Cold Feet and Ulcerative Colitis

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Primeboy

Cold feet? No, not what it sounds like, but literally. Years ago I started wearing socks at night because my feet felt cold. I still wear them when I sleep even on warm summer nights. In recent years I have noticed that my hands feel cold as well. People comment on this sometimes when we shake hands. Anyway, I have always felt this condition was probably related to my Type 2 Diabetes. My doctor has ;just ordered an "Arterial Doppler Bilaterial ABI" test on the circulation in my legs. He said that my circulation issue in the legs and hands ;may have its origin in my ulcerative colitis. (My cold feet were first noticed about the time I was diagnosed with UC.) I was wondering if anyone here who has UC also has cold extremeties. If so, did your doctor see a connection and what treatments were involved? Thanks for your response.

PB

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Teddiee

I have cold feet Primeboy, but find mine LOVE to be warmed up well. I suggest (what I do)' very warm (as warm as you can stand, but not too hot) FOOT SOAK with a nice foot soak product added to the water. Makes you feel soooo good, AND keeps your feet in good condition (essential for Type 2 Diabetics). And at bedtime?, a lovely hot water bottle. These suggestions warm the blood up in the feet and hence helps the blood to circulate more freely and easily. Try it....

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Immarsh

I don't usually have cold feet or hands, but I did / do have ulcerative colitis, as well as Type 2 diabetes.With both those conditions, anything is possible.Even with an Ostomy UC, is asystemic disease, present in your body, and can cause inflammation just about anywhere.....hence cold feet or hands..Circulation in the extremeties is also an issue with Type 2 diabetes......so cold hands and feet can be a progression, or a symptom of the disease. I don't know if this helps.....but I've learned to go with the flow, and do what I need to to keep my body confortable.... Some nights my feet are freezing...and others, I can't stand the idea of a blanket on them.... or socks for that matter.Whatever makes you comfortable.Just check your feet regularly......for any signs of sores of cuts..... I have one toe, that gets very red and swollen....and I'm sure one day it will be a problem.....but not right now.

Best of luck,

Marsha

Mrs.A

Hi PB,

I don't have either UC or type2 but I know there are booties (slippers) that you can purchase and heat in the microwave. They have some sort of pellet in them, just a thought. Maybe a low level heating pad as well would help? What about just simple elevation, that is supposed to help with circulation.

Primeboy

Thanks everyone for your helpful suggestions. Now is the time for me ;to act on poor circulation before it becomes really serious. My family doctor thinks I should see a podiatrist even if the Doppler test points in another direction. Diabetics need to be particularly careful with foot conditions. One of the things I am doing to promote better blood flow in the legs is walk rather than ride a cart when I am playing golf. Also, my wife has these microwavable heating pads that I really should use when going to bed. I know they stay warm for quite a while. And yes Teddiee, I love to soak my feet in warm water and Epsom salts. At my age, a good foot soak is much better than.... UC is systemic but its impact on the GI tract is so pronounced that ;the colon problem ;gets all the attention. The more I learn about the human anatomy and all its functions, the more I agree with Hamlet: "What a piece of work is a man."

PB

 
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Bill

Hello PB. I too suffer from cold feet and hands--and legs and arms. My circulation has always been diabolical and I have a condition called Reynards disease. I also have very low blood pressure which doesn't help much and I tends to sweat, which makes the surface of my skin feel much clolder than it wold without the moisture evaporation.. At nights I wear some special socks that my daughter bought for this condition. They are designed for outdoor activities such as running (which I don't do any longer) as they take the sweat away from the skin so the evaporation happens on the sock rather than the skin. This helps to keep the feet warmer than they would otherwise be. That's the theory and they seem to work for me. They have advertising writing on them which always puts me off buying or wearing stuff but Hey! whose going to see them in bed and I wear another pair over the top of them so it doesn't show. The writing says 'coolmax' on the top and 'bridgedale' on the toe end b ut that's about all  I can tell you.

Best wishes

Bill

Primeboy

Hi Bill.

I think your daughter did you a great service with the special socks.I know there are socks for Diabetics which absorb moisture and keep the feet as dry as possible. My wife gave me a pair of special socks from a company called "Winter Silks" which are very light but very warm. I have sometimes worn them inside my regular socks and they worked nicely. One of ;my bad habits which I have corrected, however, is wearing damp socks. The bottom of my socks might get a little wet if I walk across the bathroom floor after someone showers and then I leave them on, carelessly, for the rest of the day. This has often happened after golf or working in the garden and then wearing the same socks for hours. From now on, I will change more often. I am begining to understand and appreciate the necessity of good foot care especially for those of us on the back nine of life.

On a related note, a friend recently told me I should take a full aspirin daily to promote better circulation. I have been taking a low-dose aspirin for years for my heart and for stroke prevention, but I will now discuss his suggestion with my doctor before I try that. Somehow, ulcerative colitis and large aspirin don't seem a natural fit. We'll see.

Thanks for your comments, Bill, and keep creating.

PB

Bill

Hello Primeboy. I mentioned that I tend to sweat a lot. This was particularly noticeable a few years back when I felt obliged to wear shoes to match my suits for work. By the  end of the day the shoes would be absolutely soaking wet, like mini footbaths. Eventually I swallowed my pride, discarded my fashion sense and took to wearing sandles to let the moisture escape. I have now progressed to wearing Crocs which have a similar attribute.  Fortunately I no longer need to look 'respectable' for other people so I can wear just what I like to be comfortable all day long.

In my case I choose to wear overalls/boiler suits which I jokingly protest to my wife that they are my 'best-suits' when she wants me to change to go out with her somewhere.  The boiler suits negate having to wear anything like belts or have trouser waists rub against the stoma when I am being active. One of the benefits of getting to our age is that other people's potentially negative opinions of us do not have the same potency as they may have done in earlier years. We do not have bosses telling us what to do, what to wear or what to think. What a relief!

Best wishes

Bill

Primeboy

Hi Bill.

The only dress code I follow now is at the golf course. They still insist on collared shirts, but I am willing to play that game. The old adage that "clothes make the man" is no longer relevant. This man needs no more making. I won't worry too much if my socks don't match (as long as I don't embarass my wife too much). As far as keeping up appearances goes, comfort definitely ;comes first. We've earned that privilege by surviving.

PB

Past Member

Suffering from plantar fasciitis for over a year made shopping for shoe a difficult task. I had read about Orthofeet and thought I would take a gamble. They are by far the BEST shoe for me. I had cleared my pain up over the winter months and was ready to get back into my walking routine. I bought plantar fasciitis shoes and absolutely LOVE them. Can walk three miles and have no pain afterwards. My walking shoes have turned into my working shoes. I will order another pair as soon as I have time to look and decide. Currently own the boot and now the walking so the third pair will be a charm!

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