Itchy skin & achy feet

[KTNIC]

Are their links with itchy ankles & forearms & T2?and achy feet?
Ever since being diagnosed just before Christmas I seem to have more symptoms. Not feeling too good at the moment. Sorry

 

[Deleted member 308541]

itchy ankles & forearms & T2?and achy feet?

I get dermatitis occasionally on my legs and feet.

I use Antroquoril cream, or if it is weepy Sigmacort cream on them.

Takes the itch out of them.

 

[kitedoc]

Hi @KTNIC, Sorry to hear of your troubles. I have a tendency to eczema (dermatitis) which is worse in winter due to the cold air drying out my skin. Use of soap on my skin dries the skin further. The itching is worse if my BSLs are higher than usual, too.
So I use sorbolene cream in place of soap and as a moisterising cream after.
Another cream called BOZ cream is also good for moisterising for me.
I resort on occasion to use of mild steroid cream from the chemist (brand names of which end in -cort, but I check with the chemist to make sure) - but I am advised to not use them on face or eyelids as they are too strong for those areas.
If I get itchy in armpits, groin or between toes I use an anti-fungal cream, again over the counter from the chemist, as fungal infections are said to be more common in diabetes.
My ankles can get itchy due to the above and I think because of wearing socks which add friction to the skin there. It is worse for me if the socks are made of 100% synthetic material. I have heard that for others wool in the socks can be an irritant.
Aching feet happens to me due to lots of walking and carrying home of shopping - despite stout, well-cushioned walking boots.
In Australia at this time of year I am having to walk on pavement more often than at other times to avoid snakes. Snakes tend to be in the grassy and bushy areas. I have not seen one yet but it is ingrained caution to watch out and avoid areas where they can be camouflaged. Once able to walk moreso on grass the aches disappear.
The other thought is that a friend of mine after being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes had aching feet for quite some months afterwards. His specialist opined that after ? months and ? year or more with undetected high BSLs that the normalising of his BSL might have triggered a worsening of diabetes complications such as to nerves in his feet. With further good control of his BSLs this could be expected to then improve. True to this prediction sometime later my friend was much less achy in his feet.
The loss of weight in his particular case may have helped also.
He did not need or choose to take medication for the pain in his feet but I have heard of others who have done so.
Best Wishes with your troubles and I hope the above is useful to you.

 

[Eurobuff]

Are their links with itchy ankles & forearms & T2?and achy feet?
Ever since being diagnosed just before Christmas I seem to have more symptoms. Not feeling too good at the moment. Sorry

I’ve had itchy arms, it’s usually when my blood sugar is high. I also get burning feet (the same feeling as when you played in the snow and then came in and sat right over the fire / chilblains?) - I was suffering constantly with it, every day and when the weather was really cold it was unbearable, at it’s worse it felt itchy too. I was told it’s probably nerve damage. There is a cream that is made from chillies, that supposedly works, I tried it for a few days but it didn’t work. I got some incredisocks (diabetic circulation socks) and since I’ve been wearing them I’ve had about half a dozen episodes over a year, which is a big improvement on every day.

 

[Stephen Lewis]

What you seem to have is the beginnings of peripheral neuropathy (DPN). With me this started with itchy feet especially in winter when my bg always went up. My DPN has got worse over the last 15 months after my BG got very high after a cut in medicines. By last summer I was having burning sensations as if the skin has been pulled off and numbness up to my knees. There is a drug, pregabalin, which reduces the pain but does not 'cure'. Last summer I went on a low carb diet and the pain has slowly reduced. Meanwhile I put a post on this forum and it was suggested that I should stop spikes in blood sugars by controlling carb input better and try to get my A1C down to about 5.0. I have got rid of spikes and now have an average bg 6.3. The DPN is slowly getting better and I will find out my current A1C next week. Hopefully it will be down to the target level. Hope this helps because the sooner you get the carbs down you will slow down or possibly reverse the DPN. I try and keep the carbs at each meal about 15 to 20 gms.

 

[KTNIC]

Thank you all.

 

[Stephen Lewis]

Thank you all.

Forgot to mention that R-Alpha Lipoic Acid was also recommended on the forum and by my diabetic clinic who also said it was possible to take up to 1800 mg per day. Just remember there is a lot of good information on the forum but we all react differently because our illness is very individual so it will not all work for you. You need to try alternatives, keep measuring your BG, preferably with a CGM and find out what works to improve your issues. Some forum members are in complete remission which the medical profession don't like as diabetes and DPN are 'incurable' and pharma hates because they lose control.

 

[KTNIC]

Hi @KTNIC, Sorry to hear of your troubles. I have a tendency to eczema (dermatitis) which is worse in winter due to the cold air drying out my skin. Use of soap on my skin dries the skin further. The itching is worse if my BSLs are higher than usual, too.
So I use sorbolene cream in place of soap and as a moisterising cream after.
Another cream called BOZ cream is also good for moisterising for me.
I resort on occasion to use of mild steroid cream from the chemist (brand names of which end in -cort, but I check with the chemist to make sure) - but I am advised to not use them on face or eyelids as they are too strong for those areas.
If I get itchy in armpits, groin or between toes I use an anti-fungal cream, again over the counter from the chemist, as fungal infections are said to be more common in diabetes.
My ankles can get itchy due to the above and I think because of wearing socks which add friction to the skin there. It is worse for me if the socks are made of 100% synthetic material. I have heard that for others wool in the socks can be an irritant.
Aching feet happens to me due to lots of walking and carrying home of shopping - despite stout, well-cushioned walking boots.
In Australia at this time of year I am having to walk on pavement more often than at other times to avoid snakes. Snakes tend to be in the grassy and bushy areas. I have not seen one yet but it is ingrained caution to watch out and avoid areas where they can be camouflaged. Once able to walk moreso on grass the aches disappear.
The other thought is that a friend of mine after being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes had aching feet for quite some months afterwards. His specialist opined that after ? months and ? year or more with undetected high BSLs that the normalising of his BSL might have triggered a worsening of diabetes complications such as to nerves in his feet. With further good control of his BSLs this could be expected to then improve. True to this prediction sometime later my friend was much less achy in his feet.
The loss of weight in his particular case may have helped also.
He did not need or choose to take medication for the pain in his feet but I have heard of others who have done so.
Best Wishes with your troubles and I hope the above is useful to you.

Thanks. Have been using some cream that my husband was given. Forgotten what it's called except that it's in a large dispenser, is expensive but seems to be doing the trick. However, my feet seem to be getting worse. Restless, feeling like I need to stretch them all the time, aching, sometimes hurting under toes. Never had this problem, even when I used to walk an awful lot or ballet training! Painkillers?

 

[Listlad]

I use an aqueous cream instead of soap to wash my legs.

I also have a liquid paraffin gel to apply to keep the skin moisturised. A form of moisturiser I guess.

They help with the symptoms of dry skin.

 

[Stephen Lewis]

Thanks. Have been using some cream that my husband was given. Forgotten what it's called except that it's in a large dispenser, is expensive but seems to be doing the trick. However, my feet seem to be getting worse. Restless, feeling like I need to stretch them all the time, aching, sometimes hurting under toes. Never had this problem, even when I used to walk an awful lot or ballet training! Painkillers?

Your symptons sound just like mine especially when the weather gets colder. Keep your feet very warm as this helps improve circulation as the blood capillaries expand. The problem is apparently caused by high bg that narrows the capillaries that results in a lower blood flow. This damages the nerves. Personally I believe that the nerves are extra sensitive to the reduced blood flow and send powerful messages of danger to the brain - this being the main purpose of the nervous system. Pregabalin will help to reduce the power of the message at the brain. You may also want to check blood pressure as some medications will increase the size of blood vessels that, as a side effect, increases blood flow. Be very careful with pain killers as these can cause liver and kidney problems for diabetics. When in severe pain I will take a couple of acetaminophen but I prfer no mare than 6 or 8 a week.

 

[Deleted member 308541]

When I was in hospital several years ago I scored a bottle of moisturiser while I was there, it was called J & J Microshield Moisturising Lotion.

It was good stuff while it lasted, no way was I going to let that go in the bin when I was discharged so brought home.

 

[KTNIC]

Your symptons sound just like mine especially when the weather gets colder. Keep your feet very warm as this helps improve circulation as the blood capillaries expand. The problem is apparently caused by high bg that narrows the capillaries that results in a lower blood flow. This damages the nerves. Personally I believe that the nerves are extra sensitive to the reduced blood flow and send powerful messages of danger to the brain - this being the main purpose of the nervous system. Pregabalin will help to reduce the power of the message at the brain. You may also want to check blood pressure as some medications will increase the size of blood vessels that, as a side effect, increases blood flow. Be very careful with pain killers as these can cause liver and kidney problems for diabetics. When in severe pain I will take a couple of acetaminophen but I prfer no mare than 6 or 8 a week.

My feet are always toasty! Blood pressure is monitored , on BP medication, all fine. What is acetaminophen ? Was thinking paracetomal?

 

[Stephen Lewis]

Acetaminophen is marketed as Tylenol in Canada. We do not get paracetomal in Canada but that may be the same type of pain killer (steroidal?). Keep away from any ibuprofen type (non-steroidal) pain killers as these can cause major kidney problems. Too many of the steroidal can hurt the liver so limit the quantities. Is the bp medication one that widens capillaries? If not, try to change. Also try to start pregabalin as this helps to reduce the pain for 6 to 8 hours. Pain killers usually only last about 2 to 4 hours for me. The R-Alpha Lipoic Acid tablets also help.

 

[bigphillystyle]

Aveeno cream works a treat for me. The skin around my ankles tends to get eczema like flare ups every now and again from my T2, Aveeno calms it back down again.