Ever have an infected toe?

[piratesmate]

Last evening I realized my big toe hurt a little when I put weight on it. When I got in bed I was surprised to find the the weight of the covers "hurt" when they rested on the top of it. I checked & it didn't look red or ingrown or anything. This AM it's red & looks like it's infected under the skin.

DH said he's gotten this type of infection from bumping his foot & they just go away. However, I'm diabetic & can't fool around with stuff like this. He can't believe it's never happened to me before. (Where's he been? We've been married 30 yrs - the entire time I've been diabetic! Sorry - OT)

I'll call the doctor when he gets in, but does anyone know if I should be soaking it or anything else in the meantime? Now it hurts just sitting here.

 

[Kitty 34]

I've had an infected toe nail which was horrible! I would definetly get to the doctor to see what's up with your poor toe. Good luck.

 

[my3kids]

Being diabetic, you'd better get into a physician today.

Epson Salt was what I was told to soak an infected foot in, but I'm not diabetic. Make sure you get seen today.

 

[wdwmom2]

Sounds like paronychia. You would need to go to the doctor diabetic or not. But with diabetes, you need to be extra cautious. You can soak it and take something for pain. But you probably need an antibiotic. Good luck and take care.

 

[piratesmate]

Thanks for the quick replies! I'm still waiting on one of them to get in - either the foot doctor or internist. I don't care right now. I figured Epsom Salts was a good idea, but wasn't sure about anything else.

I just can't believe how quickly this got bad! I didn't notice anything when I started the dishwasher at 7pm & by 11 it hurt when I got in bed.

The podiatrist has always said that the pulse in my feet was good, so it was okay to be barefoot in the house...except for my tendancy to break my little toe by catching it on furniture.

Thanks again!

 

[sweet angel]

Get to the dr ASAP. My MIL had something similar about a month or so ago and she's diabetic also. Better safe than sorry.

 

[Dan Murphy]

Do hope you get relief soon, Deb, and all is well. Glad you are getting a doc to check it.

 

[piratesmate]

I just got off the phone with the doctor's office. The nurse who called back was sooooo nasty! I can't believe it! Well, maybe I can - I've been through this before with another office. I guess I'll be looking for a new doctor if this stuff keeps up. I can feel my BP gooing up. (Deep cleansing breath...)

Anyway, apart from telling me that they couldn't diagnose over the phone (no kidding, I wanted an appt!) there are no appts today & are over-booked so they can't squeeze me in.

She told me that I could either go to the ER or wait until Monday and that it was either an infection or gout. That just seems weird to me from what I know about gout. Our diet isn't rich, high in fat & I consume no alcohol. It also hurts along the outside of the nail - in the fleshy area - not the joint.

It seems weird to go to the ER when it only "hurts" - it's not what I'd call "pain" & doesn't feel like an emergency to me.

Oh well, thanks for listening!

 

[Kitty 34]

Deb, I would go to ER.......you just never know and you don't want to mess around with an infection. That pain is a warning sign. Good luck.

 

[sweet angel]

I would go to the ER as well, if you can't get a dr's appt. Like I said, my MIL had something similar...you DON'T want to wait...especially as a diabetic.

 

[Donnainnj]

Deb,
My dad is also diabetic and has had major feet problems recently. It started with a bunnion on the bottom of his foot that started to pull away, he decided to help it, and that got infected. He let it go because we were on vacation in Hawaii at the time. When he got home he went strait to the doctor and they put him in the hospital. That didn't heal right (his circulation is very poor to his feet, he really doesn't take very good care of himself) so his surgeon ended up taking the bone out of his foot that connects the big toe to the foot. While this was healing (very slowly) he was favoring his other foot, that, and lack of circulation helped his other foot dislocate. It seems he has Charcot(S?) which makes it more likely to dislocate the foot, and what usually happens is while dislocated the bones rub together and splinter without the diabetic noticing because of the lact of feeling. Well luckily he noticed, and the bones had not splintered. (that would have been more surgery) He is now in a soft cast to take care of that, and the other foot is still healing. I know the cast (not sure if they will change it to a hard cast) will be on for 3 to 6 months.

Anyway, I am not trying to scare you, but please take care of this ASAP. Maybe a walk in clinic could do something. Not as extreme as and ER, but the hours are better then most doctors. I know our insurance covers one nearby our home, just like it would cover a regular doctor visit. Good Luck.
Donna

 

[DisneyJules]

My mom had toe nail fungus and she described exactly what you described, it could be that? She said when anything would touch it, it would hurt like crazy.

 

[piratesmate]

I hear what you're saying. I don't intend to mess around with this, but have to admit that if had happened tonight I would have just left it go until Monday since no docotr's are around on Sunday. I guess that's why I don't feel like it's an "emergency." I can't go yet - DH is out with the car - but will as soon as I can.

Unfortunately, I live in the boonies (on a farm) & there's no other kind of care except the doctor's office & the ER. I just hate the thought of sitting in the ER all day (I've never been to one where I didn't sit there at least 6 hours! - or anything!) and the $$.

I know, my health is more important. It's just that I've been out of work forever & DH doesn't anything beyond what we need for bills. Even the doctor's visit co-pay means we have less to spend on groceries & that's not nearly as much as for the ER. Sorry - it's just been a bad month. On the bright side, we thought DH was going to be laid off again but will now be working until next year at this place.

Thanks for the concern. I'm just feeling sorry for myself I guess.

 

[piratesmate]

Oh man! It gets worse & worse! Just as I hit "Submit" the phone rang. The doctor told the nurse to call me back & tell me to go to the hospital as I'll need IV antibiotics! (So much for not being able to diagnose over the phone!)

Well, Ollie, this is another fine mess I've gotten us in to!

 

[sweet angel]

Better to spend the $$ on the treatment you need now, than the alternative of waiting and having it cost more for surgery. Either way it stinks, but it's kind of the lesser of two evils.

Good luck!

 

[Rokkitsci]

Go quickly to a doctor

I am the healthiest person you have ever seen. But I had the same thing happen to me when I was about 30 years old.

I finally went to the doctor when I couldn't tolerate the pain any longer, and found that I had a viral infection that had set up in the middle of my foot. When it came from was a mystery. But the doctor said it was serious and could have been fatal.

Hurry

 

[The Mystery Machine]

My father had a coworker die from an infected toe. He let it go, after all it was just a toe, right?
By the time he got to the hospital he was septic and died.

 

[Disney Doll]

Several points:

1. As a diabetic, you should NEVER walk barefoot. If any doctor has ever told you that you could walk barefoot, find a new doctor.

2. Get to the ER right away. Diabetics have circulation compromise in the small vessels, which are the ones that supply the fingers and toes. If that area isn't getting a greta blood supply, that means it is not getting a great supply of the cells in the blood that attck infection. Small infections in diabetics can turn into MAJOR events.

3. Tell your doctor about his office staff's nastiness.

4. Make sure you keep that foot elevated as much as possible. If they do warm soaks, make sure they are not TOO warm.

Good luck!

 

[sweet angel]

Well? What was the outcome?

 

[piratesmate]

Sorry - I'm not getting my email notifications & I lost the thread.

It turned out that it was a spider bite. The thought had actually occurred to me, but I discounted it because there really wasn't much, if any, swelling. The last time I was bitten on the foot by a spider my foot swelled to the point I couldn't put a shoe on for days!

Thanks for all the advice & for caring!