Numbness in Big Toe

[Stevent]

Hello, for the last week I have had a numb left big toe. It is not discolored, it is healthy and red just like all my other toes. It has been numb constantly and the strange feeling is starting to become annoying.

There are no other problems I am aware of except some skin peeling on my foot. And last month I was using something to fight foot fungus. I have been travelling a bit lately, long flights etc. Could have something to do with it.

[littlears]

maybe you should go to the doc if your skin is peeling badly you could have a secondary infection maybe staph.  see your md.

[Stevent]

I dont think the skin has anything to do with it and its just a little bit, it is not uncommon for me to get dry or irritated skin.

[Nickym]

Did you every find out what was wrong with your toe?? I have exactly the same thing and i too have not long been back from a long haul flight - i have had a DVT before so i know it's nothing like that. It just feels very strange, not painful just numb and tingly. If you've found anything out i'd really appreicate it if you could let me know. Thanks

[mgtd51]

did you ever find out what was wrong with your toe?  I have the sme thing with the side of my right big toe.  It has been numb for about 2-3 weeks.  i have not been on any long flights in a while and have not been traveling.  if anyone has any answers, i would appreciate hearing them.  thanks

[Ty09ler]

I too have the same problem. The tip of my big toe is numb and feels like it is asleep. Just as you said it is not discolored or anything so i guess it's getting good blood flow, and there is no pain but good gosh it's so anoying! I do have something to share though; it started about a year ago and lasted a couple of weeks, and just recently when it started again I realized that it was because of a pair of boots. They were even comfortable and I hated to stop wearing them, but I found that when I wore them the numbness would cover almost my whole toe and when I took them off for a few minutes the numbness would decrease significantly and concentrate to the tip of may toe. The only problem is that it has been a few days scince I've stopped wearing them and the numbness is still there, but hopefully it won't be too much longer and it will go away. So my advice is to experiment with different shoes, and give it some time! please reply! (I also had a nother theory about bone alignlinment, thought about gouing to the kyropracter, it would probably help)

[danagro]

I have this problem as well - it's been going on about a week.  It is my right foot's big toe, and the numbness starts about the base of the toe nail and goes to the tip of my toe.  The numbness is not spreading and my foot looks normal - nothing is discolored, painful or causing any other problem.  In fact, I forget that it is numb most of the time, until I bump it taking my shoes off, etc.  I have been wearing the same shoes for a long time and doubt it's from my shoes.  I have not injured it in any way, and have no other problems with my foot...  Any ideas?

[travmode]

i have had the same thing now for about two days. its just like all you have said, no pain or discoloration, really annoying though. i also think it might be my shoes. but i play the drums and that is when it started for me. its never happen before, but it started after playing for a few hours the other day(bass pedal foot, sees a lot of action, tip of my big toe). and i had just re-laced my shoes, maybe a bit too tight. let me know what you all think. thanks!

[banditka]

ok, this is  bizarre guys. i have the same problem, tingly weird feeling in tips of toes and peeling skin all over my feet... happened after i got back from burning man
whys it we cant find an answer

[cindy378]

I had the same thing starting @4 months ago with both of my big toes going numb. No discoloration at that time but eventually it spread to the other toes and I developed the cracking skin also. A couple of months ago they began to become white and cold. I saw a neurologist who diagnosed Raynaud's phenomenon. I also have other health issues that are being tracked and are possibly some type of Auto-immune disorder, but undiagnosed yet. If you have other symptoms, Raynaud's may be a possibility?
Hope this helps.  
cindy378

[JC0914]

I have the same problem with my big toe on the right foot. Had it a few years ago went to a couple of doctors who all said my circulation was good and maybe I put too much pressure on the nerve when standing for long periods but  my toe will return to normal and would but it will take some time.  It did return to normal after quite a few months, now a few years later I have the same problem again, I went on a trip recently and I been wearing a new pair of shoes during  the day as my job entail quite a bit of standing..... the numbness is worst at the end of the day, I don't know what to make of it .

JC

[Jeray]

It is really interesting to read these postings as most are verbatim to my situation. With me, the issue started after an 8 hour flight 2 weeks ago. I do have an area of peeling and discolored area on the right foot that the big toe numbness started. I am now wondering if the 2 issues may derive from the same condition (whatever the condition is). I have an MD appointment tomorrow, 10/31/08, and will share any diagnosis I receive. My left big toe is in on the action now as is the middle finger tip of my left hand. No pain, just annoying as prior posts mention.

[Natalie520]

my problem is in the morning when I wake to stand is like both of my feet are numb it hurts at first but not to much then I have to adjust a little then it will go away but of late when ever I drink alcohol my toe right next to my pinky would go numb for days and then it will just stop and I will be fine again for weeks but as soon as I drink the next day it will start but the thing in the morning happens regularly

[Wizard56]

Numbness in the toe is an indication of a pinched nerve in the mid back area, I believe it's in the T3 possibly T5 area of the spine, see a chiropractor, he will readjust the back and this will aliviate the symtoms.

[pinkmelody]

Hi all

at least im not the  only one ....Ive had numbness in my big right toe for 7 days now and it does not seem to be coming back to life at all. Im away from my home town at the moment so I wont be able to go to the doctors for a few days .

a couple of websites i visited said that it can be caused by diabeties , endometris  or an  immune difficancy. I dont happen to have any of these illnesses ( that i know of ) but i thought i'd share the info any way.

ill keep you all posted on the out come or if my toe comes back to life...this thing is sooo weird

[ponsettia]

i have numbness on part of my big toe, not the whole toe for 3 weeks already. i suspect it could be due to blood circulation not being smooth.so, i went to see a chinese medical doctor....he confimed the blood flow is not that smooth,like sometimes the veins will be blocked. we don't know the reason for this. so, i went for an acupuncture followed by a massage.it was very comforting. he told me to sleep with socks on.I am also wearing bedroom slippers in the house,because the chinese believed that sometimes the 'water' from ground will rise up and enter your body,causing a lot of problems like this.ok..hope it helps.
today is day 1 after 1st treatment...there is improvement and acupuncture doesnt hurt, no bleeding and is safe,provided u got the right doctor.

[LindyLouLou]

I too have this numbness.  Right foot, big toe, underside, inner tip, about 1 inch of numb.  No other symptoms. This has been this way for YEARS.  I do not have diabetis.  I do have a minor bunion.  Any commens welcomed.

[cjbottaro]

Wow, I can't believe how common this is...

Add me to the list.  Part of my right toe is numb (feels like it's "asleep").  I've had lower back pain for 6 months now, don't know if that's related as a previous poster suggested.

I have been rock climbing intensely for 2.5 months before the numbness started after finishing a climb one day.  Climbing shoes are very tight, maybe contributing to the cause.

I'm healthy and very active... 9% body fat, exercise 6 times a week (weights/cardio), rock climb 3 days a week and don't eat processed or high GI foods.

[danbryan]

Ok. So a lot of people seem to have this problem. Mine started as a feeling of something in my sock one day around March 1st.  I took off my sock and guess what...nothing. My big R toe and second toe are mostly numb now. Not much pain but those that say it is annoying are right on. It feels like I am walking around on a wad of something at the base of my 2 biggest toes. I have been to the ER (to rule out clotting), to a nueroligist for nerve tests (they are not working properly blow the ankle but why the can't tell me....and finally to a podiatrist who thinks it may  be tarsal t. s. and reccommended orthotics which have done no good at all. What strikes me is that nobody who really has this prob. that dosen't come and go with tight shoes, has posted what their diagnosis was and how they were finally helped or cured. Is there no hope of being numb toe free? My next step is cort. injections and possible acupuncture....surgery if nothing else works.

[akrep]

Hi
I started having very slight numbness in two toes of my right foot two weeks ago.
No tingling, no pain. Then, yesterday night, I woke up in the middle of the night and realized that there is  numbness in my right pinky. This finger numbness was gone when I got up in the morning.
Today, I had small sleep after lunch time and when I woke up I realized I have a very slight numbness in my left toes as well.


I would really appreciate any example of a clear diagnosis of this.


Thanks
Izzet

[ArmyMedic]

I'm a combat medic in the U.S. Army and yes, this is very common.  My main advise to soldiers asking Doc is to try the Wide version of their favorite combat boots.  Although, I have this issue with both big toes and havn't done anything to treat it.  I don't know about all of you but changing boots after over 100miles of ruck-marching isn't as easy as it sounds.  I will try wides once it's time for new boots, however.

Also, a cheaper option would be to purchase "Mole Skin" and treat this Very annoying numb spot(Yes i agree it is a very annoying sensation) as if it were a blister.  Use the mole skin as a support to avoid your toe from rubbing against your boot, or uncomfortable dress shoes.  This option may help, I do not expect people to want to change mole skin out everytime they shower, however.  A second pair of socks would most likely cause more restriction on your foot if a narrow shoe is the issue to begin with, also a sweaty and less desireable choice in my opinion.

Take what you want from this, it is just what i've gathered from my experience with the problem.

[LibbieNumbtoes]

I'm a zoo keeper and spend long hours on my feet in boots that don't have the greatest support.  I often get numbness in my big toes, usually at the tips or at the sides.  It comes and goes, but definitely flares up after I've been in the boots for a long time.  I am assuming it's nerve damage from the boots, possibly coupled with my habit of walking 3-6 miles per day.  I've also noticed that it tends to get worse when I'm lying down in bed, and is at its most severe and annoying when I'm sitting up in bed reading, with my legs stretched out but my spine vertical.

I am making an appointment with my doctor to check up on this issue and be sure it's not something serious.  I suggest you all do the same as well.  One of the early signs of diabetes can be tingling or numbness in the fingers and toes, and multiple sclerosis and related diseases also can have numbness or tingling of the extremities as an early symptom.  Unless you have a family history of diabetes or are otherwise at high risk, these are unlikely diagnoses but it's worth ruling them out.

So, all of my fellow people with numb toes, go see a doc!  :)

I'll post here after I get some info from my doctor to let you all know how my particular case turns out.  

[ovrwrkdundrpd]

I am Type 2 Diabetic, however I had controlled it so well with diet and exercise, that my numbers are amazing. Well last year when I was working 12 hour days, I would run up and down a flight of starts about 600 times a day (seriously, running up and down and all around after every single customer. Well, I was wearing flip flops. I went home and just so happened to to look down at my left leg and my foot was swollen like if you had blown up medical gloves into balloons. This was the same for my right foot. The swelling went up my left leg all the way to my knee. ANYWAY, at this point, I decided to do an inspection of my feet and my right big toe was numb on the outter left side. I switched to great shoes, bought diabetic foot cream, bought many different kinds of insoles, and from April 2008 til the end of April 2009 my right big toe was completely numb. Thankfully I have feeling in it, but it took over a year, and is not completely back. I am generally a healthy person, so it's not like I didn't take care of myself. I just wasn't aware that flip flops aren't proper foot attire. I still can't wear them to this day or my feet swell up really bad.

[corlenbelspar]

I have the same problem in my right pinkie toe but it comes and goes seemingly at random.

[japark1226]

Amazing that everyone has the similar issue i have.  Except, mine started like 10-15 yrs ago.  I was playing basketball, jumped real high and came down and it felt like a needle going through my big left toe.  The pain only lasted about 1 hour or less.  In next few days following the incident, the toe started getting numb whenever I stood on my feet too long.  It's not painful right now, but it bothers the hell out of me til now whenever it gets numb.  I just thought I had pinched a nerve and no longer have nerve there.  I didn't bother going to a doctor cause he'll probably tell me to not stand on it too much and charge me a lot of money to tell me that.  If I heard that I'll slap the SH*T outta the doc.  lol.
Honestly, I don't think there would be a remedy for this issue.  If you find it that'll be great!

As for you guys who started getting those things following a flight, it's not the same thing as the rest of us.  Apparently for people flying often, you can get blood cloths in your leg's veins and most of the time it disolves and the veins become free and your issues will clear, however in extreme cases it may cause sever issues.  I hear you should get checked regularly if you're a frequent flyer.

[iask870]

I got the same problem. Both my right and left big toes got numb recently. After I read all the posts here, I just realized that it started after a long flight from Chicago to Hawaii, then I had to walk a lot during the following week and the shoes I brought with me were tight. I will try to soak my feet in hot water now and then, and massage them a little bit. Hopefully the numbness will go away soon.

[danbryan]

This is a follow up to my post of May 16th. After many tests and and 4 different (kinds) of doctors, the best 80% diagnosis I can get is tarsal tunnnel syndrome. My 2 biggest toes on my r foot are numb, I feel like I am walking on a wad, and I have frequent tingling and sometimes sharp shooting pains. He (the podiatrist) says these are classic tts symptoms. Surgery is probably my only option and there is only an 75 to 85% chance that that will fix it. Has anybody else had close to these symptoms and/or had the corrective tts surgery???

[janq]

Did your podiatrist say what the cause was or did just jump to "surgery" without a more conservative treatment first?

My dpm said the numbness I have at the tips of both great toes is due to bone spurs and the numbness on two smaller toes is from a neuroma.  

He (and I) are reluctant to go the surgical route until the numbness is more of a problem, such as possibility of damage because I don't know that I've "hurt" the foot or that it gets to be more problematic to me.

Ask more questions before agreeing to surgery.  From what I've been told by friends who've had foot surgery it's not terribly easy to recuperate and sometimes the scar tissue can be more problematic than the original problem.

Good luck and keep us informed.

[danbryan]

I don't think a dpm can give you an exact cause but I've had all the nerve tests and xrays and I don't have clouting or bone spurs. He is definately not pushing me in to surgery and I have been wearing orthotics since April. In my research I have discovered that sometimes tts is brought on by a sudden change of lifestyle where one suddenly starts to walk a lot which is exactly what my new job had me do in February. It just all fits that I do have tts....what do I do about it is the question...and I would really like to hear from someone who had simular symptoms with SUCCESSFUL tts treatment/surgery. The prob is, if it were succesful, they probably won't be looking here. Thanks for your response though.

[jallala]

i too have got numbness in my right big toe i also have carpal tunnel fibromalgia back pain numbness in my left thigh and too many other medical problems am on high medication seen doc sendg me for bloods full count fasting glucose test am 40 non smoker or drinker  overweight have 5 kids youngest is 5months whats wrong am fed up something all the time think my family think am a hypercondriact helppppppppppp

[nice101]

I have been walking barefoot to correct this. I try to wear flexible flat shoes like converse, vans slip-ons and sanuk sidewalk surfers to prevent this. I am also looking into vibram fivefingers to prevent this from happening.

[MORZA]

Just wanted to add that I have the exact same symptom everyone else is talking about.

Numbness in the tip of my right toe, about an inch in diameter. Started a month ago on a long flight from the Bahamas to Los Angeles.

I would definitely say that flying is a huge common factor in all of our cases. I also had spent a month almost constantly on my feet.

[numbtoe101]

it seems as the same issue- numbness/tingly feeling in my left big toe.  i noticed it a few days ago.  it feels MUCH better WITH my shoes on, that I don't even notice it.  it's only when I'm barefoot and my toe touches the ground (or touches anything) when i notice it and it bothers me.

there are so many different suggestions (need bigger shoes, rest foot, diabetes, back nerve damage, blood clot, etc.) I don't know what to think.  I don't want to go to the doctor for a "numb toe"- especially since everyone has had different diagnoses for what seems to be the same problem.  

but i'm scared it might be something more serious that i'm ignoring.
i don't know what to do.

[christmastreeman]

I posted my problem on 10/2/09 and thought I was the only one with numbness in my big toes.  On 10/3/09 I viewed other statements by others attesting to the same problem.  Unlike some of those who reported on this issue, I have not flown in an airplane.  I classify myself as health.  I am sixty years of age, active on my little farm and have no medical problems except high blood pressure.  For me, my problem is not evident until the later part of the day.  I have found that if I take a hot bath, it lessens the numbness in my big toes.  Occasionally, it is annoying when I go to bed, but once I fall asleep, I do not experience a problem.  When I arise in the morning, my feet are fine.

Analyzing my situation, and by reading what one individual said about an adequate amount of water to drink—I almost never drink water.  My liquid intake is in the form of milk, coffee, or orange juice.  I believe it is worth the effort to try to increase my intake of water.  

I thought I would share this with the web audience.  

[Cowgirl26]

I went to the runner's shoe store and they said my fallen arches are compressing the bones in my feet so I'm walking with a roll from heel to toe without touching my pinkie. This is putting pressure on the big toes.

Wide shoes in the middle of the foot helps and I go to the sports store to buy arch support to build up my arches again.

Arches fall with age. Go to a New Balance shoe store to get your footsteps technically analyzed for FREE.

[Rforhelp]

I just started having this numbness in my left toe, after walking down my stairs barefoot. As i was walking down the stairs the middle part of the bottom of my foot stepped on the edge of the step and i felt a sudden tingly shock go through my foot. as if someone hit my funny bone on my elbo. With this i feel that i have nerve damage now.  it now feels tingly all the time. wierd...