[MikeSweet]

I have had cold feet since before I was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes, about 8 years ago. It is getting worse. I am physically active (when the weather permits I walk 6-10 miles per day at a 4 mile/hour pace) and am thin. I am a non-smoker, non-drinker. My doctor gave me an MRI and an echo-gram on my legs/feet and I have great circulation. When the warm weather comes it goes away. Problem is...I live in the Northwest where it seems to hover around 45-50 degrees 6 months of the year. I even tried to hike the entire length of the PCT last year (2,600 miles - making it only 120 miles). The hiking was no problem but the sleeping (or trying to sleep) at night was. My toes get dark red. I even hike 20+ miles some days. Even at night, inside the house with the heat on...my feet are cold if temp drops at night. My feet get cold from the heel to the toes. I sleep with heated blanket, quilt and heavy long-johns. I don't have this problem at all in a warm climate. Doctors have suspected Raynaud's syndrome and lupus. I have great readings on blood pressure, cholesterol and sugar levels. My A1c was even down to 6.2 right before I went on the hike. I have a hard time sleeping at night. It doesn't seem to matter WHAT I do to my feet to keep warm. They seem to get warm when they are *** ready to do it themselves. I am 5'4" and 140 lbs., 58 years old and am on a Mediterranean diet. I thought it might be coffee (I drink 2 cups a day - sometime more) but I gave it up during my hike. Nothing seems to work. Doc says I am in great shape but I go back in a couple of weeks for the results of my test. When I went back down to Southern California in August the temp was in the high 90's low 100's and my body loved it. No problems at all.
HELP!!

 

[Shanny]

Darn, Mike! I hope somebody figures out a remedy for you pretty soon. I have cold feet a lot in winter too, but it's because of my drafty old house!

Welcome to DF & thank you for joining us.

 

[righteousdude2]

That Is An Interesting Problem!

If you're married, be sure not to put them on your wife at night

I'd like to extend my cyber-hand of friendship, as I welcome you to the forum. Hopefully someone on the forum will have an answer for you, or at least a similar problem.

In my case, my hands are always cold, and my wife does not like that unique problem at night. I have to be very careful to rub them together before I reach over to give her a good night hug at night, or I hear about it!

I've had this problem ever since I had carpal tunnel surgery on both hands in 1998. Don't know how cutting a tendon or two would make my hands like fleshly ice cubes, but, they are cold, and the surgeon and physical therapist hand no answers as to why!

Welcome,

Pastor Paul :amen:

 

[RobertIA]

MikeSweet, Shanny, and righteousdude2, I am not sure that this is the answer, but it is something that many doctors do not check. Please read this blog by David Mendosa and consider talking to your doctor about this - Hypothyroidism and Diabetes - Diabetes.

I have cold feet, but my thyroid is very normal and I think mine is caused by the neuropathy and possible poor blood circulation. So go figure.

 

[onlymep]

welcome Mike sorry I haven't had the cold feet experience... well only in winter when it's naturally cold anyhow. I can relate about not knowing what you're dealing with though as I'm going through medical elimination process for diagnosis of my GI problem. grrrr.... long story that. Like you I'm not sleeping properly either... another thing that my doc keeps reminding me is not good for diabetes. At least with cold feet noone else notices unless you stick your feet on them. lol. With me I have an embarrassing problem of burping constantly day and night and I get all sorts of spasms... I'm conscious of people hearing me. I wake up thinking I'm having a heart attack sometimes... but it's the damn gas trapped in my gullet or it's my jugular or diaphram spasming. So far my doc describes to me that I have severe dysmotility symptoms. Hopefully your docs can figure what is causing your cold feet out for you... I agree with Bob, check that article out and discuss that with your doc. It's frustrating when you don't know what you're dealing with though. Keep us posted.

 

[Tami]

Hi Mike, I am not sure this is the problem for you, but I have had cold feet for some years now and 9 years ago I was diagnosed with a cardiac arrythmia. Cardiac problems can cause issues like cold feet according to my cardiologist. My arrythmia is well under control now but in winter and sometimes summer I still have cold feet, and at times I wear 2 pair of socks. Now with diabetes my GP sais she will not take any chances with my blood pressure getting elevated and I have special instructions on medication if I am stressed.
Checking with a cardiologist could be an option. Good luck.:nod:

 

[Richard157]

I've had diabetes for 65 years and my feet have been cold for as long as I can remember, even in the summer. My hands are that way too. If I have high blood sugar both my feet and hands are much warmer, sometimes even hot. So the temperature in my feet and hands seems to depend on my blood sugar level. I have seen many other diabetics say the same thing in these online forums. I have been this way for so long that I don't think much about it. iIt seems normal to me.

 

[jwags]

My bgs are very well controlled usually around 100 or lower. I also have cold hands and feet. Yesterday I was doing my 4 mile walk, it was about 40 out and my hands and feet were freezing, even with gloves on. When I play tennis for 2 hours and shake hands at the end of the match people can't believe how cold my hands are. Everything else about me is healthy. I do tend to have BP on the lower side though, usually 100/73. My body temps is also about a point lower, it is usually around 97. All my kids were the same way and it was always hard to convince the doc they were sick. They never had a temp over 99 but were still sick.

 

[MikeSweet]

Good Circulation but COLD feet

I will ask my doctor about the thyroid. I have a high heart-rate, do not have dry itchy skin and stay in the same weight - provided I watch what I eat. My blood pressure is low but I had hints of the problem when my BP was high. My feet do not get cold when I walk. My fingers do but that is because they were re-attached a few years ago. Maybe I am having some type of para-sympathetic pain. The sugar levels do not affect the coldness. When I had high blood pressure my body was always hot and my wife's was cold. Now I am cold and she is hot. For awhile it was just my left leg. Usually after an extended hike. So I thought it might have been a pinched nerve from carrying a heavy load. Through the years it has "traveled" to both legs and mostly feet. Also it does not matter if I "touch" something cold. It just happens. What I need to do is move down to Southern California, Arizona or New Mexico in the low-lands. I used to live in Florida - maybe I should convince the wife to move back down there. I will keep everybody posted on the results of my tests. Thanks for the conern

 

[MikeSweet]

Cold Feet

Well...I got back from the doctor. All of my lab results are great with the exception of low Vitamin D and high sugar levels. Cholesterol is low, APo B is low, EKG is good. Doc has set me up with an electrical test (Electrical Conduction) for my legs/feet. By the time all of these tests will be completed it will be warmer outside and I won't have this problem. It is really weird. I can be inside with the heat on, but if it is cold outside them my feet get cold. My feet get cold as soon as the temp starts dropping below 50 degrees. Just my feet. If I could convince my wife to move to a warmer climate I would leave in a heartbeat!

 

[Shanny]

Thanks for the update, Mike . . . I'm sitting here with cold toes as I'm reading your post!

 

[MikeSweet]

Well....I had my Nerve Conduction test yesterday, for my feet, and I must say - IT WAS PAINFUL! I certainly wasn't expecting that. Every time the current was sent I had to give a muffled scream. If I had a piece of leather I would have chewed on it. It made my back arch. I absolutely hated it. They did it to one of my hands and both feet on the top. Then they did a test on the side of one foot and that wasn't bad at all. I even felt tingling on my toes after I left. I hope I don't have to do that again. I went into the office joking and left solemn. I will get the results back in a couple of weeks. I am having a hard time sleeping at nights. Both feet are still cold and the left leg almost feels like a restless leg syndrome thing. I will have to ask the doc if medical marijuana would help. I am willing to try anything at this point.

 

[aimster1mo]

I keep telling the SO I wish they would go ahead and pass it in our state. I do know for a fact it will bring your levels down when they're high. So I've been told.

I will have to ask the doc if medical marijuana would help. I am willing to try anything at this point.

 

[MikeSweet]

I keep telling the SO I wish they would go ahead and pass it in our state. I do know for a fact it will bring your levels down when they're high. So I've been told.

Thanks, I will keep that in mind.

 

[MikeSweet]

Lab Results

So here are my lab results on Feb 2011 and meds I am taking:
Metformin (500mg - twice daily)
Actos (30mg)
Lipitor (40mg)
Ramipril (2.5mg)
Niaspan (750mg - two tablets)
Allopurinol (100mg)
Vitamin D (50,000 IU - once a week)
Nexium (40 mg)
Aspirin (81mg)
Fish Oil (1000mg -twice daily)

Glucose - 113
Total LDL - 68
Total HDL - 60
Total Cholesterol - 142
Apo B - 58
Triglycerides - 58

Maybe somebody will know if any of these meds/numbers can affect cold feet. I took Nyquil the other night so that I could sleep and it did help with the cold feet/restless leg problem. Don't want to keep taking that though. Didn't have the problem last night and I didn't take anything plus the temp got down to 30 degrees.

 

[breezeonby]

Well....I had my Nerve Conduction test yesterday, for my feet, and I must say - IT WAS PAINFUL! I certainly wasn't expecting that. Every time the current was sent I had to give a muffled scream. If I had a piece of leather I would have chewed on it. It made my back arch. I absolutely hated it. They did it to one of my hands and both feet on the top. Then they did a test on the side of one foot and that wasn't bad at all. I even felt tingling on my toes after I left. I hope I don't have to do that again. I went into the office joking and left solemn. I will get the results back in a couple of weeks. I am having a hard time sleeping at nights. Both feet are still cold and the left leg almost feels like a restless leg syndrome thing. I will have to ask the doc if medical marijuana would help. I am willing to try anything at this point.

I don't know where you live but in the USA there is no legal medical marijuana. There is medication to help with neuropathy though. Also keeping your blood sugar under control will help with the neuropathy.

 

[Shanny]

15 Legal Medical Marijuana States and DC - Medical Marijuana - ProCon.org

 

[MikeSweet]

I don't know where you live but in the USA there is no legal medical marijuana. There is medication to help with neuropathy though. Also keeping your blood sugar under control will help with the neuropathy.

Washington state (where I live) allows it. It is NOT federally accepted but we are not the only state that allows it. The state doesn't supply it but there are people who can legally supply it. I am not saying that I will take it but, frankly, I take too many meds as it is (not that cannabis isn't a med). I also had the problem even when I was hiking 25 miles per day and my readings were in the 70's. It doesn't seem to be related to my glucose numbers and, so far, it has NOT been diagnosed as neuropathy. I do not have pain in my feet or tingling sensations - they just feel cold. I am a fit person at 5'4" and 140 pounds. Don't smoke, don't drink alcohol.

 

[moon]

I don't know where you live but in the USA there is no legal medical marijuana.

It's legal in California - dispensaries are common. And with a medical card, it's legal to grow X amt for your own use. You're correct that it is not federally legal, but the feds don't get involved in personal use of prescribed marijuana in CA.

 

[MikeSweet]

It's legal in California - dispensaries are common. And with a medical card, it's legal to grow X amt for your own use. You're correct that it is not federally legal, but the feds don't get involved in personal use of prescribed marijuana in CA.

Yeah...I've been to California several times and am aware of that - they set the standard. If I moved to California (Southern, that is) I wouldn't have to worry about taking marijuana because I think the heat would solve my problem. My wife is from here and after having lived several years in Florida I don't think she wants to leave this state. If I had the money I would buy another place in a warm climate and live there in the winter/spring - but I don't so I can't.
My doctor is working diligently on this and has promised me that he will work his hardest at finding somebody to fix my problem.
Thanks for the info...