Oh God, can anyone tell me why my feet itch?

[RubaiyatOfAnyone]

Minor in the grand scheme of things, I know, but so SO annoying to live with.

Around about the time I found out I was pregnant with DD2 in March 2019 I started to have a very itchy foot. I assumed this was athletes foot, as it got much worse if i wore socks/shoes all day as hot and sweaty. I treated it with the only GP-approved treatment approved for pregnancy (cannestan).

Nothing changed. I am still breastfeeding, so the same restrictions apply as in pregnancy, i.e. none of the more extreme athlete's foot antifungals are recommended.

However, I'm not even sure it is athlete's foot. There is no broken skin, but i think i can feel a slight bumpy-ness under the surface in the itchiest places on the ball of my foot. I have been mostly barefoot/flipflops for over a year to minimise the itching, so the skin on my feet is fairly hard now as well (footner is also not recommended whilst breastfeeding) so difficult to see anything, but no rash or redness that would indicate scabies or worms or anything like that I think. Having googled, the only other thing suggested was a type of eczema with fluid-filled blisters which is not this. My GP has no idea. Can anyone suggest anything? It basically itches all the time and I'm getting desperate!

Is there a chance it could be hormonal?

I suffer with hormonal imbalance and get the most intense and frustrating itching at certain times of the month sometimes on my feet too.

When i've googled it before there has been quite a lot about hormonal itching, but doctor has never seemed aware of it.

Anemia?

Palmopustular psoriasis?

I get similar- I think it's related to pompholyx/dishydrotic eczema... but the blisters haven't come to the surface yet.

I get it a lot, usually the little red bumpy rash that dries out and goes scaly, sometimes the blisters are really deep and need to be pierced to relieve the itch, though the resulting crater is then problematic.

Other times, the itch is so intense but there's nothing to see. After a while though, a whole segment of skin lifts away as though you have done footner, and it eases for a while. And yes, I'm talking many many months!

Moisturise, never scratch if you can possible manage, and avoid commercial shampoos with nasties in- sulphates etc.

I used to get something like this on my fingers - doc suggested an allergy. Could it be whatever you are washing your feet with? Try some hydrocortisone cream - you can get it over the counter. Eumovate or similar

I was going to say pompholyx eczema. Tends to happen on feet and hands. Feels like tiny blisters beneath the surface and is very itchy.

I get the same, though far too old to be pregnant! Although it sounds weird, I found wearing socks in bed helped, as it was night-times when the urge to itch was strongest. They are also related to the temperature, far worse in the summer than winter.

Yep pompholyx, I’m plagued by it too. If you go back to the gp they should be able to give you diprobase aqueous cream and a breastfeeding ok steroid cream.

Oh God, you're all marvelous. Thank you.

I don't think I'm anaemic (although I'm a pale redhead vegetarian, so it's hard to tell) but interesting to know that is a symptom. I also don't think it's psoriasis as I don't have any noticeable blisters, but hadn't thought of that at all so will keep an eye on it, thank you.

I had discounted the pompholyx eczema because google described/showed it as proper blisters which I don't have, but if some of you have experienced it as just bumpiness it does sound like that is the most likely.

I'm not sure hydrocortisone is allowed whilst breastfeeding, will look into it, but otherwise yes, will treat it as eczema with heavy moisturising and see if it improves. (And the minute I can give up breastfeeding I am going to sit with my feet in a bucket of heavy-duty chemicals until it goes away )

Thank you all again, that is more help than I have had from GP over the past 12 months!

I'm going to look this up too OP, because I have this but only on one foot interestingly.

My Pomphlox blisters are often quite deep under the skin (on my hands) but OMG are they itchy.

It might be difficult currently by request your GP refers you to a dermatologist or see if he will prescribe Protopic ointment (Tacrolimus ointment)
The Dermatologist prescribed this for my hands (& my perioral dermatitius) as I'd been on steroids for so long.

You could also try something with lidocaine to temporarily numb - sorry but thats usually in Vagisil or pile cream which you can get in the supermarket.

I often run my hands under very hot water when I want to rip off the skin - it does seem to help weirdly (don't scald yourself though)

I also have good old pompholyx and the blisters don't always appear, especially on my feet.

Google neurodermatitis
It's an unusual form of exzema - it needs strong topical steroids