Anyone want to try and diagnose me since doctors can’t?

[FcukedUpFeet]

So I’ve seen several doctors and so far they don’t have a clue, so I thought I’d try and see if anyone on here is bored on a Saturday night and wants to give it a go?

in October last year I went on a hiking trip. Feet got cold and wet, no damage or blisters, just wet. A few days later I got sores on my toes, no where else, just the toes. After 6 weeks, I took some pictures and went to the pharmacist. Pharmacist said chilblains and sold me tiger balm. This didn’t work. Toes started getting very cold and going purple. Sores continued on toes. To be clear- not the feet. Literally just my freezing purple toes. By mid December I gave up on the tiger balm and tried to make a doctors appointment. Except it was too close to Christmas so the appointment wasn’t until the middle of January. By now the sores are either healing and pealing, or rubbing on my toes and bleeding. Doctor looked at my toes and said they’d never seen anything like it. I queried Raynauds syndrome but was told they didn’t think so. The doctor googled Raynauds while I was there and said because my toes aren’t going white, and fingers aren’t affected, it’s unlikely. They checked my pulse in my feet and it’s fine. So I was sent for blood tests.

Blood tests came back to say my white blood cell count is low, not dangerously low, but not where it should be. That’s all it found. So doctor said I don’t need another appointment yet, just another blood test. I had another test on Friday and I’m just waiting for the results. But the doctor clearly doesn’t know what it is. So wise mumsnetters. Any idea what the fuck is wrong with my feet? They’re so painful, shoes hurt and rub until my toes bleed. I’m living in multiple pairs of granny slipper socks and my toes are still so cold they’re purple!

I can add pictures if people want to see (they’re really gross so didn’t want to add at the beginning)

Frostbite?

Might be the light in the photo, but it looks like you've got a fungal infection on your big toenail? Wondering if it is connected to that.

Fungal infection? Maybe try some Canestan or other topical anti-fungal cream for a couple of days.

I'm an NHS podiatrist. That doesn't look like chilblains to me, it looks like very superficial frostbite. Some of the dermis has died and will slough off and stabilise eventually. I think I can see a superficial area of fungal infection in there too so you'll need some anti fungal cream. You've basically got trench foot. Seen in the trenches in WW1.
Avoid extremes of hot or cold, no boiling baths or hot water bottles. Wear a couple of layers of socks and keep warm.

I think trench foot too. First thing that came to mind when OP described how to started and symptoms fit.

I would second the poster who suggested asking for a test for vasculitis. This is a serious disease but can be much easier to treat if it’s found early. A good friend of mine had it and it was months before they diagnosed her and she was very poorly for a long time. It’s often only when all the individual symptoms come together that they consider it and by then you could be very ill indeed. Good luck 🙂

Having now seen the photos, this is what the toes on my right foot get like over winter & it hurts like hell! But I also spend up to twelve hours, a couple of times a week, working in whatever the minimum temp outside is, just inside a shipping container. On my feet the whole time.

I did show my foot to the GP once & she said chilblains. Once it warms up it goes away till winter. But my god it hurts when the dogs run over my toes, or I catch them on something.

I had this in my hands and feet. My GP sibling said it was chilblains. Turned out to be rheumatoid arthritis. Be persistent. Definitely could be auto immune.

Go private and see a dermatologist if you are able. Insist your GP refers you to an nhs dermatologist. The wait is long and hopefully your feet will be good as new by then. You poor dear, have a warm bear hug 💐

I’d agree with others, a podiatrist visit is what I’d advise. Your toes are quite squashed up so I can see that some shoes might rub constantly, and in winter we tend to wear heavier shoes / boots that can damage our feet.

See a podarist, your GP maybe able to refer or go private. They are the specialist. A toe doppler maybe need to assess blood flow in toes (vascular performance).

History is everything. If you've had no problems or health conditions before and this all happened after you walked through freezing and probably dirty water and hung around in damp shoes and it's never happened before then that is the cause and it's highly unlikely to be a systemic disease.

Ive had frostbite in my fingers and it looked nothing like the OPs photos but there are varying degrees , it’s also extremely painful .

Have they checked for diabetes? There’s an uncommon condition called Charcot which affects feet, mainly affects people with diabetes but not always.

Very well done to check all this out for op. He should keep going back to the gp he is entitled to get second opinions. It does sound like a circulation problem and should see a specialist a vascular surgeon at least.

No idea about the purple colour. But, from the picture, which I can't see very clearly, do you get sores that are like mini fluid filled blisters?
Just that it looks like what I get, it's palmar plantar pustulosis. The GP told me it's eczema, but a specialist told me ppp. They burn and leave cracks and dry skin, very painful. I did have them on my hands too and it was difficult to do much without being in pain. Light therapy worked, but private treatment.

One's that might have been missed
Infection that hasn't been picked up or
Peripheral Arterial Disease (PAD)
Might be worth a look

Good luck 👍

Not sure but I’m going to recommend electric foot warmer. You can also get heated socks. I feel so ill when feet get cold and they are a lifesaver.

For chillblains use Sudacrem. No one knows what they are anymore, since the days of ice on the inside of your windows and open coal fires!

Came on to say Immersion foot (aka Trench foot). The key is that you've subjected your feet to very wet conditions for a prolonged period of time.

Ouch! Looks very sore OP! I had sore feet that looked like your toes but all over when I was hiking in Aus. Even the nail on my big toe was black underneath. An aboriginal man saw them and put some kind of mixture all over my feet whilst we were sitting round the fire. All I know is that it contained lanolin of some sort. My feet were right as rain the next day. So if you can get some lanolin, I'd give it a go! I'm sorry I'm not much more help! I'd also recommend seeing a trained herbalist. I go to them for everything these days.

A friend of mine has this and he has vasculitis. You do need more blood tests done especially the ANCA test. It could also be severe Raynauds. It can just affect the toes.

If you’ve got elevated white cells what about antibiotics? Have they tried them?

What about if your white blood plattletts are low causing this. My husband has it.
He got cold toes, tired bruising
That came and went..
He's on tablets for it now.
Which helps your immune system from attacking your white blood cells.
Maybe ask your Dr about that. Maybe nothing or something.

Trench foot