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Warm sensation at random times on my foot (not burning)

purrsian

Senior Member
Messages
344
Hi guys, just looking for some ideas about a new symptom. Today, I've noticed a warm sensation occurring on the top/side of my foot at random times. It's not burning or painful, just warm. It's a very specific location, just proximal to the anterior/superior surface of the end of my first metatarsal (ie. a bit below my big toe). I did have dermatitis in this location a month or two ago, but have had no problems since.

I do have POTS and have maybe had some circulation issues over the last few months. My veins are more noticeable throughout my body, which gets worse if I stand too long (occurs everywhere, not just in legs). My hands get red and splotchy when I stand sometimes, and my legs go pale and splotchy. I'm currently on low dose naltrexone (started last month), an SSRI and oral contraceptive pill (both for years).

I've tried googling about the heat sensation, but can only find stuff about burning, painful sensations. I have no burning, pain, tingling or pins and needles. Literally warmth is the only odd sensation. Does anyone know what could cause this? I'm guessing it's something to do with circulation?
 

Hutan

Senior Member
Messages
1,099
Location
New Zealand
I periodically get a sensation that is similar to warm water being poured over the top of my left foot. It would be quite pleasant if it wasn't a reminder that my body is odd. Sometimes a month or so passes before it happens just once. Other times it can happen many times in a day.

I have assumed it is a neurological symptom. I've seen others here report similar sensations.
 

Kati

Patient in training
Messages
5,497
I agree with @Hutan it could be neurological. i have had this at the exact location a few years ago, and had a rash (blister like) erupting, I felt it was shingles but it was never confimed. I had similar episodes over the years.

I am not saying this is what you got. I am just saying it could be many things. It could also be nothing to be worried about or something that goes away just as curiously as it came in...
 
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purrsian

Senior Member
Messages
344
I have assumed it is a neurological symptom. I've seen others here report similar sensations.
I'm assuming it is something along those lines, not too worried as I don't have any other issues, just found it odd.

I agree with @Hutan it could be neurological. i have had this at the exact location a few years ago, and had a rash (blister like) erupting, I felt it was shingles but it was never confimed. I had similar episodes over the years.

I am not saying this is what you got. I am just saying it could be many things. It could also be nothing to be worried about or something that goes away just as curiously as it came in...
Weird that you had it in the same spot! When I had the dermatitis, it started off as an intensely itchy spot that woke me up and a big raised area, almost like a large misshapen mozzie bite. I've since also had these itchy raised spots between my legs where my legs rub together now that I've put on weight. Looks like an insect bite reaction, but obviously not. With my foot, the next morning it wasn't raised anymore and just red and bumpy. No actual blistering but a bit of dry skin, lots of redness, itching and lots of small bumps. Went away over time. Looked up images of shingles rash and some look quite different, but there are a few that look similar to what I had, so maybe. I did have chicken pox as a child. Currently having some viral flare ups at random times (sore veiny throat, tightness/pain in anterior neck and ears) so maybe my immune system is doing some weird stuff with old pathogens.

Could it be the blood flows better when it happens?
I did consider that, but it's very localised to this one specific area. I will have to take note on my position next few times it happens, see if it's to do with blood pooling when I stand or something. Perhaps when I'm standing, the local blood flow increases and maybe the nerves are more sensitive after having the dermatitis rash thingy that I had?

Who knows. Sometimes it feels pointless trying to understanding the random stuff my body does lol
 

purrsian

Senior Member
Messages
344
I am thinking of an immune response higer up in the bloodvessel that tightens the vessel and when the obstruction is resolved the blood can flow better.

I am thinking of local endothelium thickening (as a defense against an agent in the blood) that narrows the bloodvessel
Makes sense, thanks for that explanation. So the endothelium thickens in the area where the pathogen is? And then gets thinner again when the pathogen is dealt with? I'm just learning about the cardiovascular and immune systems in biology at the moment, so this is all very relevant and interesting lol
 

lansbergen

Senior Member
Messages
2,512
Makes sense, thanks for that explanation. So the endothelium thickens in the area where the pathogen is? And then gets thinner again when the pathogen is dealt with? I'm just learning about the cardiovascular and immune systems in biology at the moment, so this is all very relevant and interesting lol

It is more complicated than my simple discription but you get te gist.
 

caledonia

Senior Member
I get something similar from time to time. I call it Hot Toes. It's the one symptom somebody else could actually feel.

I also get tingling on my cheek from time to time.

I assume it's neurological.

It could be related to vitamin B12 deficiency and/or mercury toxicity, both of which can cause neurological symptoms.

Mine has improved over time and I rarely get either one any more. I've been working on methylation treatment (mainly B12 and folate) and also removing mercury.
 

purrsian

Senior Member
Messages
344
I get something similar from time to time. I call it Hot Toes. It's the one symptom somebody else could actually feel.

I also get tingling on my cheek from time to time.

I assume it's neurological.

It could be related to vitamin B12 deficiency and/or mercury toxicity, both of which can cause neurological symptoms.

Mine has improved over time and I rarely get either one any more. I've been working on methylation treatment (mainly B12 and folate) and also removing mercury.
Lol hot toes, I love it. I shouldn't have a B12 deficiency as I have berroca most days for energies. Who knows about mercury though.

On a side note, I've found out about dermatographia today, which could be what's causing my raised skin reactions. I can't find much info on mild cases, as most things seem to talk about people who get the reactions from any pressure or scratching. I seem to get it with prolonged pressure on scratching/rubbing. I get welts from my bra, watch, compression stocking tops and underwear lining - all things I'd previously assumed were latex or nickel allergy related. But it doesn't always happen - just when there's more pressure or rubbing. But also getting the thigh welts from legs rubbing together, no allergy aspect there at all.

My skin is pretty sensitive these days, get red marks from anything leaning on me or scratching lightly, while my fiance complains about how easily I get hickeys "but I barely touched you!" lol

So many things seem to go wonky in ME/CFS. Makes it so hard to decipher what's really going on to indicate what way to go with treatment! I seem to have a few immune related symptoms, so trying LDN for re-regulation of the immune system. I think anti-virals will be my next thing to try. Wish we had some better guidelines!
 

Sidney

Senior Member
Messages
146
Location
East Sussex, U.K.
For what it's worth, I have had , for several years, a hot, red, area - looks like sunburn - on my left foot. It's a bit larger than the one described by you, @purrsian, covers the anterior proximal area nearly halfway up the instep. No one was interested and I stopped thinking about it.

An acupuncturist whom I saw (pointlessly) about 3 years ago , claimed that it was arthritis, which I do not have.

It is hot to the touch, exactly like a burn, but doesn't hurt, and I am not aware of it unless I see it, and it comes and goes.
Possiblly comes when I've been standing - which I hate - and/or am exhausted. It is such a small thing, compared to the misery of ME - that I stopped being curious about it. But I was amazed by your description of the same thing!
 

purrsian

Senior Member
Messages
344
For what it's worth, I have had , for several years, a hot, red, area - looks like sunburn - on my left foot. It's a bit larger than the one described by you, @purrsian, covers the anterior proximal area nearly halfway up the instep. No one was interested and I stopped thinking about it.

An acupuncturist whom I saw (pointlessly) about 3 years ago , claimed that it was arthritis, which I do not have.

It is hot to the touch, exactly like a burn, but doesn't hurt, and I am not aware of it unless I see it, and it comes and goes.
Possiblly comes when I've been standing - which I hate - and/or am exhausted. It is such a small thing, compared to the misery of ME - that I stopped being curious about it. But I was amazed by your description of the same thing!
For me, I wouldn't describe it as a burn or actually hot. When I say it feels warm, I mean the sensation is warm, rather than the skin feeling warm to touch. Sometimes it feels warm to touch, sometimes not. If you didn't have problems with any other areas, I wouldn't suggest it was arthritis, seems like an odd suggestion.

I haven't had too much of the sensation lately, just a moment every few days. Maybe because I've been doing exercises to improve my leg/feet circulation? I've been standing and slowly raising to my tiptoes, then slowly raising back down. First day I did it, I was amazed at how wobbly I was. Also other leg strengthening exercises less often, like lying down and holding one leg up a bit and drawing circles with it. I think it may be helping circulation already, which is great :) Assumed the sensation was a circulation thing, so at least it (and my general splotchy pastiness) has spurred me to try doing little exercises here and there.