Stinging chilblain on toe, advice please.

[asborne]

[Lynxcat]

Hi Asborne, Sorry to here you are affected by these they can be so very painful.

Not sure if you have ever tried this but there is an old fashioned ointment that you can still get hold of that is used for chilblains called Wintergreen. A small tin costs just under £2.00. It is applied by gently rubbing the affected area and then try to keep it warm and dry - sleep in socks in bed if you are able. Try not to get the area cold and if your feet do get cold then warm them up gradually.

If you are able to eat ginger (perhaps crystalized ginger or ginger chews, etc) this helps the blood supply which keeps hands and feet warm.

You should be able to get Wintergreen from a pharmacy but if you have any difficulty they do sell in on Amazon via a market place shop: amazon.co.uk/medical-Magic-...

Best wishes, hope you are soon on the mend. x

[xxtwheatyxx]

Hey, I too get badly affected by this, every winter since being diagnosed but doctors just think I'm strange for bringing it up, it happens on every toe it's very sore to the point where u can't really walk properly, by the time I get to work they warm up but then drive me crazy with tingling/itchyness.. Anybody else?

[poing]

I get chillblains too. Not fun.

I've recently started epsom salt baths and found this boosts my circulation for 24 hours or so afterwards, and last time it really seemed to help the chillblains heal too.

(Apparently if epsom salt baths make you feel lightheaded, then you shouldn't do them).

[1stgls]

poor poor you, mine drive me to distraction, I have not worked out what to do, I have been told to keep my feet warm--try telling my feet to stay warm-- they are even cold all night in bed and I have an electric foot blanket! (I do have Raynauds which is part of the problem)

[sueblue]

hi Asborne, I used to get really bad chilblains and not only on my feet but on my thighs as well, I used to be so cold, then I was diagnosed as having hypothyroidism and once I was prescribed thyroxine no longer got chilblains, it might be worth getting tested for thyroid disease it seems to be common with people who are also coeliac .

[asborne in reply to sueblue]

Had a blood test today at hospital thyroid was one to be tested. From what I have read it tricky to get thyroid treatment, could be some connection makes one think. Good grief getting chilblains on thigh dont fancy that.

[sueblue in reply to asborne]

thyroxine tablets are given for underactive quite easy!

[asborne]

Thanks for advice will get some wintergreen.Hadnt a clue chillblains could be so so troublesome. I wear loose bed socks and use micro hotty. Feet have been warmish this winter so havent a clue why chillblain developed.. Think I might have some epsons salts..

[Lynxcat in reply to asborne]

Hi again Asborne, I know it sounds strange but direct heat can actually cause chilblains. I have found advice on a podiatry website that may be of help to you.

Chilblains self treatment:

Prevention of chilblains:

Keeping your feet warm is an important way to prevent chilblains - use trousers, high top boots, tights, leg warmers and long, thick woollen socks. If your feet do get cold, allow them to warm up slowly - do not put them straight in front of a source of heat (this gives a chance for the circulation to respond to the warming skin). Do not let the feet become exposed to any source of direct heat (eg a heater), especially if the foot is very cold - this is a common factor causing chilblains. Smoking also interferes with the circulation in the small blood vessels and increases the risk of getting chilblains.

For the full piece, here is the link:

epodiatry.com/chilblains.htm

I do hope that your chilblains are soon improved and you are soon feeling well again. x

[asborne in reply to Lynxcat]

very interesting.

[xxtwheatyxx]

I'm so glad I'm not alone with this! Was starting to think I was some kind of alien! I went to get some wintergreen today but failed, I was recommended to use 'balmosa' in cream form I will let you know if it's any good.. Interesting to hear that thyroid theory I may mention it next time i visit the doc

[FionaGFG Administrator]

Have you tried thermal socks? Uniqlo do a great fashion range of many therma products including socks I'm addicted to staying warm at winter uniqlo.com/uk/store/clothin...

[SpinningCat]

Does anyone get chilblains on their hands?

I had chilblains on my hands and feet a couple of years ago and then have had what I suspect are chilblains on my finger joints that make the whole joint swell up. I have been tested for the fifth time in two years for Rheumatoid Arthritis this week as I have another swollen finger joint!

[poing in reply to SpinningCat]

I did get swollen finger joints in the winter of 2009 and 2010... along with the chillblains in my toes, and am fairly sure that both were caused by having rubbish circulation. I got tested for RA too, but it was negative.

[asborne]

consider myself lucky as only one toe troublesome so far. Never expected so many to have chilblains.

[lemmyb]

Am from Zimbabwe and I had chilblains since 5th grade. At the time doctors here didnt know what it was and I just had to live with it. I dreaded winter - my fingers would swell so badly they were literally like sausages, it was difficult to write. As i got older, the chilblains seemed to get worse - a few times i punctured my fingers for relief. In my early 20s thats when I discovered what the condition was - chilblains. That alone was a breakthrough for me!! I wore gloves all the time, I used various cremes (Sudocream heat rub etc), but all that didnt help. All the way into my adult life our winter months June-August were a nightmare - writing, shaking hands, typing, bathing and such mundane tasks were painful.

About 18months ago (when I was 40 years of age) we became a Forever Living Products distributor and they have a product called Gingko Plus an all natural herbal remedy which promotes better circulation and is also dubbed 'brain food' as it also promotes mental endurance.

I decided to try it and I did not get a chilblains attack throughout the winter. Occasionally I would forget to take the tablets and I would feel the itching coming back. But on the whole it was a pain free winter!!!

We are approaching mid-winter again and I am taking my Gingko Plus - I have not had chilblains at all. Have also not bothered much with keeping my hands warm, and am still fine.

I am sure this herbal remedy will work for may of you out there.

- For more information on Gingko Plus follow this link: bit.ly/ForeverGingkoPlus

- To purchase please go to: foreverliving.com/retail/en... (on the page, please be sure to change your country in the menu in top left corner. If requested for distributor ID, please enter 270001742726)