I have chilblains on every single toe and down the sides of my feet and it is driving me NUTS!!!!!

[OhYouBadBadKitten]

aaargh!!!!
Just need to go aaargh cos they are aaaaaarghing me. I know I should go back on the nifedipine but I don't like the side effects so have been trying to just propererly look after myself. I'm going to have to go back on it though otherwise I'll have to hack off my toes soon.

my toes look like purple potatoes.

Fine. don't give me any sympathy then.
. It'll be in the local papers though - woman chops off toes due to desperate itching.

awwwww.. silly question but have you tried onion on them... it's supposd to help stop the discomfort. just rub the cut edge of an onion on the chilblains.

( let me know if it works )

aww, thanks Arsennic - x-post.
oddly I read that as fried onions on first read. Will try that right now!

ooooo, no, thats itchier!!! (maybe it takes time??) cat smelled foot and pulled a funny face though!

How long have you taken the nifedipine for? The side effects will wear off when your body has got used to it.

last time I took it all winter. It was very effective but I got some peripheral oedema . Which actually now I vastly prefer. Got some bad headaches for a couple of days but they went I'll have to start on Sunday - running a big even on Sat.

even = event.

I've been silly for not taking it, last year some of them ulcerated and thats why I was put on it (that and raynauds)

Never had such a gigantic crop before. Took socks off and they are over the top of my foot too. blimey.

Ouch. Sounds painful. Hope they don't affect your running too much. The headaches on nifedipine can be horrendous but as you know they do get better.

lol - couldnt work out why you thought I was a runner, until I re-read what I'd typed. To reword it, I'm organising a big(gish) community event on saturday.

I've learned now why I'm supposed to take them before I get problems. have to check the ones I've got are still in date!

(have to lol at running, I'm more hobbling like an arthritic duck )

i'm back (rl called).

omg I didn't mean to make you more itchy..

My mothers idea of a remedy was to pee on your own feet

However, coming from one who suffered terribly from them as a child, I was finally and totally cured as a teenager with the homeopathic remedy Apis Mel. Now I wouldn't normally be swayed by the whole homeopathic thing, but it worked, within days and PERMANENTLY. Honestly it really did. Give it a go.

don't worry. I'm desperate enough to try weeing over my feet was worth a try.

You know what, I reckon choc cake might be THE cure

did read something about oats and honey and stuff and leave over night. could you imagine that over the bed sheets??

Lionstar - apis mel? I'm going into town tomorrow. Might be able to pick some up. not at all into homeopathy but I'll give it a go for sure. thanks!

Ouch kitten you have my sympathy. I have Reynauds and get terrible hand and feet chilblains too. Mine have been a lot better since I started wearing toe socks to bed. Although my sex life has taken a bit of a dive...

toe socks. not great! I have pink furry socks

poor you with them on your hands. have never had that thank goodness.

OOOH, big sympathies. I've had years before when I've had them on every single toe. Never on the feet themselves though. I've never seen anyone about them though - I've just been relying on Balmosa cream and gritted teeth.

The worst thing is that scratching doesn't even help the itching at all, it just blardy hurts!

did you actually wee on them.. or just think about it?

( I have it on good authority that choc cake heals everything.. or at least take your mind off it)

although weeing on things reminds me of the time that ds1 pushed ds2 into a patch of nettles.. they came racing home.. ds2 shot upstairs to the bathroom.. and then we heard a bloody curdling scream...

ds1 sniggers and said.. i told him he had to wee on the stings.. oh no that jelly fish... ooops.

grrrrr

It does hurt doesn't it. Mild ones are fine to scratch, in fact its almost an exquisite itch/scratch. But not when they get bad.

its such an old fashioned thing to get!

I used to work outside in all weathers. I got to the point where I couldn't get my boots on due to my swollen toes and I was literally crying with pain in the cold. Needless to say I soon gave it up and got an office job!

I know - makes me feel like a Victorian throwback! It's gloves and furry boots for me from October until about April in a bad year!

I get them every winter. This winter I'm being really nesh about it and wearing a lot of socks and slippers all the time. If I'm lazy and even walk barefoot on cold floors it sets them all off again. I even warm my feet with a hairdryer poked down the duvet at bedtime - it's working!

Thats fab Bramble - I'm glad its working. good tip about the hairdryer.

Gaelic - thats hideous

pushme - we need to make this trendy somehow

Please could you very exerienced people tell me what chilblains look like??

DD (8) started complaining of an itchy toe about a month ago - I couldn't see anything wrong with it. Now she's complaining of intense itching, several of her toes look red (especially the middle one) and there's some flaking/peeling skin and a couple of tiny spot/blister thingies just where the sole of her foot meets her toes. I had assumed this must be athletes foot and started treating her with some over-the-counter stuff but I wonder......She says the foot in question only itches in the afternoon (so after she's been out for an hour at lunchtime break) and that the other foot has now started itching while (and only while) she's in bed.

Does this sound like chilblains? And will the GP do anything if so?? DD has a very sensitive sense of smell, really don't think she'll go for the onion thing!

Thanks. Sorry you're all suffering so much, too.

It doesn't sound terribly chilblain like, ime individual ones tend to have a life cycle of a week or so (unless they go all ulcerated and horrid)

They look like red/purple/shiny swollen areas. Size varies from pea size in area to the entire toe being swollen. Tend to start off as a mild itch that rapidly progresses to an intense itch, then they start to get painful to walk on, socks seams are painful, light knocks are excruciating. my worst ones do start to peel as the skin breaks down.

Also itching tends to get worse when the foot gets warm, coming in from the cold sets mine off. Cold removed the itch but obv isn't very good for them!