View Full Version : Swollen red toe and rash
I had a res swollen toe a few months ago, no pain. Took antibiotics but was also maybe gout but they just wanted to rule out infection. It kind of cleared out but never 100% so I went back to the doctor. The doc gave me more antibiotics and it is just not getting better. Got a xray on it and its fine, have had 3 blood tests to rule out infection. Toe is swollen and gets worst when sitting or standing still. There is also a rash that started by the toe but now its close to the leg which worries me. Went to ER and they also had no clue, also said maybe gout so I went to a rhematologist. She did not rule out gout but is also not sure what it is. I am so frustrated and a bit concerned that no one has a clue. I have a podiatrist appointment tomorrow to have someone elses eyes on it and someone who sees feet all the time but I am starting to think this is a blood flow problem. I do have high blood pressure but not to a level that I would think this would happen.
I am currently on steroids and they are doing a number on me, yesterday I almost lost it, anxiety shot through the roof, I was so tired but also energized at the same time, it was not fun and I wonder how people can sustain doing steroids for long periods of time.
I have gout and take medication to keep it at bay. I can tell you from 1st hand experience, its one of the most painful things you can ever experienced. Typically it affects the joint of the big toe, causes swelling, redness and extreme pain. If this were gout, there would be no doubt.
FMP
Exactly. I really don’t think its gout. It was painful but not excruciating, not even close. Also at first there was no paint what so ever. Also from seeing pictures and just reading, gout does not come and go depending on if you are sitting or standing and this is like this. If I am in bed its fine, if I sit down it starts swelling up and turned red and then bluish in front of my eyes. Not good and concerning. I think its a circulation thing for sure. I have a podiatrist tomorrow morning so we will see what she recommends but I don’t see my answers happening tomorrow.
I have gout and take medication to keep it at bay. I can tell you from 1st hand experience, its one of the most painful things you can ever experienced. Typically it affects the joint of the big toe, causes swelling, redness and extreme pain. If this were gout, there would be no doubt.
FMP
Still dealing with this. The rash has slowly been expanding from the toe upwards and now at my ankle. I don’t know what to do anymore and what doctor I should check with. Pretty damn sure its not gout (my podiatrist is not convinced either) and I am freaked out because keeps getting bigger, toe still swollen. I have an mri scheduled for wednesday but wondering if that will even show anything and how much more is this redness going to expand to?
I work in Podiatry department as an assistant, so not an expert, but know a bit. I'm assuming that your Podiatrist will have checked your pulses in your feet? Did they mention varicose eczema?
I kind of think that any Podiatrist worth thier salt will have done your pulses both by palpating them and with a doppler. May even have done ABPI's.
Some rashes that appear on the general area of the foot can be fungal (not just isolated to between the toes), have you considered seeing a dermatologist?
Hey. Thank you for the response.
She did indeed check the pulse on the foot and said it was fine. She did not mention varicose eczema but I will check with her about it my next appointment.
I have not checked yet with a dermatologist, I do have an appointment with one in about 2 weeks, it was not for my foot but I am already there so going to get him to check it as well because I agree that it is a good idea.
It is just so weird that at least the toe has been pain free and with the steroids been less swollen but today, back st looking like a potato and a little pain. I really hope this mri gives me some answers.
Thank you again
Remembered I have never updated this and maybe can help someone with something similar or at least someone with health anxiety.
A lot of times my health anxiety is about something that can’t be seen and only I can feel it (bloating, stomach pain, chest pain ect) but this case was one of the first time that there was actually something I could show people and they believed me there was something wrong. The difference between me and someone else was I thought what I have is deadly while my wife and friends thought it will be ok and it will be figured out by the doctors.
my toe was red and swollen for a bit and also had a rash that started on the toe and was going up my leg. I do think I had a reason to freak out and this put me in the ER for 2 times, was not so much the toe but the rash going up the leg, everyday I would wake up and was higher and higher, by the end of this was almost up to my knee.
I dis not wait a lot to go to doctors, I used to do this and drive myself crazy and my wife so now I just go to the doctors which I also think maybe not the right way because I go a lot more than i probably should. I went to my gp, rheumatologist, podiatrist and no one had a clue what was going on. Did all the tests, xray, mri. Took 3 doses of antibiotics and nothing was helping. They thought was gout at first but no pain and did not answer to common gout meds so that was off the table. Eventually the toe swollen-ness started coming down but rash was still there. I also started noticing that the toe only got really red and swollen only if i did not have my foot elevated. I went to Er the second time and the doctor there said, I have no idea what is going on on your toe but whats going up ur leg is a fungus. Gave me anti fungal cream, also went to dermatologist and he confirmed that it looked indeed like that. I put that cream on for about 3 months, was a persistent one but it eventually cleared. The same cant be said about the toe, for months it would get red and really really hot if not elevated. I could walk and be ok for a bit but if i stopped and did not move it would start getting red and really hot. Was very strange and again no idea from docs. I just dealt with it and elevated my foot all day while i worked and basically anytime I dis anything. I accepted it and thought it was going to be like that forever. Was not pleasant but there are worst things.
well its about a year since that happened and it is finally better, its been ok for a few months now. Slowly it just stoped reacting to not being elevated and I think I am all better now. It is crazy to me that I still have no clue what happened and that it look almost a year. Of course since then my health anxiety has been on a ton of other things and some at the same time as the foot issue but this thought me that sometimes there are no answers but that time might help, the body is complicated and sometimes just needs time to sort itself out.
An interesting update - some things are mysterious aren't they.
Really are. I think we always expect an answer, specially from doctors but sometimes its just not know and we don’t like the unknown but I guess just got to trust the body.
Yes - you are right, the unknown is an uncomfortable place, especially to those with HA. I will say, your symptoms, would have me concerned also.....a rash spreading up the leg from an infected toe.....but I suppose I'd rationalise it by saying to myself that anything far more sinister would be obvious to the medics. The fact that its a mystery probably means that its a more minor anomally. I'm glad you are all sorted now.
It was scary for sure, everyday the rash was higher and higher and the doctors were stumped but not concerned at all and I was like, am I going to loose my leg?
:roflmao:Yeah - I'll be honest (and I'm not HA bound nowdays) it'd be in my thoughts.
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