Hands & Feet (sorry its a long one)

[Flossy3]

For quite some time now, I have suffered with intermittent problems with my feet and hands, sometimes my bottom lip too.

This is the cycle:
1) Start to feel a slight itch in either or both feet, this turns into the worst itch in the world and scratching only alleviates the itch for about 10 seconds.
2) Once I manage to stop scratching, hard painful lumps appear where the itch was
3) When I walk its like walking on pebbles at the beach with no shoes on.

Ive tried anti-histamine but it doesn't work.

Last week it started on my heels, next day the sides of my feet and following that my toes which swelled up so bad I couldnt actually bend them and the itch was the worst it had ever been.

At the week tailed off, the fleshy part of my left hand thumb started to itch in exactly the same way, swelled up and hurt like a b*ggar.

Occassionally, not quite as often, my bottom lip on just one side swells up and I look like Ive been punched in the face!

Ive been to the doctors who sent me to a specialist but because the problems is intermittent, I had to try and go on a day when it was happening and unfortunately it was barely there when I went. My GP said it was dermatitis but the specialist said he was talking out of his backside! Neither have been able to help and its getting worse as time goes on.

I'm a 39 year old female by the way.

I just wondered if anyone had experienced such a thing and if they had found anything that helps.

Many thanks in advance.

[redcrx]

do the lumps look like fluid filled blisters?

[237SJ]

Could you be allergic to something in your shoe materials?

[tinkerbell23]

God that sounds awful
Sorry i cant shed any light but best of luck to aleviating your problems xxxx

[Sqad]

No sorry i have never suffered with anything like it.

Seen specialists and GP.............no result.

Sounds like Angioneurotic Oedema ..............but what is the cause?

Food allergy comes to mind OR could this be emotional?

best I can do....sorry.

[rojash]

Sounds like Hands, Foot and Mouth disease. (I'm not kidding)
http://www.patient.co...and-Mouth-Disease.htm

[scotman]

Can you take photos of it when you have it?

[Bbbananas]

I have no advice flossy - I'm just butting in very quick to say that I love the title of your post. I got completely the wrong idea ;-)

[yogasun]

I'm sure sqad is right. I used to have something similar but not nearly as bad as yours. Suddenly I'd feel an itch and soon hive(urticaria) type lumps would erupt and all merge into one large lump constricting movement in a finger or toe, etc. It would go down after an hour or so and be back to normal.
Sometimes I'd get it on an ear lobe and it would get hot and swollen.
Often found it was triggered by pressure, cool air, etc. Never ever went to GP about it as it wasn't as bad as yours. Had it intermittently for a few years as a teenager then it just disappeared. It is some sort of allergic reaction but could be emotional. Sometimes cause is never found. Hope it goes away, would have thought anti-histamine would help. Good luck.

[Jemisa]

Are you on some sort of medication? you could be alergic to.
Are you taking sweeteners instead of sugar? these sometimes cause an alergy to some.
I hope you find a cure soon it must be soo distressing for you.
jem

[Flossy3]

Thanks everyone. Its just so intermittent and I am a creature of habit. I am a fussy eater so dont try new stuff often, I use non-bio washing powder, different shoes depending on weather etc. Redcrx - not blisters, just swollen lumps that hurt to walk on. Rojash - don't think its HFM as looked it up and my symptoms are different. I am taking medication in the form of Lansoprazole for acid-reflux and Citalopram for depression but have been on both these for a fair while now.

My feet suffer the worst and it can last for 3-4 days.When I got it on my thumb the other day, the next day my hand felt tender to the touch, a bit like a few years ago when I had a needle put in the back of my hand and caught an infection - stingy and sore. I have been keeping a diary of what, when, etc and am going back to my GP at some point armed and ready.

Thanks everyone again.