Orange soles of feet: A bit of a worry for a... - Thyroid UK

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Orange soles of feet

Numberone1 profile image
23 Replies

A bit of a worry for a worrier.  I woke up this morning to soles of feet that look like I made a mistake with fake tan.  They look rusty orange.  Complete soles of both feet/

This has scared me because I have no reason I can think of to have caused this. Obviously I have googled this and it says something about it being related to hypothyroidism which I have.

Does or has anyone experienced thjs and what do I do?  

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Numberone1 profile image
Numberone1
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23 Replies
Allyson1 profile image
Allyson1

I had it as a teenager but I wasn't aware it meant anything..

Clutter profile image
Clutter

Numberone1,

I developed orangey palms and fingers, and the underside of fingers looked waterlogged and wrinkly after thyroidectomy.  Gradually faded around a year or so after I was optimally medicated and just the fingers on the left hand remain looking a bit wrinkly.

posthinking01 profile image
posthinking01

Yes I know what this is...................any food containing Vitamin A - beta carotene is not being metabolised correctly due to your thyroid issues.  Not serious - drink more water and if you are taking supplements then watch the Vitamin A content - your metabolism is weak so you probably need more thyroid hormone but I am not a Dr so please take advice - this is a suggestion.........

Numberone1 profile image
Numberone1 in reply toposthinking01

It has happened after I have been drinking tart cherry juice which I believe is high in beta-carotene.  I can only imagine it's that?  If I eat beetroot my urine is red and I was told that was to do with my liver not being able to metabolise beetroot colour.  I wonder if this is connected to the same thing.?  I also wonder if its safe to continue drinking the cherry juice as it has  properties useful for me.

infomaniac profile image
infomaniac in reply toposthinking01

I have permanently orangey knuckles but have got used to it now!

Chloececilia profile image
Chloececilia in reply toposthinking01

I remember weaning my daughter on to solids and reading that babies who are fed lots of carrots can get little orange noses! 

Sam75 profile image
Sam75

Yes I have it too, it looked as if my feet were sore underneath, Im pretty sure its just one of the many strange symptoms that go with being hypo...dont worry any more....   

Numberone1 profile image
Numberone1

I guess Im worried that if I have a high amount of beta carotene in my body that I can't metabolise that it is causing harm?

jhealthunlocked profile image
jhealthunlocked

I used to get this, prior to thyroid treatment, when I drank carrot juice daily. Everything I've ever read says it's harmless. Here's a thorough webpage on it: emedicine.medscape.com/arti...

:)

greygoose profile image
greygoose

I've no idea what this is, but I'm impressed you can see the soles of your feet! Haven't seen mine for years!

Butterfly65 profile image
Butterfly65

Hi Numberone1,

 I have had an orange rusty tint to the soles of my feet for many years, probably started in my early twenties and it has always bothered me and left me wandering why ! I don't drink or eat large ammounts of Orange coloured food and am currently awaiting more blood tests for thyroid. Posthinking01s reply seems plausible because I have always taken cod liver oil which I believe contains vit A. 

linlow profile image
linlow

Unless you have been going barefoot in new tan shoes 😉 it could indeed be the cherries.  It could be an indication that you need zinc or it could be a sign of the sluggish liver that plagues those with hypothyroidism functionalps.com/blog/2012/....

Having said that, for anyone otherwise healthy, the condition is harmless.

Numberone1 profile image
Numberone1 in reply tolinlow

What benefit would Zinc be to this?  Do you think it indicates I have a shortage of zinc?

linlow profile image
linlow in reply toNumberone1

No, personally, I think you have hypothyroidism and have been eating too many cherries but zinc deficiency plays a part in the absorption of retinol so it could show up in your skin.

Numberone1 profile image
Numberone1 in reply tolinlow

I am hypo but possible not taking enough of my medication.

Numberone1 profile image
Numberone1

The orange hue is fading, albeit not a hue, quite strongly coloured actually, but it is a hue now and I have stopped drinking the cherry juice.  It will be interesting when it is gone for me to start again and see if it happens.

LAHs profile image
LAHs

Well, for what it is worth, I too went orange when I was about 20 (and healthy), it was due to eating too many carrots, I ate one every day with my sandwich lunch for years and years - I loved carrots! But it was only my face that went orange, not my feet. 

Hobnobbing profile image
Hobnobbing

I remember an endocrinologist inspecting the palms of my hands years ago add then asking me if I liked carrots. There is something in carrots that we can't metabololize properly that turns the palms of our hands orange. Probably the same with the soles of our feet. 

helvella profile image
helvellaAdministrator in reply toHobnobbing

Beta-carotene.

It should get converted into vitamin A - but that conversion process is impaired in hypothyroidism. So you can end up both a) orange; b) low in vitamin A (hypovitaminosis A).

Note: Vitamin A supplementation needs care and attention. Yet again, it isn't as simple as it might seem.

Numberone1 profile image
Numberone1 in reply toHobnobbing

Yes apparently it can show in palms too.  I don't have that and have never had feet before which is why it scared me.  As I said, a worrier.

Winegum2 profile image
Winegum2

Yup, orange palms and soles of my feet.  It hasn't corrected itself since starting on NDT.

Yes, you may be low in A, get your A from fish oil, or supplements which are not beta carotene derived. Poor night vision is one sign of A deficiency.

Dragonfly-55 profile image
Dragonfly-55

I don’t have a thyroid I’ve just started taking a sesame seed oil infused with turmeric to help with inflammation, the soles of my feet have turned a rusty orange colour, could that be what’s done it?

Although I’ve taken this before without a problem, also carrots haven’t been a problem..

Could it be the sesame seed oil?

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