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Hi,
I have a client who complains of hot but mainly itchy feet. They also sweat more than usual but her main issue is how itchy they get.
She has been investigated by doctors and dermatologists with no success.
She says it runs in the family and that her dad and grandparents and some other family members also have this problem.
Clinically there appears to be nothing wrong with the skin and both feet appear normal except for a little redness.
Any suggestions?
She also says that her feet only get itchy when they get hot. So perhaps a treatment to cool the feet was all I have come up with so far...
Cheers
Simone

My differential dx, in order of liklihood;

1. erythromelalgia
2. erythromelalgia
3. erythromelalgia
4. heriditary sensory peripheral neuropathy
3. IDK (I dont know)

Hope this helps: http://www.emedicine.com/med/topic730.htm

Show up the other physicians with this as the diagnosis!

LL

Thanks, that sounds a lot like her description.
Cheers
Simone

Simone and LL

This solves a mystery going back to several years ago when I read an article about a vitamin supplement that cured burning feet. This might be very useful I thought but I lost the article and couldn't remeber which Vitamin it was. Searched all sorts of data but could find no references asked relevant health professionals but no one had any clues. Until now!
If I've understood the emedicine article properly the symptoms of erythromelalgia are caused by platelet buildup causing minature thrombi in the vascular system of the foot and disrupting circulation. Asprin is advocated as the drug treatment because aspirin inhibits platelet formation.
Recently, due to a TIA, I have been reading up on the reduction of plaque and thrombus and generally cleaning the pipework and Vitamin K comes up as a useful anti coagulant which stops formation of throbi. Therfore, I would have thought, it is probably quite likely that vitamin K would also help in reducing hot feet symptoms associated with erythromelalgia.

Thanks for solving that Dave Smith.

David

Vitamin K is responsible for producing clotting factors, and is NOT an anticoagulant - quite the opposite. For someone such as yourself, or someone with erythromelalgia, taking additional Vitamin K would not be a wise move. Vitamin K is reserved for reversing the effects of high INR's when someone is coming down off warfarin etc.

Make sense?

LL

LL

OOh! Shot down, Crashed and burned.

Yes I've just read and reread thru loads of stuff relating to Vit K and anticoagulation therapy and of course you are correct. Don't know how I got the wrong impression before but thanks for puting me straight.

Cheers Dave

Hi David
Perhaps a dietry change may improve symptoms, an fish oil supplement or GLA supplement, flax seeds, green leafy veg would help. Also is you pt. sedentary or do they excercise, and of course stopping smoking will all help blood chemistry / circulation.