Help why are my toes so painful??

[Embelline]

Went to the GP but he wasn't interested, as I have a blacked toe-nail on my big foot which is obviously a bruise, don't know how I did that and am sure it's not helping but the toe pain was happening before that..

My big toe (the one that is bruised) doesn't ache but the next three along do, a sharp on off pain. I'm also getting pain in the ball of my foot and occasionally on the outer edge, but it's mainly my toes.

It's not constant, but it's regular enough to be driving me mad.

Right now, it's a flashing, sharp pain and I'm sitting down!

I do have a ganglion on the top of my foot but that's been there a few years now (had that checked out when it first appeared) so can't see it would be to do with that. I also have what I think is sciatica on the same side (buttock, hip pain and down the front of the thigh) again GP wasn't interested, just nodded and agreed it's most likely sciatica.

Has anyone had anything similar? Toes aren't red, can't see any new bumps, it might be ever so slightly puffier than my other foot but there's not much in it. I'm desperate to know if there's anything I can do to get rid of it!

I won't be much help but can point you in the right direction. It would be hard to say without an in-depth examination as there are lots of possibilities. It's such a shame NHS podiatry is so underfunded. Your best bet would be to see a private MSK podiatrist.

Thanks @GingerPigz I'm wondering if I've injured myself and forgotten about it, as I can be quite clumsy! I also spent a lot of the early part of the year in UGG boots and I suspect that hasn't helped things.

I have psoriasis in my toe nails and that can be very painful but usually when shoes are pressing on them.

Painful toes were the first sign I had inflammatory arthritis but it could be anything else.

I do have an old injury in the area @irisretic which I didn't mention to the GP so might be worth another visit if it continues

I suffer with eczema @rcat74 but have never had it around my toes only the soles of my feet - presents as hard, cracked skin. Really selling myself here.

I know this might sound really bizarre and wont explain all of your pain, but I often wake up in the night and find that where the duvet and the bedspread (bedspread is quite heavy) is resting on my feet, if my feet are at right angles to the bed, it means they are pressing down on the end of my toes or my toenails, it really bloody hurts!!! Its such a silly thing. Or if my socks are too tight over my toes in shoes and 'pulls' at my toenails that hurts. And my nails are really short as well

@bellac11 that's strange, I've never thought of anything like that! My toenails were quite long until recently, I had had such a manic time I hadn't realised (I only realised when I got holes in my socks for crying out loud) so I wonder if they've been pressing on my shoes as well and I've not realised. I've got some really supportive trainers somewhere I might dig them out.

Could it br gout ?

I had dodgy looking toenails
I started to go to a chiropodist as I thought it was a fungal nail infection
It actually turned out to be bruised toenails and my shoes weren't suitable and too narrow and I needed to go a size up
Seems strange but chiropodist said if shoes are wrong fit each step you take causes a micro trauma to your nail which doesn't hurt that much but does end up discoloured with a bruise
I go regularly now and feet have really improved a lot

Thanks for the suggestions, it’s so painful today, but more on the ball of my foot and the pain is my toes is as my feet strike the pavement so as they bend. I’m wondering if I’ve actually done something.

also slightly worried about nail bed melanoma now as I didn’t realise that was a thing and I just presumed the blackish mark on my toenail was a bruise.

I know someone who had similar from ill fitting ice skating boots.
I also have problems with my toe nails, (injured) can no longer have tight shoes pressing on big toes, have had to ho up a size. Even the weight of bedding hurts

I have nerve damage on the top of one foot from where an over enthusiastic med student dug around trying to get a blood sample. If anything presses on the top of my foot (tight shoe etc) I get shooting lightening type pains into my toes. Is it like that?

Mine too! If I press on my big toe it's fine. If I brush it lightly with a bed sheet it's excruciating! Why??

@Embelline
Mortons Nueroma is what it sounds like.

I've got it and it's exactly how you've described it

I had exactly this and it went after taking a magnesium supplement.

Hello! It seems to have largely passed and also appears to be linked to wearing a particular pair of shoes!

Black toenails can also be a sign of a fungal nail infection