Help with feet itching at night

Nimeth

Lately I've been having a problem where the soles of my feet itch abominably and mostly at night. As soon as I lie down and get comfy, the itching starts and it seems as though nothing will stop it. I don't know the cause as my feet look perfectly normal, no rashes or blemishes (aside from a small verruca which I am dealing with). I've tried athlete's foot creams and sprays, aloe vera gels, anti-itch creams, even used some of the corticosteroid cream I was prescribed for my eczema. Last night I used Lanacane itch relief, which took the edge off some but did not stop the itch. I can't get to sleep properly for the itching.

I've had one other previous episode like this, back in November, which ended with me in tears of frustration after not having slept properly in close to a month.

I even went to a chiropodist who said she did not know the cause, only that it was probably contact dermatitis. I have no idea what could be causing that as all my clothes and sheets are washed in the same thing and I have no problems except for the soles of my feet. Google hasn't been much help either as I've seen suggestions of athlete's foot (I know this isn't what I have), Morgellon's disease and Erythromelalgia (both are extremely unlikely) and not much else.

This episode has only just started a couple of night ago and I can't face another month of sleeping for 2 hours a night and spending the rest scratching. Wearing socks/not wearing socks to bed seems to make no difference, they itch regardless of whether I'm barefoot or not.

Anyone have any advice that I may not have thought to try?

Bronnie

How utterly maddening for you.

Have you seen your GP? If not, I would.

No especially insightful suggestions, but in the meantime have you tried putting your feet on a cold hot-water bottle?

londonsurrey

Messy, but easily contained with a "sacrificial" towel to wrap around your feet - mix 3 tablespoons of oats with six tablespoons of milk.

Can be used immediately, but I prefer to leave it for at least half a day for the oaty goodness to soak through the milk. If you like, leave the mixture in the fridge, and take out a bit to use every night.

Optional step - sieve the oats out just before use. This is just if you prefer not to have oaty bits falling off you. It doesn't make a difference to the treatment.

Add a teaspoon of honey if you want its antibacterial properties. Apply mixture to feet.

Put on thin socks to contain any flakes.


Good luck.

jenniewb

I had something similar (not saying its the same thing though as I had a rash) Eurax got better results then Lancane when I experiemented with a few creams, I had thought the rash had been brought on by repeated itching but to my amazement I was diagnosed with a rare skin condition (Lichen Planus) so if you do notice any rash at all even if you think its caused by your own scratching see a doctor. In the end I was prescribed steriod creams by my doctor and although not an immediate thing the thing did go away.

I also had to do alot of concerntrating as I found the moe I scratched, the more I wanted to scratch and it just got worse and worse, then the rash appeared and I thought I had caused really ugly looking damage and I think stress added to the itching (things tend to feel more intense for me when I am stressed) and I was in a vicious cycle.

Its so hard to stop that once its got going so the best advice I can say is to concerntrate on trying not to itch, trying to basicly divert my attention and then when the itch did become really in-my-face concerntrating on 'watching' it and watching it fade to nothing. At first it felt pointless and I was going crazy with not allowing myself to even touch my feet, BUT! Lots of breathing and eventually it did help! Am sure there are also CBT things you could try, know its not the answer to the problem but as a get-me-through-the-night trick it did make a difference if only at first to calm the itching down somewhat with it helping more and more as time went on.

Fuzzy_Duck

That's very odd- I've had similar experiences with eczema and it always seems to much worse at night because you're more aware of it. As it's only on the soles of your feet it should be easier to determine what is causing it. Think back to the last time you had it- is there anything differently you did when it disappeared? I'd definitely see your GP as already suggested, they're bound to have more knowledge than your chiropodist.

In the meantime there are a few things you can do to get some sleep. I found rinsing the itchy area in cold water relieved it, then I would slather on a moisturiser suitable for dry skin conditions and cover it up in clingfilm. It would soothe my skin and lock in the moisture long enough for me to get to sleep.

Hope you get it sorted, it's a horrible thing to go through

belfastgirl23

I know that I've had issues with washing powder in the past. If I use a strong powder (ariel etc) then I get really itchy, particularly in places that are damp or sweat IYSWIM Just wondering whether this might be a reason why you have having trouble, if you tend to have damp feet and they're touching bed linen? Just a thought. Using Fairy and using it very sparingly has helped me.

Nimeth

belfastgirl - I thought it was my washing powder too the first time I had this. I switched to soap nuts (no detergents or chemicals) and my eczema cleared itself up (with a little help from the GP), so I don't think it's that causing it. Though my bed sheets are due for a change!:p

Thanks for all your suggestions. I will give the cling film/moisturiser a try tonight and see how I get on. If that doesn't do the trick, I'll try the oatmeal/milk stuff. Failing that I will have to darken my GPs doorway again.