Verucca

[SueM]

Hi, I have had type 1 for 12 years. For the first time in my life a developed a verucca. It is on the bottom of my big toe & is massive. I cannot quite find the words to explain how painful it is & how much it affects my life. I firstly contacted my loval diabetes centre as I had been told to do in the past should I have any foot problems. They called me back but were not really interested as I was not registered as having podiatary problems. They asked me to call my GP & get referred to the commnity clinic. When I saw my GP he asked me to come along to his 'wart clinic', I did so & it was frozen, which didn't seem to help but I was due to go back again for more treatment. I happened to have my routine clinic appointment at the diabetes centre a few weeks later. I discussed the verucca with the consultant who referred me to the podiatrist at the centre the same day (they were obviously not happy to see me as were 'far too busy') They hacked at it (super painful) and referred me to community. They couldn't see me for 2 weeks so I waited and they said it was a verucca & NHS don't treat veruccas. She was very nice & advised me to try scholl blister plasters, if not go private. This is now 3 months on & although I would say there is progress as the verucca seems to be 'drawing out' it is still so, so painful and basically ruining my life. I'm not sure who to trust now (as the podiatrist said the GP was wrong freezing it due to my diabetes) or who to turn to. To clarify I have not been able to put any pressure on it at all & it is total agony 24/7 since the end of january. I am not normally a moany person but I am reaching the end of my tether - has anyone had any similar problems? Sorry again to moan, I am usually a very positive person.

 

[Ellie Jones]

You need to go back to your GP, as he can take a lot at it and refer you back or treat it again themselves..

Never heard that the NHS didn't treat verucca's... After all they are infectious things that spread. Most people catch them walking around with bare feet, where somebody with a verucca has walked around with bare feet

 

[Northerner]

Hi Sue, welcome to the forum. I'm very sorry to hear about the verruca and the pain it is causing you, and pretty appalled at the way you appear to have been treated, pushed from pillar to post in this manner It might be worth talking to the Diabetes UK Careline service as Diabetes UK are currently running a 'Putting Feet First' campaign to try and get better quality care for people with diabetes who present with foot problems - they may be able to suggest who to go to to ensure you get the attention you need and deserve. They can be contacted at:

http://www.diabetes.org.uk/How_we_help/Careline/

As Ellie suggests, going to your GP and asking for another referral to podiatry seems the best course of action - no way should you still be in so much pain for so long because of a verruca. I hope that you can get this sorted out, and soon, let us know how things go.

 

[Steff]

Hi Sue and a warm welcome to the forum, wow you put me to shame I have a huge blister on my little toe at the moment but after reading the pain your in it makes mine seem small fry not that its a competition just saying,totally agree with what Ellie says dont take this lying down im also quite surprised the NHS say they dont treat veruccas grr.Hope that a resolution can be sort and some of the pain is taken away for you.

 

[Tina63]

I totally agree with what everyone has said, go back to your GP, do tell him the farce it has been so far, and make sure he knows just how painful it is.

Just as a point of interest, if verrucas are left to heal themselves (can take 18-24 months 😱) you are meant to get lifelong immunity. I guess that's rather a long time for you to consider walking around like that though.

Good luck.

 

[fencesitter]

Dear Sue
I do sympathise. My son William had a verruca for a long time which was a big problem for him. Although it was before his T1 diagnosis, he also has lymphoedema in his legs and feet which makes him vulnerable to infection, so we faced some of the same issues.

We got the same line about the NHS not treating verrucas. It was so frustrating. I am quite shocked that someone saw fit to hack away at your foot! Pleased it didn't get infected. We did try a home freezing kit on William, didn't seem to work but didn't cause him any problems either, although I expect your GP is correct that it's not a great idea.

I talked to my lymphoedema support group (forum addict me, ha ha) and they suggested the following tips which we tried:

gently rub with a pumice stone to take away dead skin
apply vinegar to verruca (if you don't mind your feet smelling like a chip shop)
use a corn ring to take the pressure off the area
cover whole thing with duct tape, the more the merrier apparently as verrucas like oxygen

These things did seem to help and after some months it went away, although of course it may have been a coincidence. He's never had another one.

I think it's wise to see a podiatrist before trying any of the above ... But in my experience they can be quite keen to get out the scalpel so you might need to be assertive about what you do or don't want them to do 😱
Good luck.

 

[fencesitter]

it is total agony 24/7 since the end of january(

Another thought - so much pain, even if you're not putting weight on it, does seem extreme. I wonder if there's a low level infection going on? Another reason for you to be taken seriously.

 

[SueM]

Thanks so much for the love Guys! I look back at my post & again apologise for moaning, it had been a pretty bad day with lots of walking & a late trip to sainsburys! I think you are right & I should go back somewhere, maybe gp is a good starting point, although I don't want him to freeze it again!

Thanks Willsmum, great advice. I might try the vinegar! The gel blister plasters I have been wearing for the last 2.5/3 months do the same as duct tape by cutting off the oxygen (I did have duct tape on it for about 3 months & that was a nightmare).

I think maybe it has improved as to start with they were unsure if it was a verucca. It looked like a corn as it was so deep but they thought there may have been a foreign in it. Since the blister plasters it has emerged from the skin & is def verucca looking, each time I take the plaster off (every few days) a layer if it comes away with the plaster - I am taking this as a good thing.

Sorry, to be information at tea time! I am just worried how painful it still is. It doesn't look infected & has always been this painful.

Thanks again guys, nice to feel someone cares out there!
Sue x

 

[NiVZ]

I had a really bad verruca on the bottom of my foot beside my little toe that was very big, painful and it was there for ages.

I also had it frozen and hacked at but nothing seemed to work, until I tried a herbal remedy which fixed it quite quickly and touch wood I've never had any since.

The remedy I was told to try was taking one Thuja 30c tablet per day and applying some lemon oil (like the aromatherapy oil) to the verruca using a cotton bud, and the lemon oil smells better than vinegar 😉. You can get these over the counter from most homeopathic places and some pharmacies.

Might be worth a try.

NiVZ

 

[SueM]

Loving the sound of that NiVZ - I'm on it tomorrow, let yu know how I get on. Thanks so much

Sue x

 

[NiVZ]

Let us know how you get on.

I should have mentioned, it didn't look like it was doing much to begin with (ie the appearance looked the same) but one day it just all crumbled away leaving fresh new skin underneath. It's like it heals from the inside out.

Good luck,

NiVZ

 

[SueM]

Let us know how you get on.

I should have mentioned, it didn't look like it was doing much to begin with (ie the appearance looked the same) but one day it just all crumbled away leaving fresh new skin underneath. It's like it heals from the inside out.

Good luck,

NiVZ

OK thanks, started treatment on sunday, I can't tell you how thrilled I will be to see it crumble away! That will be amazing! How long did it take? Mine is still super painful, maybe more so as it seems more prominent at the moment, was yours still painful up to the point of crumbling? Honestly, the thought of it disappearing, that would be a dream come true. Fingers crossed!

 

[Northerner]

I hope the treatment works Sue, it's clear that this is having a major effect on your quality of life.

 

[NiVZ]

Hello,

Yeah mine was painful, like a throbbing tingling that I was always aware of but not so sore I couldn't walk on it.

If I remember correctly it did take a while, maybe even as much as 6 months but the pain gradually improved with each passing month.

I think I was also applying the lemon oil morning and night, but just 1 thuja tablet per day.

NiVZ

 

[trophywench]

Good old Thuja! - it apparently 'expels' stuff from the body, so can't be used if you have anything mechanical in you (Pacemaker, pinned broken bones, hip replacements etc etc)

I know someone whose son got sea anemone spines in his foot and refused to pee on it at the time, nothing worked until a homeopath treated him with heavy duty thuja (not to de done without supervision) and they shot out within a couple of weeks.

 

[SueM]

Just a little update - I am almost too scared to say this but I think my toe might be getting a bit better! Don't get me wrong, it still rules my life but all in all I think its less painful. Fingers crossed & send me over the good vibes guys - blimey, it would be like a dream come true!

 

[fencesitter]

Really hope so 😎
Let us know what worked for you in due course (if that's not tempting fate)

 

[Northerner]

Just a little update - I am almost too scared to say this but I think my toe might be getting a bit better! Don't get me wrong, it still rules my life but all in all I think its less painful. Fingers crossed & send me over the good vibes guys - blimey, it would be like a dream come true!

Great news Sue, I hope the improvement continues! 🙂