Flexitol Foot Cream

bluebird

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132
Type of diabetes
Type 2
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Grumpy folks and taking tablets
I have recently bought some flexitol cream (contains Urea). I am also in the process of reading Dr Bernstein's book in which he says don't use Urea. I know a couple have said that they use flexitol and it does say on the tube ok for diabetics. What do you think - is it safe to use. I don't know why DrB says it's not safe.

Regards Val
 

Dennis

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2,506
Type of diabetes
Type 2
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Hi Val,

I couldn't find in Dr B's books a mention of urea, but I can understand why he would be concerned. One problem that diabetics have is a high risk of diabetic nephropathy (damage to kidney function). Urea is nephrotoxic and can therefore cause renal damage. The choice is yours but when it comes to a choice between what an unbiased endocrinologist recommends and a contradictory claim made by a manufacturer, I know which one I prefer to believe!

There must be an alternative treatment that doesn't contain urea.
 

ChocFish

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963
Hi Bluebird :)

I have always used flexitol whenever i developed cracked heels, never realised it has urea in it, DOH, it is just that I know flexitol works really fast for me, usually only need it for 3 or 4 days at a time.

But now I avoid getting dry feet by using The Sanctuary's heel balm or just any of the body butters from Lush or Body Shop, every night I apply the stuff quite thickly and then put on moisturising or spa socks on, in the morning my feet are as soft as a baby's bottom!

I think there are also many home made remedies around, do a search on google.

All the best

Karen x
 
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bluebird

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132
Type of diabetes
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Ref: DrB page 72, Skin lubricants, line 5. I'll be going with what he says.

Karen I love your new avatar. :lol:
Val
 

Dennis

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Thanks Val, found it now!
 

martinbuchan

Well-Known Member
Messages
354
Urea is a very good moisturiser. My family are North Sea fishermen. They used to pee on their cracked hands when on the boats to get them to heal and reduce the pain. Don't know if it helps the flavour of the fish........I wouold stil use vinegar on the fish by choice.

A bigger effect on blood urea content is protein intake in the diet (especially meat). I would think it is perfectly safe to use urea containing creams once a day on your feet. I use Neutragena foot cream and E45 cream regularily to soften my skin on my feet. My blood urea on testing is normal (I have blood tests regularily at the moment).

If you are getting hacks/cracks in your heels than you need podiatric advice in order to avoid them.
 

sami

Well-Known Member
Messages
365
hi i have used it for the best part of a year now i have had cracked heals for most of the last 10 years and this is the only thing i have foung that gets rid of the cracks altogether
i had my ingrowing toe nails removed 2 weeks ago and now have to wear flip flops untill my toes have healed been told 6-8 weeks withing 2 days my heal were cracking once again i had no pain from my toes but was in loads of pain from my heals :cry: when i ask the podiety lady what to do she told me to use lots of the flexitol witch i have been doing again since monday and it now feels much better but yesterday i forgot to use it before going to work and within 1 hour of going out side was in lots of pain with them cracking even more i use the flexitol when i got home and straight away felt better so i think untill i can wear shoes again it will become my best friend :D
 

martinbuchan

Well-Known Member
Messages
354
I used to get lots of hacks before I was diagnosed. Better shoes, better A1C control and lots of cream have meant no hacks for the last 2 years (touch wood).
 

LesleyB

Active Member
Messages
44
My brother is a concreter (not diabetic) and he wears flip flops to work and gets really cracked heels, there is a fabulous product he uses on his feet called "cracked heel balm" or something like that, when they get really bad, he superglues them up!

Probably not a reccomended treatment for diabetics though!

I use Mango body butter from The Body Shop and a pair of cotton socks at night and my feet are lovely the next day and smell really nice! The body shop also do a range of footcare stuff which is fabulous.
 

martinbuchan

Well-Known Member
Messages
354
Got a blister on both feet last week after walking a mile each wy briskly to a meeting.

Was advised to try epaderm as it holds moisture better. In fact my podiatrist, GP and ocupational health doctor all said they didn't like E45!

Blisters are healing well but had to take another 4 days off work to dress, rest and us ethe offloader orthosis boot.
 

LesleyB

Active Member
Messages
44
If you have correctly fitting shoes you should not be getting blisters......

If your work shoes do give you blisters, you could carry a pair of sneakers for when you need to walk places... I wear heels to work and when my feet become sore or tired, I put my slippers on.
 

martinbuchan

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Messages
354
Lesley- my feet are numb and my left foot had a 2nd ray amputated 18 months ago. left foot becoming flat and midfoot arthritis also developing. several bones have developed infection (osteomyelitis) needing antibiotics since last december.

I have bespoke surgical shoes (£300 cost to NHS) with total contact cast insoles. The left shoe is rocker to minimise force and shear on forefoot. I use legend care socks (double lined with flat seams) and are silver impregnated for antiseptic properties. I cannot do any more to prevent blisters apart from weight loss and no more walking. I think the epaderm cream will be brilliant at preventing drying of the skin. My middle toe joint (MTPJ) is dislocated and has produced a corn on the sole (intractable plantar callosity). This acts as a potential focal point to produce a blister. I had a blister in the same location 6 weeks ago. It takes 3 months for the tissue strength to recover. I just have to accept i have fragile feet. My shoes are well fitting and appropriate. I wish there was more i could do. These 2 blisters happened just a few days before arranged visits to the podiatrists and so they are seeing me more often.

You are right about shoeware. Even though I am a consultant orthopaedic surgeon, I really only learned about proper shoe consideration from my orthotist.
 

Innocent

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6
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Moaning. Its a pointless excercise if you dont like something find a proactive way to make it better, moaning gets ya nowhere but down.
Hi Newbie here my first post too.

I hope I dont get my hands slapped on my first post, but the issue of proper skin care for diabetics is very close to my heart. I am Type 1 diabetic have been since 1988 A1 control Hb01c 5.7 and indeed we diabetics must take good care of our feet and rest of body of course too. :D

I have concerns with the use of chemical laden skin care creams (especially for diabetics). My career is de-mistfying the skin care ingredient labels for all and sundry. :shock:

http://www.cosmeticsdatabase.com/wordsearch.php?query=flexitol
The link is to the Environmental Working Group Skin Deep Cosmetics Database which provides information on individual ingredients used, as well as info about what's in products by company name, or product.
Very useful tool for anyone interested. :shock:

I would recommend the use of Hemp Seed Oil, pure unadulterated Cocoa Butter, Shea Butter, and Mango Butter for cracks. Rather than a product such as Flexitol which also contains a miriad of nasties, that IMHO really would not wish to have in contact with skin or bloodstream.

edited to correct link :oops:
 

danigirl88

Newbie
Messages
1
I'm glad i spotted this discussion, i have just been trying to find a foot cream for my mum and was unsure which one to buy, i have since tried body shop foot creams and they work wonderfully along with some specialist socks that she bought from some company called simplantex which she reckons are the most comfortable she has been able to find!! :)
 

hanadr

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I used to have cracked heels every summer and well remeber the look of horror on the faces of a cohort of GCSE candidates, whose exam I was invigilating as I walked over the canvas covered floor leaving blood stained footprints. I'd removed my sandals which had been clomping loudly on the floor. I have been eating more fat lately and the feet have been better. i walk miles every week in walking boots and find that the only socks that never rub are toe socks. I have an extrmely long second toe on each foot which gets pulled up in "normal" socks and bruises at the nail bed.
Boots own foot care creams are nice.Some smell delicious
 

martinbuchan

Well-Known Member
Messages
354
Mine is on prescription. I don't know if you can but OTC, I suspect you can.

On my third and final week of Linezolid antibiotic (£800 per week). I cost a fortune. I get a lot of people saying 'well, you have paid your taxes'. I hate that- doesn't matter if you pay tax at all or a higher rate payer.
 

ChocFish

Well-Known Member
Messages
963
Doesnt matter Marty, you give an awful lot back too, things that we cannot give monetary value to.

I hope the treatment continues to work well for you. But tell how on earth do you cope with such high and long term use of antibiotics? Do you eat loads of bio yogurt and drink kefir or something, whenever I have been on antibiotics my guts suffered and terrible thrush too, once even in my mouth and that was after taking antibiotics for just 6 weeks.

All the best

Karen
 

martinbuchan

Well-Known Member
Messages
354
Hi

I thinkit was SarahQ who suggested probiotic capsules. I was on actimel at the start. But http://www.healthspan.co.uk is quite a good source for supplements. From memory, 90 capsules for £14. Cheaper than that are Brewer's yeast tablets from H&B upto 6 tabs per day. At the end of my last course of antibiotics- I only took Brewers yeast- no bowel upset at all. And I was on two of the biggest culprits for tummy problems as well.

Linezolid is harder to take. I do feel nauseated a wee bit on them. One must also be ona low tyramine diet (no meat, bananas, caviar, advocados, soya, yeast, fava beans, red cherries, beer, red wine etc etc). Can still take brewer's yeast tabs.

One more week on the ultraexpensive antibiotics (causes bone marrow suppression and anaemia) and then back onto ciprofloxacin and clindamicin. I want to stay on these ones until my foot temperature settles to normal and my xrays are settled.

I don't worry about being on antibiotics for too long. There have been reports of tendon ruptures on ciprofloxacin- but these tend to happen early on. Keeps one skin clear as well

I often have one or two patients on similar courses of antibiotics as my own for 6-12 weeks. I have managed to get my ward pharmacists to obtain brewers yeast tablets for them, but I cannot get probiotic capsules purchased. One of our sister hospitals had a C. diff outbreak recently. There has been brougth out a raft of antibiotic prescribing proibitions which make no use of brewers yeast or probiotic therapy. Althought there are reasonable reports of there use in prevention, it seems hard to get them into mainstream thinking. I can get my ward pharmacists and dieticians to agree to probiotic yogurts, but I cannot get my kitchens to provide it. Madness.

Anyway, I do hope anyone needing more than a short amount of antibiotics will consider the above supplements. Brwer's yeast is full of Vitamin B complex as well- quite good if you have neuropathy like me.