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Anyone else have issues with their feet?

Jemima37

Senior Member
Messages
407
Location
UK
Hello,

Does anyone ever get something like this with their feet? It started 2 years ago when I was going through a stressful time. I had started with 12 hour panic attacks after some stress in my life and a loss. The night it began my father in law had been rushed into hospital with a heart attack. I suffered a severe panic attack at home with my children as my husband was with him. I lay on my bed for a few hours to calm myself then got up to go to the toilet and my feet went all hot and when I looked down they were red and blotchy. This has happened nightly since that night 2 years ago. Some nights mild, others the toes can be all red and burning and it sometimes can even go up the front of my ankle and leave red blotches there.

I’ve seen my Gp and spoken to her, shown her photos, she has no clue. She said it’s not neuropathy as I’ve not lost feeling in my feet or legs, or anything sinister. She thinks it’s heat and possibly due to being more inactive than I used to be. I lie on my bed between housework so she said the CfS came back worse around the same time and So put it down to that.

It’s happened every night ever since but lately it even flares in the day when I walk around. Not every time but half the time. It will start after about 5-10 minutes on my feet doing my housework. I feel the heat then when I look down my feet have started at the toes going red and blotchy. It will make me feel woozy and I need to lie down. My GP also suggested POTs as it flares when upright or it can flare after resting too long on my bed and then once I stand the symptoms kick in? And it’s never the same, I have good week and then bad with it.

As I said sometimes it’s mild, others more intense sometimes it’s not just speckles or blotches, the top of foot can have a big red area or other times it’s only the toes in one foot or other times both feet. It’s really odd.
Its usually been an evening thing and I can feel the heat in my feet lying on my bed, which doesn’t usually happen unless I’ve rested a while, then as soon as I stand up they flush and go very hot. Once I return to resting and feet are up on my bed the redness is gone within a minute as is the heat after a few minutes. It isn’t a constant thing, my feet are fine between flare ups and it goes again as soon as I lie down, my feet go cool and redness goes. After a few minutes.


I read up on Erithromyalgia and I match the symptoms as my feet will feel dry across the toes often and itchy on occasion. They flare worse in a warm room, and I can’t wear socks anymore as they’ll trigger it. Or it happens just on activity even if I’m chilly and don’t have socks on, it just triggers after being upright walking about. It is usually an evening thing though lately some days it flares up now I’m doing more around the house . I’m going to suggest this thing I’ve read up on when I see my GP.

They’re a lot better than they used to be, I used to get pain when it flared up like someone was sticking needles in my toes but now it’s just the heat and speckles across the toes mainly and top of the foot. It all began during a stressful time and I notice it now flares during any stress or fatigue days.

I attach a photo of what happens. It’s not the best photo but it gives you an example. Sorry for the fast, haha. The photo I’ve attached is when it’s mild for photo 1, moderate and then when it’s quite bad which these days it’s rare. It can sometimes be redder but imagine those speckles in blotches across the toes and top of feet. Today it’s flaring quite bad and every time I walk around I feel anxious about it because I get this overwhelming urge I need to lie down when it flares up. It’s frustrating as I can’t get a lot of housework done today so I’m trying to accept that and just rest. I’ve been in a mild crash since Sunday so I do need to listen to my body and rest up.
J


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27B23D39-682A-4AA5-A6CB-AB5C7B7ED415.jpeg



J
 

valentinelynx

Senior Member
Messages
1,310
Location
Tucson
You might want to investigate erythromelagia. Here's a good source.
I get something similar in my right ear. I discovered there's a syndrome called "Red Ear Syndrome". It's thought to be rare, but if you see all the people Googling it, it's obviously much more common that medical publications would have you believe. For me it's not painful, although it can be annoying. It's triggered by anxiety or probably any increase in catecholamine release (epinephrine, norepinephrine). I believe Red Ear Syndrome is just erythromelagia of the ear.
 

Jemima37

Senior Member
Messages
407
Location
UK
You might want to investigate erythromelagia. Here's a good source.
I get something similar in my right ear. I discovered there's a syndrome called "Red Ear Syndrome". It's thought to be rare, but if you see all the people Googling it, it's obviously much more common that medical publications would have you believe. For me it's not painful, although it can be annoying. It's triggered by anxiety or probably any increase in catecholamine release (epinephrine, norepinephrine). I believe Red Ear Syndrome is just erythromelagia of the ear.
Yes, that’s what I read about when I googled my symptoms. At first I panicked it was neuropathy but my doctor shut that down as I’ve had this for 2 years and no numbness or tingling.

I wonder what could have started it if it is erithromyalgia. It definitely started during a very stressful time in my life. I go through better weeks and some bad weeks. Maybe theres a pattern I need to pay attention to. I get it every night to some degree. It gets worse when in bed under the covers, my feet can feel hot, or other nights it’s fine say on my bed and flares once I walk around. Activity seems to flare it up mostly and it used to be at night but now it can be anytime if day really, just more so at night. It’s flared twice today already on activity but fine the other times. Or heat when in bed, inactive for a long time or wearing socks are other triggers. It is strange. My Gp says I’m a mystery. Always been lol.
 

Rufous McKinney

Senior Member
Messages
13,251
it looks allergic, or like some type of localized histamine reaction...or something...

I have areas on my hand that itch but nothing is ever there..(not this obviously)(just oversharing!):hug:
 

Jemima37

Senior Member
Messages
407
Location
UK
it looks allergic, or like some type of localized histamine reaction...or something...

I have areas on my hand that itch but nothing is ever there..(not this obviously)(just oversharing!):hug:
We thought that at first but as my doctor said it can’t be if it’s specific and comes up when I walk around and mainly at night. I never used to get it during the day it was always a night thing. It’s definitely not allergic as I feel the heat brewing sometimes just lying on my bed then once I stand up they flare red, blotchy and hot. It’s odd. It has never itched before, only occasionally lately a toe will itch when it flares which I think is due to the heat.
 

Rufous McKinney

Senior Member
Messages
13,251
Im suddenly reminded of my sun screen allergic reaction that- developed.

It was post a couple of trips to the tropics....snorkling..it was like AFTER I am back- I developed a subsequent sensitivity to whatever is in regular sun screens...and I had reactions that looked much like- your feet..

And it didn't happen where I put the sunscreen. Like my torso and throat were all flushed up and it got REALLY HOT I recall.

Plus the worse reaction, when I rather finally figured it out- I was out of town in a motel room and had a Panic Attack at 8:30 PM covered in this boiling flush.....

....I hope you mystery is soon solved.
 

valentinelynx

Senior Member
Messages
1,310
Location
Tucson
I wonder what could have started it if it is erithromyalgia.
My Red Ear thing started out of the blue a few years ago. All I was doing differently was taking antibiotics for tick-borne infection. No more antibiotics, but the right ear still goes off. Once, only once, it happened in my left ear but not the right. Very odd.