Agony in the sole of my feet

[ijeasike]

My feet is an agony. Especially the sole of my feet. It's even painful without stepping on the floor. I am on Gabapentin and amytriptylin for my neuropathy. I have a an appointment with a neurophysiology consultant in a couple of weeks. Please can advice on what could reduce pain.

[dg70]

Could be plantar faciatis (excuse spelling) I get it a lot. Feels like knives in the foot. Comes and goes in severity and painful to walk on. The physio told me to stretch every day several times from calf to foot as it is all connected. Hanging my foot off the back of the stair is a good way to stretch from calf to foot. Also try and keep your feet flexed at night not pointed, which is not easy. When it got really bad I had injections under anaesthetic in my feet. Now it's under control with daily stretches for last 4 years. I have lupus, sjogrens, peripheral neuropathy. A trip to the gp could be an idea if pain doesn't go. Hope you get it under control it's agony.

[ijeasike in reply to dg70]

Thank you

[Geeforce99]

Hi, Sorry to hear you’re suffering with this last December I was off work with the same issues, I was advised to stay in and keep warm, I was prescribed Gabapentin and it eased it, but then became so bad I could not stand, I was advised to take my steroids I have for flares related to lupus, CTD, raynards, Sjögrens and other issues I have, they said take a high dose then it was tapered down after symptoms reduced.

I wish you well, I hope you get the help you need soon😃👍🏻

[ijeasike in reply to Geeforce99]

Thank you

[EOLHPC]

am so sorry you’re having to endure all this, ijeasike. You may remember we have quite a lot in common including versions of this sort of feet stuff. These feet manifestations can be v individualistic. But, for what it’s worth, I suspect these upcoming neurophysiology tests may be instrumental in helping your consultants at least somewhat damp down some of the pain in your poor feet. Anyway, here is the story of how I recently FINALLY got relatively more effective treatment for my version of this (& that’s after a lifetime: 60+ years, of infant onset lupus & conscientiously looking after my feet):

The big breakthrough in getting more targetted treatment for my feet was during lockdown when I had an in-person appt with my dermatologist, who insisted she believed my feet were so severely affected by progressive severe Raynaud’s/vasculitic/neuropathic damage due to my infant onset lupus that she needed to urgently refer me to neurology…the neurologist I had a phone appt with was typically off hand, just offering gabapentin etc, but my dermatologist had been so specific in her letter of referral, that he grudgingly referred me for slow track neurophysiology tests. Fortunately the head neurophysiology boffin read my dermatologist’s referal to neurology & fast tracked me.

Despite the neurologist’s skepticism, neurophysiology tests found significant sural axonal peripheral neuropathy & small fibre neuropathy. These results + photos I’d taken of my feet were ALL my rheumatologist needed to diagnose severe Raynaud’s ischemia reperfusion injury & put me on scleroderma protocol max dose long term daily sildenafil…after 1 year or so, she had to add losartan back in (having reacted very badly to nifedipine, so illoprost was out, I’d been on losartan for my Raynaud’s, but on its own losartan couldn’t help enough to stop the rate at which the lupus/Sjogrens/vasculitis soft tissue/nerves/vascular damage was progressing in my feet.)

so, I’m relieved you’ll be seen by neurophysiology soon, and I hope those tests help you & your consultants better understand & care for your poor feet. When you can, please update us

💞💞💞💞 Coco

[ijeasike in reply to EOLHPC]

Thank you so much Coco. It's just very painful. Sometimes it feels like am wearing a socks or they feel soaking wet. I can't sleep without gloves on for my raynauds. My foot feels numb. I am uncomfortable when I go to someone's house and am asked to take my shoes off. I just tell them I have issues with my feet and can't walk on a bare-foot. I really hope it gets sorted. I also have my flolan infusion this week, so more discomfort coming my way. I will update you after my appointment on the 6th

Xx

[EOLHPC in reply to ijeasike]

👍💞💞💞💞my version is similar enough that I feel I can at least begin to imagine how hard enduring this is…am very relieved they are taking you seriously with these investigations: pain meds alone are not the answer…they need to better understand precisely what’s causing all this, & neurophysiology tests can help, so good luck 🌈🍀🤞🕊️❣️

[Cas70]

I had something similar, and went privately to a rheumatologist as I am over 70 now and of no worth to the NHS - dismissive is putting it politely. Great Rheumatologist who ordered an immediate MRI. Diagnosed and put on minimum dose of 3mg Prednisolone and within days it eased off. The body should make this amount of steroid but he has learned that auto immune sufferers do not, hence my prescription. Good luck - push for an MRI - keep pushing.

[ijeasike in reply to Cas70]

Thank you

[Hidden]

I can’t walk in bare feet and require a very firm sole so when visiting I take a pair of plastic shoe covers like you see drs wearing in hospital and slip them over my shoes which keeps everyone happy.

[ijeasike]

Very true