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.

My toe looked like that when I had a chill blain.

Psoriatic arthritis doesn't show up in any tests.

Insist on a referral to get PA ruled in/out as the earlier you get treatment the less damage gets caused.

Has your psoriasis flared up at all?

Toes/fingers are the most common starting point when PA develops.

Be persistent OP we can see it's not right!

Def worth going back to the GP, show photos if it flares up and settles down in case they don’t think it looks like much at the time.

The psoriasis is also worth investigating too, bony changes can take a while to show up on X-rays so maybe another X-ray?

I had osteomyelitis (bone infection) in one of my fingers. It looked like that and was excruciating eventually but less so earlier on. Blood tests were always normal. X Ray normal initially but not later on - there's a delay in x-ray changes.

I would want infection excluding. Flucloxacillin will work for a skin infection but not bone.

The most likely thing is a small Nick in the skin between the toes or around the nail had allowed a mild skin infection to take hold.
Is it getting better, worse or the same??
Go back

@Fire9636 I was going to say covid toes! I have it in my two little toes on my left foot and it is so painful- feels hot, like it’s itching inside, really tender to touch and they go red/purple and swell up. It’s a bit like chilblains and it is much improved by keeping my feet warm.

I think that looks like chillblains. I often have only one toe affected!

I do get chilblains but they normally go away after a week or 2 - I've had this now for 6 months

Chronic chilblain. My second toe goes like that.

Perhaps something wrong with the vein leading to that toe, as veins don’t really show up on an x ray without contrast dye injected. But that’s just a stab in the dark, no idea if that makes biological sense or not though 🤷🏻‍♀️

It could be this https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/symptoms/24764-dactylitis-sausage-fingers

I wondered about this actually, how long did it take for it to get to the stage you needed something done about it? Did it start to drain at some stage? The lack of drainage makes me think maybe it's not infection but sure what do I know I just work in an office

@myleft it took about 2 months until it was drained for the first time. It was drained 2 further times before x-ray was repeated and could see bone infection. By the end it was discharging itself but not at the beginning.

Cellulitis?

I'd keep going back OP. Doesn't look right to me.

Thank you, I felt a bit daft after the last time and started to wonder if I was imagining things, then I thought well why make such a fuss over a toe, it's clearly not life threatening or I'd be dead by now! But it's just not going to go away either.

Did you get anywhere with the GP?

looks like chillblains to me too

Could be psoriatic arthritis. Took years for people I know to be diagnosed, even after countless blood tests etc.
On another note, I get chilblains often and my toes can look like that.
Be persistent with the doctor!

No, I rang a couple of times but they were running an emergency clinic only due to staff shortages.

In the meantime, the pain and swelling has - after 6 months! Spread to the toe next to the sore toe! So I now have two dodgy toes. wtf.

I've started putting ibuprofen gel on which helps a bit. I've unearthed an antibiotic cream I was given for rosacea and am tempted to put some of that on too.

So I went back to the doctor as you all suggested and she thought psoriatic arthritis. She said she would refer me to a specialist if any bigger joints start to be affected? The toe beside the original toe is also swollen now and this morning I've woken to find my whole foot is swollen. Is this normal with arthritis?

I would put money on that being a chilblain too. One of my dc had one and had an xray before an older nurse suggested chilblains. It's like the medical profession are unaware that chilblains actually exist.

Is it painful, OP?

You need to be referred to Rheumatology now and not if any bigger joints flare up. I have one toe starting to deform through psoriatic arthritis and that is enough for them to heavily encourage taking medication which I am doing.

Hi, I've had this. After a long process of repeat swellings on other foot, a finger and then another toe where it was so painful I also couldn't walk properly. I was referred to Rheumatology and eventually diagnosed with inflammatory/psoriatic arthritis. This was without the psoriasis.
I am on methotrexate and haven't had any further swellings since medication.
You have to try and go for a consultation whilst in active swelling as my scans and blood tests all came back clear and was only diagnosed on visual and history.

The swelling feet is what can happen with psoriatic arthritis.