Cold feet

[kellie01]

Is it just me or do otjer people have cold feet due to their diabetes? I have had to wear thick socks most of the summer indoors, especially in bed at night, which is a bit awkward as i like to have a foot hanging out to cool me down, it is weird as they don't feel cold if u touch them but feel cold subconsciously if i have no socks on. Is this just where my circulation has been damaged by the diabetes ? X

 

[Eddy Edson]

Is it just me or do otjer people have cold feet due to their diabetes? I have had to wear thick socks most of the summer indoors, especially in bed at night, which is a bit awkward as i like to have a foot hanging out to cool me down, it is weird as they don't feel cold if u touch them but feel cold subconsciously if i have no socks on. Is this just where my circulation has been damaged by the diabetes ? X

I'd get my circulation checked, if I were you - specifically a peripheral artery disease (PAD) check.

Peripheral arterial disease (PAD)

Read about peripheral arterial disease (PAD), a common condition in which a build-up of fatty deposits in the arteries restricts blood supply to leg muscles.

www.nhs.uk

The symptom list in that link doesn't include cold feet but it was certainly a feature of my PAD before I got a better handle on it.

Of course your cold feet might be due to something completely different, but PAD is pretty common and also under-diagnosed, so I'd say it's worth checking out.

 

[Drummer]

When I was finally diagnosed with a failed thyroid and prescribed Thyroxine, during the first few days it felt as though my hands and feet were bathed in warm water - it was such a relief.
Have you been checked for a failed thyroid?
It can be difficult to uncover the problem as they can fail and recover, so notoriously difficult - though one of the most obvious indicators is the outer edge of the eyebrows not growing

 

[Nick Cliff]

Hi @kellie01, I also suffer from cold hands and feet, though not as badly as you report. I suspect it's related to my Type 2 Diabetes...or at least the genetics that relate to it. However, my feet routinely pass the circulation and nerve response tests each year, so it remains a mystery. Have wondered if it is thyroid related, but I regularly test within range for thyroid function also. I don't have any of the symptoms of Peripheral Arterial Disease, so in my case I don't think it's that.
Sorry if this isn't much help, but just sharing my experience. Nick.

 

[Lucyr]

Is it just me or do otjer people have cold feet due to their diabetes?

I never have this. You need to get your circulation checked.

 

[Eddy Edson]

Hi @kellie01, I also suffer from cold hands and feet, though not as badly as you report. I suspect it's related to my Type 2 Diabetes...or at least the genetics that relate to it. However, my feet routinely pass the circulation and nerve response tests each year, so it remains a mystery. Have wondered if it is thyroid related, but I regularly test within range for thyroid function also. I don't have any of the symptoms of Peripheral Arterial Disease, so in my case I don't think it's that.
Sorry if this isn't much help, but just sharing my experience. Nick.

Not to be argumentative, but cold extremities are symptoms of PAD, even if they don't appear on that NHS list (they do feature in other, more comprehensive lists).

Perhaps the majority of people with PAD don't have any of the "major" symptoms like claudication.

And the foot pulse check isn't adequate to rule out PAD - need to have an ankle-brachial index test, where they compare blood pressure at the ankle with blood pressure at the upper arm.

I'd say it should be checked out whenever there's probable circulation-related issues.

 

[Nick Cliff]

Not to be argumentative, but cold extremities are symptoms of PAD, even if they don't appear on that NHS list (they do feature in other, more comprehensive lists).

Perhaps the majority of people with PAD don't have any of the "major" symptoms like claudication.

And the foot pulse check isn't adequate to rule out PAD - need to have an ankle-brachial index test, where they compare blood pressure at the ankle with blood pressure at the upper arm.

I'd say it should be checked out whenever there's probable circulation-related issues.

Thanks @Eddy Edson, I will ask about this next time I speak to the diabetic nurse or doctor. Probably wise to have it checked. Nick

 

[Deb_l]

I’m pretty much the same as @Nick Cliff and have cold hands and feet (mainly feet) but alway test within ‘normal’ thyroid levels and GP and diabetes nurse has never had any concerns about my feet.

I have recently posted about a new sensation of burning feet, which again my GP dismissed so I bought myself some compression socks and that seems to have helped with that sensation.

 

[Eddy Edson]

I’m pretty much the same as @Nick Cliff and have cold hands and feet (mainly feet) but alway test within ‘normal’ thyroid levels and GP and diabetes nurse has never had any concerns about my feet.

I have recently posted about a new sensation of burning feet, which again my GP dismissed so I bought myself some compression socks and that seems to have helped with that sensation.

Again not meaning to be argumentative, and not suggesting that anybody is very likely to have PAD, but I do think it's worth being mindful of the NICE guidance: https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/cg147/chapter/Recommendations#diagnosis
------------------------------------------------------

1.3 Diagnosis​

1.3.1Assess people for the presence of peripheral arterial disease if they:

• have symptoms suggestive of peripheral arterial disease or
• have diabetes, non‑healing wounds on the legs or feet or unexplained leg pain or
• are being considered for interventions to the leg or foot or
• need to use compression hosiery. [2012]

1.3.2Assess people with suspected peripheral arterial disease by:

• asking about the presence and severity of possible symptoms of intermittent claudication and critical limb ischaemia
• examining the legs and feet for evidence of critical limb ischaemia, for example ulceration
• examining the femoral, popliteal and foot pulses
• measuring the ankle brachial pressure index (see recommendation 1.3.3). [2012]

1.3.3 Measure the ankle brachial pressure index in the following way:

• The person should be resting and supine if possible.
• Record systolic blood pressure with an appropriately sized cuff in both arms and in the posterior tibial, dorsalis pedis and, where possible, peroneal arteries.
• Take measurements manually using a doppler probe of suitable frequency in preference to an automated system.
• Document the nature of the doppler ultrasound signals in the foot arteries.
• Calculate the index in each leg by dividing the highest ankle pressure by the highest arm pressure. [2012]

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So: if you have diabetes and you need compression socks you should def be checked out for PAD. And checking pulses & a foot exam is not adequate to rule it out. Assessment should always involve an ankle-brachial check.

If the UK is anything like Oz when it comes to woeful actual assessment practice versus this internationally standard guidance, I imagine that this very rarely happens unless the patient presents with severe claudication or some other major symptom, unlike most PAD sufferers.

 

[Jan55]

Ask your doctor if you can have a blood test for vitamin D and B levels - might not be this, but an easy thing to do which does no harm. I used to get terrible cramp with cold feet during the night, especially if my blood sugars were low, and I worried it was blood circulation. Turns out it was vitamin D deficiency. Since taken vit D supplements I've stopped wearing the bed socks and no longer get the cramps.

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

I have quite cold feet, but so did my Dad. I’m OK in the summer, but do always prefer to wear slippers on my feet of some sort.

My oldest got me ’nordic socks‘ last Christmas, and they were a revelation! Really good at trapping a layer of warm air around my tootsies.

But do get your pulses and circulation checked!