Hi,
Just checking as I assume that B12 deficiency is the culprit. I have pretty severe burning on the bottom of my feet that starts in the evening and lasts either until I go to bed or lingers through the night. Could this be caused by something else? I do not have brining pain anywhere else. This comes and goes but is increasing in intensity and frequency.
Thanks
Eileen
Diabetic neuropathy? Which I don't think you have?
One of my earliest and my relatives' earliest symptoms was feet burning. It still hasn't resolved completely for me. I think it's because the foot has constant pressure on it, so those nerves get affected first, same reason in uncontrolled diabetes it's the first neuropathy to appear.
I suppose there are other causes, but insufficient B12 (or folate) would be my first thought. Hopefully others will reply with their thoughts.
Thanks Jade. I highly suspect B12 deficiency. I am border-line diabetic but have always kept my A1C under the diabetic range and I eat very low carb/sugar/processed food. My docs tell me diabetes is not implicated for me even though I have to maintain a very rigid diet to keep my glucose numbers okay.
It’s weird that this symptom goes away for a few days and then canes back with a vengeance and stays. I have to ice my feet. Just another symptom I have been living with.
My understanding with diabetic neuropathy is that it takes some long'ish period of high blood sugar to get to that point. If your A1c is ok then it's probably not that.
I'm sorry that sounds so painful. Mine comes & goes as well, but not as painful as you describe. More like fizzing. No rhyme or rhythm that i've found.
Does it coincide with any other B12D symptoms?
Could it be something vascular? Does it go up your leg at all?
I''m sure you've googled it but these might be worth browsing
verywellhealth.com/burning-... towards the end mentions B1, B6, vit E, copper deficiencies.
Too much B6 can also cause neuropathy.
I'm just brainstorming now.
mayoclinic.org/symptoms/bur...
And wikipedia mentions B5 & zinc deficiency en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bur... 🤷♀️ sorry i don't know if any of this helps or not!
I know you can't increase b12 much so i hope you can get to the bottom of it one way or another 🙏
As we need all sorts of vitamins and minerals for our B12 to work optimally, the variations in symptom levels might be due to fluctions in nutrients due to diet and/or exercise levels which show up more sometimes than others.I run on this subclinical/clinical symptom level almost all the time for something that makes my tongue split and sore.
Like you, I'm still not quite sure what's causing it or how to resolve it. I know it's linked to B12 and deficiencies but can't pinpoint it. For me it's probably riboflavin (B2) but it's hard to tell, so I do sympathise.
You might be able to track it down by keeping a strict food and exercise level diary but even then it can be a bit of a lottery.
The first things I'd look for are B12 and folate obviously, then potassium, then maybe magnesium, zinc, iron and those sorts of minerals, along with the other B vitamins, that are part of B12 function.
Most of us get plenty of sodium, but don't discount checking it because it is used with potassium in nerve impulse transmission across the nerve synapses.
Low potassium causes my toes to go numb on the ends and burn like fury at the connection between the healthy bit and the numb bit. My friend actually lost the ends of two of her toes due to severe long term potassium deficiency causing this sort of neuropathy so it's good to try to sort it out.
Good luck with it and please let us know how you get on.
Looking at these comments today, I seem to see an implication of low B2. I thought my diet was providing what I needed but with malabsorption syndrome I have no idea. I am working on a low and slow P-5-P addition to supplementing. Next up B2! I think my potassium level is fine but that is also only according to blood work. I wonder if that is accurate enough. My level is always mid-range. I may be deficient in salt as I eat no processed food. I do add it to the food I eat though... I continue to up my B12 and folate to tolerance.
When people post about the feeling of burning, especially of feet, I quite often post this link.
It is getting on a bit but nonetheless it does give an overview of the causes of burning feet.
Burning feet syndrome
racgp.org.au/getattachment/...
The following might also be of interest:
Burning Feet
webmd.com/diabetes/burning-...
Riboflavin (vitamin B-2) and health
I have Pernicious Anaemia ( positive Intrinsic Factor Antibodies test) I have burning feet , which has remained after 9 years of B12 injections after all other symptoms have gone . It is the same intensity day and night . But my feet feel normal to the touch , not hot . So it’s just the sensation of burning . My feet also feel as though I’m wearing shoes that are at least a size too small .
. They were originally totally numb until I started B12 injections . So the injections did help somewhat . Can’t imagine if this information helps you at at all . I’ve given up hope of improvement after 9 years of injections…
It kinds does help Wedgewood. Sometimes just accepting something, after exhausting all other avenues, brings some peace and better coping for me. With the suggestions given here, I am looking at other nutritional deficiencies to consider first. Right now I am working on getting acclimated to B6 in the P-5-P form. I just started with a teeny dose as this usually stimulates me too much to sleep. I have read B6 can cause neuropathy. I hope to add in B2 as well as I just read about it. I thought I was getting enough through my diet but I have malabsorption so it is hard to tell what I absorb. Perhaps I need to supplement that as well. I have to steer clear of a B-complex because I get all sorts of symptoms and can't sort out what is causing what. My feet feel normal to the touch too. They never really are numb. They get inconsolably cold sometimes in winter but the soles will burn at night. I am just adding an ice back to the bottom of my feet as another "thing I have to do".
I don't know if people with B12 deficiency call the symptoms the same wording neuropathy when they get burning feet or pins and needles etc, I ended up with this condition from drinking, but i also have B12 deficiency as well for good measure, so I feel I've ended up with a double dose of problems as both symptoms are well truly similar , it's a nightmare, I get injections every 3 months but I know when I'm due a " top up" my muscles start twitching and sometimes I get a deep thumping sensation in my chest, sometimes diabetic or people who have had chemotherapy can end up with neuropathy as well, , I have it in my hands and it's often worse especially coming into the winter months, but at night time I struggle trying to find a cold spot in the bed for my feet, don't smoke, and try to eat a healthy diet, and avoid alcohol, people who have been on the likes of omeprazole for long term are more prone to have B12 deficiency, and also of you've had numerous general anesthetics, as the nitrous oxide can affect the stomach lining or if you've had any stomach surgeries this can also affect the way the stomach works properly, and perhaps age is another factor, nothing is set in stone, but a blood test will give you a clear indication if you require B12 injections, best of luck 😀
Thank you Cb. No, I don't drink. I am on injections and have been for 2.5 years. I don't know that neuropathy is the word for burning feet but I suspect it is. I had to smile about your feet "looking for the cold spots" on the sheets. They get used up really fast don't they? I think I do better through the night if I ice the soles of my feet before bedtime. I just do it while watching tv. It is soothing. I am increasing my B12 and my other supplements but honestly, I think as Wedgewood said, I think this may be a case where I never know the cause, or can't sort it out...thanks for your thoughts.
I used to stick my feet out of the bottom of my bed , as I have a fan at the bottom of bed. My feet used to feel like they were on fire , since Being diagnosed with PA and regular injections my feet no longer feel like this .
LOL...for many years I did this. I didn't have burning feet then but for some strange reason I stuck on foot out of the bottom of the bed, perhaps as a cooling mechanism. Hoping my burning feet will eventually respond to treatment, but truly, burning feet is one of my lesser problems. Nice to hear the injections helped! Thank you.
It might be worth trying Aloe Vera Gel.
I have tried all sorts of things and found the gel gives a little relief.
🦶 🔥
For example:
Mill Creek Botanicals, 99% Aloe Vera Soothing Gel, 8 fl oz
or
NOW Foods, Solutions, Aloe Soothing Gel
Both available on iHerb - and possibly elsewhere.
I am further advised:
Not all aloe gels work for me. needs to have cucumber or something in it. Most don’t.
Worth a try Jillymo. All I have used so far is Ice. I have tried to ignore this for awhile now. Time to take some action. I am glad it doesn’t plague me during the day. I walk an hour a day and the burning doesn’t set in for 8-10 hours.
II also suffer with the burning. It is a miserable thing to try and live with and drives me nad during the night. I never thought of cucumber but have ofter rubbed the end of one over my face to cool me down.
I hope you fund some relief. 🙏
Thanks Jillymo. Mostly Otis in the evening before I go to bed and lasts a few hours. It is a minor symptom for me, but since I can’t seem to resolve the major symptoms (yet) I am addressing these minor (for me) ones. I am sorry to hear you suffer with it too. I have gel packs that I freeze and rest my feet on them. It helps a lot. If it bothers me in bed I kind of nestle my feet around one of these. (The sheets don’t stay cold long enough 😀)
easy-immune-health.com/vita...
This page from a long article mentions B6 toxicity. I don't know that this is the cause of your burning feet, but worth researching
Thanks for this. I have tested in the low end of the normal range for B6. I try to take P-5-P in a small dose once in a while but I have malabsorption and don't usually respond well to oral supplements. I have considered this though. I took some P-5-P yesterday! Felt dizzy and unusually high pain in spine and joints. Could have been a coincidence. I can never sort things out. I took an injection w/ folinic acid and P-5-P. Maybe it was just too much for my gut/body to handle. I have a couple of mutations MTHFR and MTRR that affect methylation of B vitamins. Thank you again. Eileen
Burning lower legs and feet after B12 injection 
Increased tingling and burning feet AFTER B12 injections 
Burning Feet Update
burning feet is a lot worse sense getting 7 b12 injections.
Burning feet/legs, tingling, breathlessness, Raynauds b12 normal 
