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Foot Ailments Related to Diabetes

Listlad

Listlad

BANNED
Messages
3,971
Type of diabetes
Prediabetes
Treatment type
Diet only
My feet have been subject to a range of ailments that I am surmising are related and in turn related to diabetes:

Dry and cracked skin
Fungally affected toenails - quite severe in many cases
Tingling and numbness albeit it relatively minor
Discolouration of toes - darkening

And a decade or so back and beyond I always had smelly feet which in the last decade ceased.

Over the last month or so the tingling and numbness has disappeared and the colouring of the toes has returned to normal.

What has changed is my diet and recommencement of exercise.

Does that make sense to you?

Many thanks for your advice.

{Edited by moderator to create consistency for new thread topic issue.)
 
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Listlad said:
Okay. I did look that up earlier and understand your point. Thanks.

My feet have been subject to a range of ailments that I am surmising are related:

Dry and cracked skin
Fungally affected toenails - quite severe in many cases
Tingling and numbness albeit it relatively minor
Discolouration of toes - darkening

And a decade or so back and beyond I always had smelly feet which in the last decade ceased.

Over the last month or so the tingling and numbness has disappeared and the colouring of the toes has returned to normal.

What has changed is my diet and recommencement of exercise.

Does that make sense to you?

Many thanks for your advice.
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Yes, that makes sense to me. Like you, I restored my health with the low carbohydrate ketogenic diet and daily walks, but I also took nutritional supplements. There are many, many reasons that some people have to take nutritional supplements while others don't. I would love to not have to take a handful of supplements every day. ;)

And I love hearing stories like yours. They're encouraging and inspiring which is just what Ian needs right now. :)
 
E
Winnie53 said:
Yes, that makes sense to me. Like you, I restored my health with the low carbohydrate ketogenic diet and daily walks, but I also took nutritional supplements. There are many, many reasons that some people have to take nutritional supplements while others don't. I would love to not have to take a handful of supplements every day. ;)

And I love hearing stories like yours. They're encouraging and inspiring which is just what Ian needs right now. :)
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Thanks very much for your advice. Very much appreciated.
 
@Winnie53 I read about injections for B12. I will need to go back to that source. Hopefully I might not need them.

Am going to check to see what my previous blood test results say if anything about my B12
 
Listlad said:
@Winnie53 I read about injections for B12. I will need to go back to that source. Hopefully I might not need them.

Am going to check to see what my previous blood test results say if anything about my B12
Click to expand...

@Listlad your doctor can order a test to check your B12 level. Injections are one option. Taking Methyl B12 orally or B12 drops under the tongue are two other options. Depends really on the result of your B12 test. If you're taking Metformin, your doctor should have already checked you B12 level. My homocysteine levels are in the high range of normal. That's why I'm going to have my B vitamin levels checked, if I can afford it. If not, I'll just have my B12 level checked. (I have to pay out of pocket for this type of testing).
 
Winnie53 said:
@Listlad your doctor can order a test to check your B12 level. Injections are one option. Taking Methyl B12 orally or B12 drops under the tongue are two other options. Depends really on the result of your B12 test. If you're taking Metformin, your doctor should have already checked you B12 level. My homocysteine levels are in the high range of normal. That's why I'm going to have my B vitamin levels checked, if I can afford it. If not, I'll just have my B12 level checked. (I have to pay out of pocket for this type of testing).
Click to expand...
I had a B12 check done in 2016. I have the results ,they are listed as normal.
 
That's great Listlad. If you're not taking Metformin and you're not having any symptoms, you're likely fine. One of our members has pre-diabetes. By eating low carb, she has stopped the progression of her diabetes and is holding steady during the three years I've known her. :)
 
Winnie53 said:
That's great Listlad. If you're not taking Metformin and you're not having any symptoms, you're likely fine. One of our members has pre-diabetes. By eating low carb, she has stopped the progression of her diabetes and is holding steady during the three years I've known her. :)
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Thanks. I still have fungally affected toe nails and dry flaky skin. So am not “out of the woods” yet.
 
Listlad said:
I had a B12 check done in 2016. I have the results ,they are listed as normal.
Click to expand...
Serum Vitamin B12 : 350pg/ml (no comment entered)
Serum folate 10.8 ng/ml (Normal)

Neither makes much sense to me. I do recognise that they were taken a couple of years ago and things may well have changed.
 
Listlad said:
Yes. I have been using that. It seems to help. But....doesn’t get rid of it.

In fact I slapped some in some warm water last night and gave my feet a soaking in it. :D
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My podiatrist told me to paint it on neat to the toenail itself, I never soaked my feet in it though. :D

Here's the UK address.

https://www.thursdayplantation.co.uk/

Edit: Typo.
 
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Listlad said:
It is accessible in a number of outlets. You guys must make a fortune shipping it over here.

BTW I only put a half dozen drops in a bucket of warm water.
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They probably do, same as eucalyptus oil it's a popular product as well.
 
@Listlad

According to my lab report, B12 standard range is 160 to 1000. So you are within range.
Folate 3 to 20, but it may be different for women, I don't know.

Fungal toe nails can be as a result of many, many things. I have never heard of it being related to diabetes but one never knows - and you don't actually have diabetes. https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/fungal-nail-infection/
 
Bluetit1802 said:
@Listlad

According to my lab report, B12 standard range is 160 to 1000. So you are within range.
Folate 3 to 20, but it may be different for women, I don't know.

Fungal toe nails can be as a result of many, many things. I have never heard of it being related to diabetes but one never knows - and you don't actually have diabetes. https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/fungal-nail-infection/
Click to expand...
I don’t have diabetes per se. But I do have diabetic tendencies. I took my HbA1c Test today so things may change regarding classification. I am keeping an open mind on the outcome.

The link supposedly between nail fungus and diabetes is that diabetics in the foot area lose the natural oils that normally prevent fungal growth. At least that appears to be what I am reading and hearing. I would be glad if the link between diabetes and fungal growth of the toenails could be verified.

I don’t know how valid this is:

“This condition is a very common infection of the toenails caused by a mold or yeast. Onychomycosis is often associated with a chronic athlete's foot condition. A 2006 study published in the journal Acta Dermato-Venereologica showed that 22 percent of patients with diabetes have toenail onychomycosis.

http://www.diabetesforecast.org/2008/dec/how-do-i-fight-toenail-fungus.html
 
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High blood sugars can encourage fungal infections all over the place.
Once your toenails are infected it is often hard to shift, but you can get stuff to paint on.
It does take a long time though; you have to wait for the toenails to grow out fully.
 
LittleGreyCat said:
..... but you can get stuff to paint on.
It does take a long time though; you have to wait for the toenails to grow out fully.
Click to expand...

I did try that. It failed. What did work was medication that I had to take for something like 3 months. That worked. However about a year later the condition returned. I went back to my GP who refused to prescribe me the medication which worked first time around as she was concerned about my liver. She then also recommended tea tree oil and said she used it herself. :)
 
Jaylee said:
To be fair @Listlad ,
Diabetics are more likely to have foot inspections in the course of the usual care package & more likely to get logged as the demographic of fungal infections...? (So, more likely to cynically "blame it on the bogie..") ;)
Along with non D folk approaching an HCP just after "beach ready" feet.?

I did find this link though. Hope it helps? http://www.bad.org.uk/for-the-public/patient-information-leaflets/fungal-infections-of-the-nails/?showmore=1&returnlink=http://www.bad.org.uk/for-the-public/patient-information-leaflets#.XHRjkevfWrX
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Thanks for your post. To be fair a number of sources have highlighted fungal infection of the toenails as being a consequence of diabetes including podiatrists. But who knows, it’s all down to opinion, isn’t it?

Terbinafine (in that article) That is the medication that worked. However it was refused 2nd time around.
 
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