Foot care

[thelitov]

:o I'm embarassed. But here goes, I had been advised to take Sporanox (a bit expensive) for a fungal infection under my left toe. Just finished the last of the three one week a month pulse treatment. Really not sure if it's healing properly. The last wave of its chalkiness has been clipped just two weeks ago but I still notice some discoloration in the small area where it once was. But will see my doctor in 3 months and have her take a look. My concern are two calluses, one toe on each foot. My doctor doesn't want to treat them. Should I plead with her? Do I treat them myself? Any suggestions?

Lito V

[UpNorth]

You can use a pumice stone to treat those callouses. Sit with your feet in a foot bath with foot salt in it, and then gently scrub with the stone :) I try to do that in summer, and really should have it done today! My heels especially are a disaster now:o I'm breaking every diabetic rule for foot care and go with bare feet a lot, with or without shoes in summer:o I wear Crocs (though not that brand, it's just a copy) slippers at work, and don't use socks then lol We're talking about about 12h in a day wearing those shoes, and no socks :T

[thelitov]

Pumice stone and foot salts... I'll try that. Many Thanks, UpNorth. After reading the other threads about more serious and complicated concerns, didn't think anyone would bother replying to my post. I've just been worrying about my feet, too much according to my daughters, ever since I was diagnosed T2D in 2006.

[UpNorth]

I've been type 1 since 2004. When it comes to foot care, i haven't really changed much since before diabetes. I just use foot creams more often than before and try to keep my feet soft. But when it comes to wearing socks all the time and special diabetes shoes... NO WAY! LOL But when i go with bare feet a lot, i'm working extra hard on keeping my feet soft and try to avoid those air filled bubbles under my feet. Right now i have some of those though, probably from being too sloppy lately :T Maybe i should go see a foot specialist this time:confused: Just get a full foot treatment and then just maintain that at home... Will see :T
I'm just 23 this year so i'd rather not have diabetes related foot problems in just a few years time:eek:

[Penny]

If I do not treat my feet right, I get the calluses all over my feet. The pumice stone and soaking help when I have let it get out of control, but if I keep my feet "greased up" and covered, they do not get in bad shape. I have a nightly routine, soaking my feet and thickly applying vaseline, then putting on clean socks....it does help. In the summer, I wear sandals and go barefoot, so I have more problems. I still do the vaseline and sock thing at night though, my feet get cold at night, so don't mind sleeping in the socks.

[Mich]

I've been diabetic a long time and I keep a pretty close eye on my feet because I too, break the "diabetic foot rules."

I wore red toenail polish for a whole summer, just touching it up when it got chipped. I ended up with toenail fungus, but didn't notice until I took the polish off. Yuck. Sporanox made me sick so I used Penlac faithfully for three months. I did what it said, filed, clipped and scrubbed until the infection was gone. Now I only wear polish a few days at a time, now and then.

I live in flip-flops and so have to keep calluses filed down. I use a Dr Scholl's foot grater (metal) and lots of cream in dry climates. I scrub my feet in the shower with a long handled bath brush and OLAY moisturizing wash.

I never let my feet get to the point of cracked calluses or long toenails that rub. Keeping feet healthy is a good way for a diabetic to live a long time, in my opinion.

Mich

[UpNorth]

I just looked more carefully on my feet earlier today, and i have started getting some shallow cracks on my heels so i'd better use the "diabetic foot cream" tonight when i go to sleep:eek: I did take a foot bath and used my pumice stone earlier today though, so i've been a good girl today anyways :T

[kgm0612]

Besides a pumice stone you can also use a hand-held calluse remover/scraper. I think they do a better job than the pumice stone, to be honest.

I walk 3 miles almost every evening and have developed hard calluses on both feet. Although I use the calluse scraper at home two or three times a week, along with foot lotion, I also see a foot doctor every 8 weeks to have them filed down with a scapel.

Karen