback helps ?
Anna.x
 
I get the cramps but not the pin and needles.... is it really due to nerve damage? Oh dear for me...

My foot only just decided to do it's last cramp last night. My partner is a runner and he's never known anyone to get cramp like I do - in just my toes alone! Thankfully it doesn't happen very often (I cannot predict it, let's put it that way).

I'm glad that I'm not alone, though it sounds like others get them a lot more frequently than me... I am now a bit concerned that my feet are not as okay as I thought! I get my check ups and everything's A-OK, not even a concern... I have been cramping from a young age so maybe it's not nerve damage related for me, more exercise related?

I will ask my team the next time I call in for my routine check up.
 
Thanks for the feedback, Anna29 - it helps.

My cramps are almost always in my right foot/leg, which makes me think that it might be related to the recently-diagnosed lumbar spinal stenosis, which pinches the nerves coming from the spine. My right leg was affected by the recent flare-up of this condition which led to a diagnosis - after 25 years!

My blood glucose has hardly ever been in double figures, so I hope mine may not be related to diabetic neuropathy.

Viv 8)
 
I've had this all my life - since well before I was diagnosed.

But maybe I've been T2 all my life???
 
Hi viv, I raised this question to my podiatrist.
The podiatrist was talking about it, after reading my medical and toots history.
The extremeties do get affected in diabetics with high BG levels , once the levels settle and go lower , it will lessen . [might never go away completely even though with good BG control ]
She was very insistant it wasnt to do with circulation or lack of it either!
Anything to do with the back I am clueless with, as it was my monthly podiatrist appointment I attended yesterday.
Anna.x
 
It happens to me too but only when I go swimming, and is always in my left foot.
I had presumed it was cramp or the cold water and it's very uncomfortable. Weird
 
Strangely, a couple of days after I responded to this thread, my toe cramps are now back! As my control is now not too bad (rarely over 8), I'm thinking it may be due to the colder weather...
 
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