Cold feet due to neuropathy - need help

Posted by napa @napa, Feb 9, 2020

Hello, I have extremely cold feet due to my neuropathy. The doctors cannot help. Any suggestions or help? Thank you!

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Neuropathy Support Group.

Hello @napa, Welcome to Connect. We listen, accept, and try our best to understand member’s concerns. This one is new to me. Fortunately, I have a life partner who warms the bed every night and then my feet, Here in MN, you can get sweatshirts with warming devices, especially for folks working outside. Perhaps they have socks.

How long since your diagnosis? When was the last time you visited a doctor and what information did you ask for when it came to your symptoms? I can’t imagine that a clinician working with neuropathy patients didn’t want to know about your cold feet. Are you diabetic?

This online community is here to support you so that you can have the best quality of life possible. Be well and at ease. Chris

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Hi @napa and welcome to the group! Glad to have you join us. I'm sorry to hear about your neuropathy and cold feet. I share cold feet symptoms. Mine are from Small Fiber Polyneuropathy.

For me, Drs needed to rule out vascular and heart problems as I also have extreme variations of color (red, purple) and had a nasty bout of Chilblains. Once, chalked up to being SFPN, I learned it's just about the blood vessels not being able to contract properly

I suggest a warm water soak with Epsom salts, microwavable heat packs, massage with warm hands...then lock in warmth with warm, soft comfortable socks and/or a blanket or sherpa lined slippers or boots. Extreme temps are not good so be careful to gradually warm.

Neuropathy presents so many mitigating factors, each persons needs may be unique regarding whether you can tolerate socks, certain fabrics, etc...

I hope these tips help! Have a pleasant day.
Rachel

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@napa Have your thyroid function checked. I used to have very cold feet, and now not so much because I take thyroid hormones to correct for my low thyroid function. That regulates your metabolism and feeling cold is a sign of low metabolism.

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@napa

I have idiopathic small fiber peripheral polyneuropathy and I often have a hard time deciding if my feet are cold or burning.

Jim

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Hello, @napa, and welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect. I deal with cold feet not in a neuropathy-related way but have cold feet that prevent me from sleeping at night if I don't wear socks. Dealing with extremely cold feet regularly would be challenging.

@margaretob @lyssia @italapino have also mentioned cold feet due to neuropathy and may have some insights from what their doctors have suggested or what they have found to work at home to bring relief. @cehunt57 @inspired123 also may have some input.

@napa - what do you usually do to help your feet when they get cold like you described?

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If you're thin/ very slender you have less fat that insulates the body..there's no physical reason not to wear socks to bed . Those "bags" of rice and such that you heat up in the microwave are handy to warm your feet until you are asleep..

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@ken82 Im by no means thin but still have cold feet I do wear socks to bed but they are still cold . Im going to try the rice bags ,thanks

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I rub them together until they get WARM then put socks on after a skin softener like AVEENO. That helps the circulation and gets some heat on them.
Mine get like ICE sometimes for no reason at all, rubbing them together gives them EXERCISE and warms them up...TRY IT...Margaret

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I have had cold feet for a long time so I always were socks to bed. I now have numbness in one foot I was told by my Primary to see a Vascular doctor. I have been a member on Mayo for a long time but somehow I got disconnected. I want to let John know I am the 80 yr.old had success with Lung Cancer operation and Grandson w/Erythema is on a high dose of Predisone

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@babyur4me

I have had cold feet for a long time so I always were socks to bed. I now have numbness in one foot I was told by my Primary to see a Vascular doctor. I have been a member on Mayo for a long time but somehow I got disconnected. I want to let John know I am the 80 yr.old had success with Lung Cancer operation and Grandson w/Erythema is on a high dose of Predisone

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Hi @babyur4me, I also have cold feet but sometimes it's hard for me to distinguish the cold from the numbness. I also wear ankle socks to bed and use a heated blanket which helps some. It's cold where I live during the Winter so I normally wear two pairs of socks which helps a little during the day. I have lymphedema in my legs so have to wear knee length compression socks which I think adds to my problem since they are really thin and make the numbness worse. I also saw a vascular doctor who determined the blood flow to the legs was OK and then I had a lymphoscintigram to test the the lymph system in the legs. I didn't have any blockage which is what they were looking for but it wasn't working normally hence a prescription to wear compression socks which helps with the swelling.

Do you have an appointment setup with a vascular doctor? Hope you can update us after your appointment and you find some answers. Here's a link to Mayo Clinic Lymphedema Diagnosis & Treatment page:
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/lymphedema/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20374687

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