itchy toe blisters

[gr99]

I have blisters on several of my toes (on both feet) and it's not from athlete's foot or poor shoes. The blisters are extremely itchy/sore and are the size of a pea. I have one on each of the first 3 toes starting with my big toe. They are mostly on top of my toe between the last knuckle and my toenail, but one is on the side/tip of one toe. They are not true blisters in that there is no fluid sack. It is simply a very swollen and red hive. It seems like really firm and inflamed tissue. There's no scaling or flaking skin, in fact, it's shiny and taught from the inflammation. The itching and soreness is so bad that it has woken me up in the middle of the night. The itching is mostly at night, but I can still feel them during the day. I put OTC hydrocortisone and/or benadryl cream on them at night but it helps little.

The same blisters last about 2 weeks and then the healing process begins and they slowly disappear. I had at least 3 separate bouts of these blisters last winter that ended in March. I did not get a single blister after that until they returned last week (Dec. 6) which is around the same time it started last year. It is independent of the shoes I wear. For example, the blisters appeared last week and I've been wearing those sneakers for over a year. I ski often in winter, but I haven't put my boots on yet this year. My diet hasn't changed. My address and work haven't changed. The only pattern I can see (if there is one) is that it happens in winter months.

I have no other symptoms or allergies. I eat healthy, stay active and just got a clean bill of health from my physician after an annual physical. I am straight and not currently sexually active. I don't have diabetes and have never been diagnosed with any other disease.

I have not seen a doctor yet for this one, but I will call tomorrow. I found an old post on this website that also sounds like my condition.

http://www.medhelp.org/forums/Dermatology/messages/31698.html

Any advice?

White Male 33yrs old. 5'5" 135lbs.

[koos750]

Greeting from the Southern hemisphere

I have been suffering from this condition since childhood. It not only affects my feet but also the tip of my ears and my hands in a lesser degree. In my immediate family my mother has the same condition.

The reason why am posting to this thread was to tell you that I have been chilblains free for the last 3 years and it only returned this winter.

My first reaction to this was "Dam I should have never quit smoking" (I quit in December of last year) but I don't think that was the reason.

Since their is no cure for chilblains I follow a few simple rules during winter months.

1. Keep feet warm at all cost !!!
By wearing wool socks and changing my socks regularly.

2. Keep away from any artificial heat source !!!  
This is very important and it has been mentioned before in the thread. I can not stress it enough.

3. Dont take a bath or shower
Ok maybe not very practical, but when I take a bath I do it with my feet outside the tub (sound as ridiculous as it looks) and try to avoid as much contact with the warm water as possible.

The reason why my chilblains made a repeat performance this year is because I broke rule 2. We experience a few cold days last week and I went out and got a heater. I tried to keep it away from my feet but to no avail.

While growing up my mother did not allow a heater in the house. Like they say mothers are always correct.

Luckily our winder months are short +- 3 months and relatively warm.  

My heart goes out to those that are not as fortunate !

May spring arrive early this year !!!!

[Dentatum]

A good description and photo at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chilblains

Usually very painful to touch. Itch due to lower level of pain.

The remedy by ZooHome, Dec 15, 2007 06:46PM does work well.
"I have been desperate enough to pierce them with a needle an squeeze and from the larger ones lots of dark blood comes out but it's a bit different than normal blood and it feels better after and seems to heal more quickly most times. Not really suggesting that due to the risk of infection. Despite the fluid it's as was said no real sack to pierce but it does drain wen poked and squeezed."

Aseptic procedure: prevent infection at all cost by disinfecting toes and instruments before the treatment and keeping toes clean during healing time (minimum 48 hours). Always change socks and shoes daily. Shoes must have comfortable loose fit. Read more about general feet health.

[3fatcats]

hi HD, I don't think it relates to low muscle tone or feeling cold.  I am your same size, but muscular and very physically active.  I'm never cold.  What concerns me about this disease is that it is a circulatory disease.  Especially to see it in young and/or physcially fit active people is disconcerting.  I look forward to discussing this with my doctor (now that I know to see my regular doc not the dermatologist)

[3fatcats]

Wow, I just looked up a picture of chilblains and that is EXACTLY what my toes look like.  Amazing, I have never heard of chilblains but what I read here makes perfect sense. My feet never feel cold, but I usually am barefoot in the house and even wear flip flops and go barefoot out in the snow. (not for long, but as long as you keep moving you can do it).  Then when I wear shoes, they get hot and itchy same with under the covers at night.  How come doctors don't seem to know about Chilblains???  can you post links on this site?  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chilblains

[ap707]

I have the same problem and just figured out that it is chilblains and not athlete's foot because the fungicidal creams have not helped and unexpectedly, the one thing that did give me relief was doing a shoulder stand at the gym this morning. Makes sense, now that I know the issue (in part) is poor circulation. For anyone out there suffering from this try shoulder stands to relieve the symptoms. It made the itchiness and pain go away for most of the day!

[j53]

Thank you all for the thread - after trying some of the same remedies others tried, also without success, I went the possiblity that my symptoms were psoriasis related.  I wanted specifically to target the swelling which I thought could actually be a build up of overactive skin cell growth.  It's this overactive growth that can cause an itch, and the appearance of blister-like spots that resemble what you normally think of as blister but don't contain fluid.  

The pharmacy department at my local grocery store carried a product called Psoriasin Gel
http://www.alva-amco.com/psoriasin/psoriasin_gel.html .  
The itching stopped within 5 minutes of the first application, and by the second application I could see the redness and swelling diminishing.  By day two it was as if there was never a problem. I stopped using the gel at that point.   That was about a week and a half ago and still nothing visible!  

I don't know if what I was experiencing is the same as some of you have dealt with, but if this remedy could help just one person it would make my day!  (fine print - I don't work for the company that makes it, nor do I have any medical training)