Help! Extremely painful,burning, itchy blisters

[26dre]

Hi everyone hope you are all keeping well. Does anyone have an idea what this could be on my foot it's very painful burning tingly and itchy. Doctors not sure could be shingles, athletes foot, a skin infection or covid!? Thanks in advance

[happytulip]

Has it been swabbed?

[26dre in reply to happytulip]

No not stabbed, she basically gave me an antibiotic cream and said if it's not better by Monday to come back.

[happytulip in reply to 26dre]

Sorry to sound exasperated but GPs are always banging on about overuse of antibiotics, and then they hand them out without taking a culture swab from an area that is clearly assessable. The culture would grow with a viral/bacterial/ fungal bug so they will know which treatment to commence.

It's the responsibility of the GP to do this and not you of course.

It does look very sore and infected and while the antibiotic cream may solve the problem it really is important to have had the specific bug isolated in a culture so that you have the best chance of treatment now and in the future if it reoccurs.

I hope it settles soon. I suspect if you are not penecillin allergic that you've been out on some sort of flucloxacillin based cream?

I would certainly show this picture to your Rheumatologist some how before your next r/v.

The skin has just started to fall off my left foot at certain times which is leading to open sores. Sometimes this can be an AI led thing, sometimes it's an entirely different cause which is why a swab would have been helpful. But a picture paints a thousand words so do show your Rheumatologist. And I hope it clears up for you soon as it looks incredibly uncomfortable.

Take care

[26dre in reply to happytulip]

Thank you. The skin peeling and sores you suffer from sound awful. Big hugs to you too xx

[Hidden in reply to happytulip]

I have similar issues on my feet especially under and around the big toe joints that have chronic RA but I’ve found no cure. I have a strong steroid cream for vaginal Lichen Sclerosis ( a very painful condition linked to AI) which I occasionally apply to feet in desperation and it provides some relief but I use it very sparingly.

[26dre in reply to Hidden]

Thank you for your reply 😘

[Hattifattener]

I had similar, although smaller, on my hands. The GP suggested Covid or shingles, decided against Covid and treated me for shingles. After they still didn’t clear up, I had blood tests which started me on the possible CTD journey, which is what lead me here. Anyway, in the end the rheumatologist said it was “just” Raynaud’s. They did clear up after a few months. Having it on your foot must be awful though, and clearly not being caused by cold weather. I hope you find something that helps.

[26dre in reply to Hattifattener]

Had my covid test back today and it was negative. If you dont mind me asking what is CTD?hope your raynards is better in this warm weather

[Hattifattener in reply to 26dre]

I’d had a Covid test that was negative just before my blisters appeared. CTD= connective tissue disease. The GP suspected from positive ANA, plus sudden onset of raynauds (I’m over 50) and malar rash that there was more going on, but apparently not. Anyway, my blisters eventually just went away but I think they would have been a million times worse on my feet, so I hope you get it solved quickly.

[26dre in reply to Hattifattener]

Thank you x

[Hidden in reply to Hattifattener]

I think perhaps you should ask fir a second opinion because what you’re describing doesn’t add up.

Your Raynaud’s is more likely to be secondary if it has started later in life and with positive ANA. Also primary Raynaud’s doesn’t affect the skin this way and rarely starts suddenly in your 50s? This sounds pretty CTD to me so if I were you I’d go back and ask your GP to refer you to someone else if you’re still symptomatic.

[26dre in reply to Hidden]

I know will have to blinking go back tomorrow 🤦‍♀️

[Tiggywoos]

I’m so sorry you’ve got that on your foot😳. Happytulip is spot on you must get it swabbed ASAP . If it’s bacterial/ impetigo you may need antibiotics if shingles/herpes definitely antivirals .Sorry to sound bossy but I’ve had all the above quite a few times on my face and they have to treat it quickly else you will feel so rough .

Please let us know how you get on xx

[Tiggywoos]

I’m sure you are but don’t use the same towel to dry any other body parts x

[26dre in reply to Tiggywoos]

Hi yes am being really careful with the towel as dont want it to spread anywhere else

[DJK99]

Oooo that looks so painful for you! On sole of your feet?! It looks full of pus so definitely an infection surely? Maybe you need a biopsy 26dre...... I think you should ask for that. Barnclown might have an idea? Try asking her? So sorry can't help more... but I think your docs need to do a bit more, if OK to say. All the best and let us know how you get on please x

[26dre in reply to DJK99]

Thank you. I will have to go back to back to gp on Monday and ask if they can swab it. Will keep you posted x

[DJK99 in reply to 26dre]

Good to hear. It really needs proper attention pronto IMHO. I'm with Jmiller623 below! All the best and look forward to hearing what they suggest... Btw, what did you rheumy say? Did you send photo and question? Or your other specialised clinicians? x

[26dre in reply to DJK99]

Thanks havent spoken to my rheumy yet Just the gp. I think I will give the rheumatology line a ring on Monday as not getting any sense from gp 😡 x

[DJK99 in reply to 26dre]

Absolutely.... your rheumy is v much required here again IMHO (in my humble opinion!). If u can email them the photo with how started and how long etc.. There are so many diff rashes that can pop up so hopefully it’ll mean something to them. All the v best x

[Jmiller623]

Could’ve been shingles to start off with but those are clear pustules. Maybe pustular psoriasis? I’d ask for an antibiotic especially if it isn’t improving. Infections of the feet are the worst and since we all have peripheral neuropathy, you don’t even feel the full brunt of the pain that is actually there.

Definitely push your GP for more aggressive intervention beyond antibacterial topicals. You made need a systemic oral antibiotic for that.

Take care. Sending hugs. ❤️xx

[26dre in reply to Jmiller623]

Thank you xx

[Hidden]

I had very similar looking infection on my sole many years ago. The GP kept giving me hydrocortisone cream and it didn’t touch it. Finally a dermatologist was staying in a holiday rental I ran and I was scraping my foot on the step while speaking to him and his GP wife. He asked to have a look and was horrified - got his wife over and said “ look at this -in all my years as an eczema expert this is the nastiest case of dyshidrotic eczema I’ve ever seen!”.

He gave me a note for my GP who was rather put out and said he couldn’t see how it would work but this chap was a consultant so he prescribed as requested. Within 5 days it had more it less gone and never returned. Basically he said the pompholyx had become very badly infected and needed treating with a course of oral antibiotics and anti fungal cream used for athletes foot urgently.

I’m not saying it’s same of course but would definitely insist that it’s swabbed urgently as it looks really nasty. And I wouldn’t trust a GP with this at all if they haven’t swabbed.

[26dre in reply to Hidden]

Wow thank God for the dermatologist! Thank you so much for replying its definitely worth looking into pomphylox. I will definitely need to go and see my gp tomorrow as it's still really inflammed 😪 blinking nightmare. It's too bad they didnt offer me a swab test last week 🤬

Inflammed blister on sole of foot

[Hidden in reply to 26dre]

I’m glad if others and I have encouraged you to be very firm with GP. I have a horrible issue on my lip that was left far too long because GPs kept telling me it was my Sjögren’s/ systemic sclerosis. I had to really badger for a referral and that took forever. So when I finally got seen by a dermatology professor at skin tumour clinic I just walked in and she knew immediately that it was pre-malignant - now 3 years later, quite possibly malignant.