Itchy feet

[lankeela]

Whenever my feet get wet (which quite often as I work out on the markets) by the time they have dried out and when I take my socks off my feet itch like mad, especially between my toes. Of course I scratch them, as you do, but then they start to either weep or bleed and are even more itchy so I scratch or rub them again. The skin is broken and flaky. What can I put on them to relieve/stop the itching, could I use a powder for athletes foot? Or can anyone recommend something else. Please help, the forecast for the weekend is wet (I know I could wear wellies but I don't always have them with me).

[sara3]

sounds like Athlete's Foot to me. there used to be a talc and ointment called Daktarin that was good for that.

but surely prevention is better than cure. I'd keep the wellies to hand!

[lankeela]

I thought it might be, but even if they are sweaty they don't itch like they do when they have actually got wet. Thanks for the tip I will try to get some.

[moonshadow]

Another good cream is Lamisil Once, try to wear cotton socks if possible and if you do have to scratch make sure you wash your hands as it can spread to other parts of your body.

[kira000]

Both Daktarin and maisil are good, and boots do good own brand products.

The other thing to remember is the fungal infection that causes Athletes foot, lives in the damp in your shoes..
So if you suffer from it, NEVER wear the same shoes 2 days running, as the sweat from your feet will not have dried, and you will just keep reinfecting yourself.

Alternate between pairs of shoes, making sure they are thoroughly dry before you wear them again. Also worth buying an athletes foot treatment spray, and giving your shoes a regualar squirt with it once you take them off.

If like me, you have a habit of scratching your feet in the night, or rubbing them against the sheets while you are asleep, you should probably wear cotton socks overnight till it clears up to prevent the scratching, and preferably put some powder treatment in the sock before you put it on.

Good luck.

[KARL]

I agree it sounds highly likely that you have athlete's foot, which almost certainly was acquired from a gym or similar place where the infection by the fungus was passed to you (off the floor, a shower, etc.). I similarly acquired this disease a number of years back - it is neither sweat or external water per se that gives you it, but once acquired moist conditions will sustain it. It is therefore important to keep your feet dry, including wearing ventilated footwear or none at all as much as possible (i.e. indoors) - all to promote getting rid of it. Pure cotton or wool socks are preferred over synthetics (compare with advice regarding thrush). I used Lamisil (the original, not Lamisil One) for months and could not eradicate it. I would doubt the claim for the new drug unless I saw it working. What I did in the end was to use....wait for it.....vinegar ! Yes, ordinary kitchen vinegar. Washing frequently, but particularly applying vinegar afterwards on each occasion between the toes (interdigitally and along the crease that joins up into a line underneath them at their base), for about four weeks did away with it so the skin appeared normal. I have continued this on most occasions of washing ever since whenever away from home because re-acquiring the infection is actually fairly likely. Note that socks need to be washed well (turned inside out as well as the right way out) to get rid of spores and it is fairly likely that footwear will carry the spores so keep on with the treatment until you have worn out and/or discarded footwear used while infected. Any wounds will sting sharply on application of vinegar but persevere because they will heal within a few days. A bonus is that any hint of foot odour will totally vanish - a tip for those who don't even have athlete's foot but are smelly.

[lankeela]

Grateful for the time taken to reply will try some of the things suggested, not sure about the vinegar, I am a right wooss (sp) when it comes to pain and I'd rather put it on my chips! The crack along underneath the toes describes it perfectly.