To think I have diabetic feet. Gross picture included.

[ParmaLily]

Literally panicking at my feet, to think this is diabetic foot!

Haven’t read all the thread past page 3 but consumption of Diet Coke especially has been linked to osteoporosis. 8 cans a day is far too much.
Your feet look pretty bad. I walk around in bare feet all the time and mine look ok.

Hope you are getting some good medical advice.

There are also other conditions which result in raised A1c, and HbA1c is not used as a stand alone test for the primary diagnosis of either type 1 or type 2 diabetes. For type 1 diabetes - it may sometimes be used in conjunction with diabetes screening tests but HbA1c works by giving average blood glucose levels over the previous three months, so is used mainly to monitor how well the diabetes is being controlled, once the condition has been confirmed by screening.

For type 2 diabetes the HbA1c test is used alongside the fasting plasma glucose test for diagnosis of pre diabetes and type 2 diabetes, and then as a monitoring test for glucose control.

Hope you are ok, OP

I hope you’re ok, OP. I’m sorry you’ve had to suffer such awful pain but I’m glad you’re getting medical attention.

My friend has diabetic feet. They don't look like that?

They look like normal feet but with scars from the multiple operations he had to heal ulcers. He looks after them religiously now.

Maybe you ARE the woman from Jersey? 😂

Who is this woman from Jersey?

Diabetes affects the circulation so feet tend to have reduced blood supply. It usually affects the toes which become gangrenous - turn black- and have to removed. If it's spread further, whole limbs may need to be amputated- lower calf.

Dry skin on heels is not what diabetes /feet looks like.

And yes, it's now known that artificial sweeteners can promote diabetes as they change how the body processes food.

If you need to have sweet stuff have very small amounts of REAL sugar, not aspartame or saccharine, or any of the newer stuff like Xytol and sugar substitutes.

'And yes, it's now known that artificial sweeteners can promote diabetes as they change how the body processes food' Completely untrue, not one piece of reliable research exists to back this up.

It just looks like manky feet that have been in sweaty shoes with no socks for an extended period. I wear trainers every day (with socks) and I have to take great care with washing, drying, exfoliating and moisturising my feet to avoid athlete’s foot and gross dry skin.

While we’re all here talking about feet, my left pinkie toenail is a source of embarrassment - it sticks up at an angle. I’m guessing it was caused by my shoes over many years but can it be fixed? Could a podiatrist help me straighten it?

And yes, it's now known that artificial sweeteners can promote diabetes as they change how the body processes food.

I suggest you look up Dr Joshua Wolrich (he coined the term ‘nutribollocks’) and stop posting misinformation.

Hope you get sorted, OP. First of all I'd cut your Diet Coke intake by half and replace with fizzy water, perhaps with a cordial you like the taste of. Or iced tea. Then gradually cut it down further to nothing or just the odd can.

No no no please don’t just scrape away at it and add more moisture with extra foot cream. I have done that for years and long term it just makes it worse.

i’m almost sure it is an acute fungal infection. You need terbinafine (Lamasil is one brand name for the cream) for it!

You’re drinking over 2.5 litres of Diet Coke per day?! How do you sleep? I struggle to sleep if I drink caffeine after 5ish but maybe I’m getting old. 😂 Seriously though, OP, hope your foot is ok but you really need to hugely cut down on Diet Coke. That’s gotta be so bad for you in those quantities.

I hope you are getting the help you needed but I cannot understand how you allowed your feet to get in this state in the first place. Please take better care of them going forward.

My DH had feet like that. He works in construction so wore heavy work boots for hours a day. His feet would be sweating especially in the summer. As far as I can remember he got a powder in the pharmacy with zinc oxide. It did clear it up but he has to be careful. He regularly gets a pedicure to remove hard skin and keep his feet in good condition.

@MrsLeBouef
Please elaborate on " that woman from Jersey"

Anyone else waiting hear back if she is that woman from Jersey?

I have had type 1 diabetes for 18 years and my feet don't look like that, though they are definitely drier than they used to be.
If you have family history have you had your blood sugar levels tested regularly?
I don't think it would develop that quickly unless it had been getting worse over years. Cracked dry heels can be painful to walk on. Get a file to get rid of dead skin and use something for dry heels. But get yourself checked out for type 2 diabetes asap.

My feet were exactly like this and I was eventually diagnosed with Psoriasis. The skin was bone dry, rock hard, scaly and would split open & bleed. I even ended up with Cellulitis in my lower leg 3 times.

You need to see a Dermatologist.

@ParmaLily Hard skin build up and cracked skin painful feet are also signs of Hashimotos underactive thyroid, it's a relatively common symptom you should get a thyroid panel done that includes TPO antibodies to rule it out. It is very easy to go undetected.

Consuming all that phosphoric acid etc that's in the diet Coke can't be good for you.

It looks like a fungal infection to me plus simply hard skin wet after a shower
You don't mention signs of an infection and lastly, they are NOT Diabetic feet, you have to be an uncontrolled diabetic for years to be a risk,,, plus it usually starts as ulcerated skin!
Use urea cream/ Vaseline under cotton socks overnight

NHS podiatrist here.
If you are diabetic and have a foot then you have a diabetic foot it doesn't matter what it looks like.
This foot is an uncared for foot, you need to go to a podiatrist and get all that hard skin removed and then start a regime of flexitol heel balm every single day so it doesn't come back.
You will have heels like a baby's bum in one month if you apply it every day.
A build up of callus like this means you are much more likely to develop skin breakdowns, blisters and diabetic ulcers.
Crocs are terrible for your type of skin, you are better of with a breathable material and a nice cushioned insole with a fairly thick, curved sole on the shoe.

It just looks like a foot that goes without shoes a lot and needs a bit of TLC. I hope OP updates as I really want to know what the diagnosis was!