The doctor doesn't know what's wrong with my foot

[Myleft]

Or rather, my second toe on the left. It's been like this since last September. I took it to the doctor in December and they didn't know what it was but ordered blood tests and an x Ray which both came back normal so case closed? Which is fine except I can't walk properly on it and it's twice the size of the toe on the right.

Has anyone ever had anything like this?! I did wonder if it's infected but it's not draining or anything and it's been there a long time without spreading.

What were the blood tests for, do you know? I’m wondering about rheumatoid arthritis but I assume they checked for inflammation markers and they came up negative? Could it be gout?!

Oh they did lots of tests and I can't remember them all, but I know they did include RA and gout

Any relation to injury/ footwear trauma/ nail infection?

No I don't remember hurting it, my nails are ok, I generally just wear trainers or sandals in summer.

Maybe this is a better picture. Sometimes it goes manky purple and other times it calms down slightly.

Is it painful?

Yes it's painful but not screamingly unbearable, just a there in the background soreness.

It doesn't look quite right hard to tell if gouty, or soft tissue - is it cold?
Podiatry??

So the Dr just said looks normal off you pop?

No, it's actually quite hot. I wonder if a podiatrist would know what it is? I suppose they would, they're feet experts??

I think if it was infected it would be appreciably warmer to touch than your other toes.

Maybe slather it in an iodine cream or Fucidin to rule that out.

Fungal?
Shouldn't be physical if x rays are fine.

Cross post on hot!

My foot was like this after a tick bite

Definitely try a podiatrist, they're medically trained in feet (and legs up to lower back, actually)

If x Ray ok either soft tissue eg skin infection / cellulitis or gout. It's good it's not cold. Do you feel it in the joints or mainly in the skin?
It might be worth abx - flucloxacillin if non allergic. If no improvement I'd trial gout Rx.
For either of those options you need to go back to GP

See a poidiatrist. Did they give you a course of antibiotics to start with? I am presuming they did. It looks infected or possible gout.

No they haven't given me anything for it. I'll try a podiatrist, thanks!

I'm surprised they haven't even tried you on a course of flucoxacillin.

Podiatrist will take a while and they don't prescribe I'd go back to the GP, hopefully get some fluclox then see

It looks like the photos of sausage toe.

Any psioriasis OP?

Can confirm it looks like dactylitis (sausage finger / toe) - which is more a description of the symptoms than the actual underlying cause....

Lots of autoimmune / inflammatory conditions can cause this, so needs a further work up - either a dermatologist or rheumatologist depending on what your local referral pathways look like.

Have you been back to the doctor since December? They might have assumed it’s settled down if results came back normal.

It does look infected in that second picture, especially if it’s hot too. You should def go back to the doctor.

Are you diabetic?

I do have psoriasis, although I'd have thought the blood tests would have shown up psoriatic arthritis? Or the x Ray maybe would have shown something?

My sons toe was like this when he got covid (he’s only 7) like exactly like this it seems to flare up now when he’s got a cold etc

No I haven't. I actually felt a bit stupid when I went the first time - the doctor didn't seem to think the toe looked weird at all then when I rang for results they just said it's all normal and that was that.

I'm not diabetic but I did have gestational diabetes so my hba1c is tested regularly and it's been fine so far