Feet, skin, body and scalp?

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Annette&Bert

Annette&Bert

Well-Known Member
Relationship to Diabetes
Type 2
Hi everyone. I decided to put all under one heading hope you don’t mind.

Feet
sometimes my feet fell rubbery I don’t think I can put it better. I don’t have broken skin, and if bare feet I can feel cold floors, etc, but I don’t know if this has to do with my diabetes, or my Venous Insufficiency, also both hands and feet are like blocks of ice!
Body
My body skin is very dry and despite nothing visible feels itchy all the time, particularly arms and legs. I have never had dry skin in my life but now very dry skin.
Scalp
My scalp itches all the time.

Only reason I am asking is because I wondered if this is a diabetic thing, and I should live with it?

Next Thursday, at my request I go to surgery to have my annual bloods taken, last year they didn’t even bother to tell me what these were, however it has to be said, I don’t have great confidence in this practice and at the age of 73 reluctant to move to another. There is no nurse practitioner there which I think there should be.

Anyone have any input, I would be obliged.
 
I had itching skin on my thighs, but it was usually after I’d walked and also came with muscle ‘ache’. I also had occasional itches with small ‘boils’ or funny flakes on my skin a few years back and my skin was very sensitive. After starting low carb the itching got worse on my thighs for a brief time but has totally gone now… i suspect high blood sugar caused the itching and flaking.

My feet did go a bit strange when I started the diet… it wasn’t numbness or tingling, but more like getting quite sensitive with the odd twinge of pain…
 
Arghh to the the itching, mine was driving me nuts, worse when I was ready to go to sleep - scratched myself badly so trimmed my nails right down. I wondered if it was a food allergy, cut things out one by one. Thought it might be the new washing machine so rewashed things with extra rinses - tried the lot without much success, but it is finally clearing up now, get the odd itchy bit, but nowhere near as bad as it was. Skin looking better (as best as it can at my age!) and I've brought back foods I'd shelved and all seems good. I can only think it was me overdoing something somewhere or a reaction to something - maybe a combination (I have that with fruit since childhood - mix the wrong fruits together and anaphylaxis hits me). I hope your symptoms soon calm down. I read about a keto rash in my search, but I don't think that was what I had, symptoms not very much alike. I do find my feet feel the cold a bit more than before diabetes came along, have worn socks more often this winter than before - they were always left to the bitter cold, now it doesn't have to be that cold for me to grab a pair.
I hope you get to the bottom of it or that it starts to ease up on its own.
 
Regarding 'cold' feelings - I didn't get coldness in my extremities, but did get this weird sensations like cold water running down my legs, usually after walking and when I was sitting... I haven't felt that for some time now.
 
As diabetics we are advised always to wear footwear including slippers in the house to protect our feet, so I would encourage you to do that especially if they are like ice because that suggests restricted blood supply.

The itching was something that I suffered with about 6 months after diagnosis and I think is associated with high BG levels or perhaps them starting to come down or possibly a vitamin B issue or a combination of those. I think it may have coincided with when I came off Metformin which can suppress vitamin B absorption and Vitamin B is linked to nerve health so it may have been nerves regenerating with the combination of lower BG levels due to insulin and the Metformin being stopped.
There were times when I really felt like my skin was crawling and I was "loppy", particularly my face and scalp and I kept wondering if I had picked up mites or lice from the animals, but it was just a phase I went through. Occasionally it was so bad that I would go into the bathroom and ruffle my hair over the sink really vigorously to see if anything dropped out or look in the mirror because my face felt like tiny spiders were crawling on it and yes dry skin too, although I have always suffered with that. My nails went very dry and brittle too.
 
I think I might pick up some vitamin B tomorrow, I am taking vitamin D3 already - not sure whether to get B1 and/or B2 or B12 or the B complex, or maybe one that covers most vitamins??? Time for coffee to give my brain a boost methinks!!! (Why do I have to overthink every darned thing!)
 
Martin.A said:
If you're having bloods done I think that should include B12 levels. Mine did and they were high, so I stopped taking my daily multivitamin. You might be better off waiting for your results first.
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ok, should be having mine done next month or soon after, unless she wants me to wait until the annual one which would be in July, but it is almost 6 months since last (second ever) one and she might want to see how I am doing without meds. I'd rather sooner than later to see where I stand, but we shall see. I can ask them to check for B12 level as well. they are pretty accommodating.
 
My skin has been soft and smooth since going back to eating normal amounts of fat rather than doing low fat. I wonder if that could be the problem. We are told and told and told again that fat is bad - yet when eaten it seems to be good.
 
rebrascora said:
As diabetics we are advised always to wear footwear including slippers in the house to protect our feet, so I would encourage you to do that especially if they are like ice because that suggests restricted blood supply.

The itching was something that I suffered with about 6 months after diagnosis and I think is associated with high BG levels or perhaps them starting to come down or possibly a vitamin B issue or a combination of those. I think it may have coincided with when I came off Metformin which can suppress vitamin B absorption and Vitamin B is linked to nerve health so it may have been nerves regenerating with the combination of lower BG levels due to insulin and the Metformin being stopped.
There were times when I really felt like my skin was crawling and I was "loppy", particularly my face and scalp and I kept wondering if I had picked up mites or lice from the animals, but it was just a phase I went through. Occasionally it was so bad that I would go into the bathroom and ruffle my hair over the sink really vigorously to see if anything dropped out or look in the mirror because my face felt like tiny spiders were crawling on it and yes dry skin too, although I have always suffered with that. My nails went very dry and brittle too.
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Sorry perhaps I didn’t make myself clear enough but I never walk about the house withour slippers I only did so on the bathroom floor a couple of nights ago to prove to myself if I had normal feeling in my feet, which I mostly do but they sill feel rubbery r spongy! Regarding my skin and scalp, this has been going on for two years approximately, I just wondered if anyone else has it and if diabetic related. As for cold feet, this may well be the result of Venous Insufficiency, I mentioned this also because we diabetics can have a lot wrong!
 
Drummer said:
My skin has been soft and smooth since going back to eating normal amounts of fat rather than doing low fat. I wonder if that could be the problem. We are told and told and told again that fat is bad - yet when eaten it seems to be good.
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I personally believe fat is good unless it is saturated, and not having it every day.
 
My scalp is dreadful at the moment as are the souls of my feet. I’m not well at all . Diabetes not any worse but I’m just not well.I wonder if diabetes causes other auto immune diseases and somewhere i s not diagnosed . Got bloods again Monday but I think I have intermittent af . I definitely do not feel myself at all . However like yourself it’s hard to get our point across on a blood test visit , I just wait on when I get so bad they find out or hopefully I get better. Meanwhile s good diet exercise as you can snd whatever relieves symptoms.
 
Nayshiftin said:
My scalp is dreadful at the moment as are the souls of my feet. I’m not well at all . Diabetes not any worse but I’m just not well.I wonder if diabetes causes other auto immune diseases and somewhere i s not diagnosed . Got bloods again Monday but I think I have intermittent af . I definitely do not feel myself at all . However like yourself it’s hard to get our point across on a blood test visit , I just wait on when I get so bad they find out or hopefully I get better. Meanwhile s good diet exercise as you can snd whatever relieves symptoms.
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It doesn’t seem to matter what I do, or what I avoid, nothing helps. I also have heart problems not diabetes related. Would you believe I was referred to a Cardiologist on 2nd August 2021, I know this because I got a copy of the referral. You probably guessed, I am still waiting for said appointment. Fan of the NHS I am not.
 
Annette&Bertie said:
It doesn’t seem to matter what I do, or what I avoid, nothing helps. I also have heart problems not diabetes related. Would you believe I was referred to a Cardiologist on 2nd August 2021, I know this because I got a copy of the referral. You probably guessed, I am still waiting for said appointment. Fan of the NHS I am not.
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I think I may not like this answer because oh my you were referred almost a year ago and still waiting... does not give me hope. Lets hope you hear sooner than later.
 
Nayshiftin said:
I think I may not like this answer because oh my you were referred almost a year ago and still waiting... does not give me hope. Lets hope you hear sooner than later.
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Yep that’s how I feel, my thinking now is that so much wasn’t done during lockdown Consultantscare catching up, but my life is important, right!
 
Very dry skin is one of the huge list of symptoms for thyroid being a bit off kilter, as is feeling the cold. That you have a blood flow issue could also be in the mix for your cold hands and feet.

To be honest, it would make sense to e if you had a good broad panel of bloods done, to look at your thyroid, vitamins and minerals, as well as the usual diabetes, kidney health and lipids we usually have done.
 
Annette&Bertie said:
Yep that’s how I feel, my thinking now is that so much wasn’t done during lockdown Consultantscare catching up, but my life is important, right!
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Absolutely
 
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