Foot Problem Advice Please..

[thelewisgang]

My sister who is 70 is having an awful lot of trouble with her feet & this is causing her all manner of problems including trouble sleeping.

She describes the trouble like this: "they drive me crazy at night because they are numb but are very sore behind the heels & I get an odd electrical feeling as well".

She is unable to walk much at all but last Friday she went for a walk. She said she wore "sensible" shoes & when she returned home after walking for less than 2 miles both feet were red raw & burst blisters on some toes"

She has seen her GP on several occasions who cannot explain or give her any indication on what could be causing this problem but any diabetic problems have been ruled out.

[needawin]

Drink plenty of tonic water

[Sqad]

\\\\\\ but any diabetic problems have been ruled out. \\\

How?

The first thing that came to mind was diabetic neuropathy.

No cure, but exercise and control of diabetes with BP control an perhaps analgesics for the pain could make life tolerable.

[thelewisgang]

she says she has regular diabetes tests...what this means I have no idea. Unfortunately she lives a long distance from me. Lack of sleep is, in her opinion, her biggest problem

[Canary42]

My Mum had a similar problem and a similar useless GP ("you're getting old"). But she then moved house and her new GP said "I know what that is" and sent her for an angiogram which found an arterial problem which they dealt with there and then with an angioplasty (insertion of a stent) - all done under local anaesthetic, kept in overnight owing to her age (in her 80s) - end of foot problem.

This may of course not be your sister's problem, but worth a punt perhaps. And anyway why doesn't the GP refer her to a specialist - seems lots of GPs these days iwrite off patients once they reach 70.

[thelewisgang]

thank you everyone for your replies. Poor woman, she is shattered through lack of sleep & because we are so far away, there is nothing I can actually do to help her. I think she needs to get tough with her GP & be sent to see someone who might be able to help. Canary, you have given some useful information too & yes, it does seem once you become a person of a certain age then too often things get ignored.

[Eve]

Could she have fluid in her feet? Maybe from some kind of venous insufficiency (? not from medical knowledge, more from things I've heard said about me when trying to find a cause). I find that certain things can aggravate it for me, such as heat, flying, not moving and sometimes when I am lying flat/flatish have my legs up otherwise.

If they are going numb and if something like fluid is masking things, such as feeling shoes pressing/rubbing that could leave her more at risk of damage.

I find keeping them cool is key, using cold water, gels/sprays and dangling them out of the bed, off the sofa can help me. The swelling is more obvious in my feet (though I have rheumatoid arthritis as well) but the fluid is more obvious in my legs, if that makes sense, I have to watch as they dent and bruise very easily and I don't always feel things sticking into them, especially when they are feeling numb and with pins & needles and such.

[Dee Sa]

ask the GP to refer her to the NHS Home Chiropody Service or refer to the NHS Podiatry clinic that can assess her problem, poor woman she needs help, so go with her and insist you want a second opinion from a qualified podiatrist, the GP is fobbing her off.
Tell her to wear thin socks with her shoes until she gets help.

[Eve]

She might be able to refer herself to podiatry, I'm sure there is a self referral scheme here to the foot hospital. At mine there is a form which I was advised by GP to get from reception which I completed and handed to the foot hospital reception giving information about why I wanted an appointment, that was for ingrowing involuted toenails for me.

I remember them getting out this little advice to check, I think, the veins were working OK as my feet were so swollen and they checked various pulse points and such.

[thelewisgang]

Thank you for your informative replies. Unfortunately I cannot go with her as we live so far away but I speak/text regularly & do hope she gets a solution to her problem in due course. I appreciate you posting

[jennyjoan]

As some have said - your sister at her age definitely will receive NHS podiatry. My sister is 70 and has been attending the podiatry clinic for nigh on 10 years now - too long to write about but she has fantastic feet not a vein - very slim ankles and lovely shapely legs never wore trousers in her life however, I do not know what made her go in the first place. She gets sent for yearly appointments. Good luck lewy.

[thelewisgang]

thank you!