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Burning Feet

I am female, 47 and for 10 years I have had a constant burning sensation in both feet. Also, my feet always seem dry to the touch, as if they don't have sweat glands.  I keep lotion and socks on at all times just to help me bear the pain.  It is also unbearable to allow anyone else to touch my feet. It is almost a hypersensitive shock type of feeling. If I step on something....even the smallest item such as a paperclip, it feels like the pain is ampliphied.  

At about the same time my feet started tingling and then turned into the burning sensation, which by the way was a gradual over a period of about 6 months, I was also diagnosed with Type 11 Diabetes.
I never was a sweet eater, ate healthy and still gained weight. It wasn't until I discovered Atkins 23 years ago that I finally lost the weight. I don't know if that is relavent but I thought I should mention it.  

Since then, I have lost weight, got my blood-pressure under control and have kept my blood sugars very well under control. My A1c is always around 5.6.  

Is there anything you can tell me about this kind of pain and if so, is there anything that can be done to cure it? My life seems to be on hold because of the constant pain and burning.  I keep active as best I can but sometimes it is too painful to even stand.  The constant pain is wearing on me emotionally as well.

Please, if you can offer any ideas I would be so so grateful. Thankyou......Roni...aka Puffins.



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Avatar universal
I am a 50 yr old woman and I am a bit overweight I have not had my sugar checked but have seen a foot doctor.  After reading this I had to comment.  I have suffered past six months with constant burning of feet and almost a feeling of my feet are dried out inside but not to the touch on the outside they are also not hot to the touch on the outside.  My feet have to have massage several times daily to deal with the pain and discomfort and when u look at my feet they look fine.  Other then that only a shower seems to help with the pain and keeping the air off of my feet helps socks shoes etc.  But I have terrible sleeps because of it tingling burnining dry feeling to me feet that are causing me tremendous pain.  The doctors seem to shake there head and have sent me to a nerve doctor who I have not seen yet.  I also appear to have some numbness across the top of the foot and tingling at times.  If someone massages my feet i fall asleep like a light switch and if they lightly go over my feet and scratch it will put me to sleep.  I feel like a freak am suffering so much.  I will go to the nerve doctor shortly havent found one to accept my insurance as for the foot doctor he had no diagnosis or help as of yet.  I also feel sensitive like if u touch my foot suddenly i will jump out of my skin from the sensitivity and pain of just a touch at times.  Any comments would be greatly appreciated.  Sometimes I almost feel as if my feet have poison in them maybe they do CAN ANYONE HELP....
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Avatar universal
I am a 50 yr old woman and I am a bit overweight I have not had my sugar checked but have seen a foot doctor.  After reading this I had to comment.  I have suffered past six months with constant burning of feet and almost a feeling of my feet are dried out inside but not to the touch on the outside they are also not hot to the touch on the outside.  My feet have to have massage several times daily to deal with the pain and discomfort and when u look at my feet they look fine.  Other then that only a shower seems to help with the pain and keeping the air off of my feet helps socks shoes etc.  But I have terrible sleeps because of it tingling burnining dry feeling to me feet that are causing me tremendous pain.  The doctors seem to shake there head and have sent me to a nerve doctor who I have not seen yet.  I also appear to have some numbness across the top of the foot and tingling at times.  If someone massages my feet i fall asleep like a light switch and if they lightly go over my feet and scratch it will put me to sleep.  I feel like a freak am suffering so much.  I will go to the nerve doctor shortly havent found one to accept my insurance as for the foot doctor he had no diagnosis or help as of yet.  I also feel sensitive like if u touch my foot suddenly i will jump out of my skin from the sensitivity and pain of just a touch at times.  Any comments would be greatly appreciated.  Sometimes I almost feel as if my feet have poison in them maybe they do CAN ANYONE HELP....
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
The symptom you describe, constant burning pain in the feet, sounds like neuropathy.
This is often discussed at the flash discussion group at LymeNet.org, as people with tick borne infections can develop neuropathy.

A poster at LymeNet recently reported the following:

==========
The photonic stimulator is an excellent treatment for neuropathy caused by nerve damage.
It is manufactured by Bales Scientific.
Google them for more info and for local practitioner contact info.
Treatments in CA run $45 and usually a series of 3 or more are needed but results are permanent.
I had flagyl induced neuropathy, utterly painful, in my feet and it completely resolved.

==========

I don't know if you can use this info, or if this treatment will help everyone, but I remembered it when I read your post.

Wishing you the best,
Carol

Helpful - 0
147426 tn?1317265632
Would you go over the timeline again?

When were you heavy?  When did you begin Atkins and lose the weight?Do you have any spots of osteoarthritis?  Garden variety arthritis also know as Degenerative Joint Disease?

The pain and tingling that you describe is likely neuropathic pain.  It is difficult to treat, but there some things that work with some people.  But before anyone jumps to the conclusion that your Diabetes is at fault (and it likely is) you deserve a workup for peripheral neuropathy.  Your back should be looked at, there is some blood work that should be done, including a B-12 level, and some toxins.   Generally your primary care physician can order the work up, but if there is no interest there, ask for a referral to a neurologist.

Diabetes is by far the most common cause of peripheral neuropathy and if you were heavy in your youth, you may have had it for years undiagnosed.  We are seeing an epidemic of Type II in kids as young as 12 now.  It isn't the eating of sweets, it's the combination of high carbohydrate diets and obesity, that tends to lead to insulin-resistance which is the casue of Type II diabetes.  Family genetics and race/ethnicity also place a role.  Atkins almost invariably improves insulin-resistance and can help controlling the blood sugar in type II diabetes, but if you had uncontrolled disease for years before the damage could be done.  Keeping your sugars controlled now will help prevent developing MORE nerve damage, but I am not aware of treatment that reverse it.

That said I will do some reading and get back to you, but get the basic work up done.

Good luck, Quix
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