Reoccuring foot itch with occasional blisters under the hard skin

by Brandi
(Louisiana)

About 9 years ago I began to have symtoms of what seemed to be Athletes Foot. I was working as a waitress and was on my feet alot and they would sweat. I figured that was the cause of the problem. I treated my foot for Athletes foot and it only helped a little. I ended up with a bubble on the back of my big toe so bad I could not walk on my foot and I had reddish purple blisters( I think ) under the skin of my feet where the skin is tough. I went to a doctor and everyone seemed to be at a loss of words. Noone knew what it was. The doctor said it almost looked like warts of some sort but that he had never seen anything like this before. Without any treatment it seemed to fade away for a few years so I thought it was gone. It started again about 3 years ago and it still only affects my left foot and has never seemed to spred or be contagious. Once my toes start to itch and I scratch them, the itch will get worse and worse. I feel like I could scratch my toes with a razor and set them on fire and it would feel better than that itch. If you look at my toes they look normal. There are usally no blisters on or inbetween my toes, it just itches to the bone. I do still ocasionally get the reddish bubbles under the skin on the bottom of my foot but it is not constant. If I scratch my toes hard (which feels great) the skin will crack and my toes get real red and swell alot. Recently I noticed that my toenail on this foot has a fungas and seems to be totally disconnected on one side and my toenail is cracking off. I do not know if this is related. It may just be from something eles since I have had this for years and this has never happened before.

Crazy as it sounds after being with my husband for 3 years, his left foot is now doing the same thing. He has had athletes foot before on both feet and he said this is not the same and it is only on one foot. I only here people give diagnosis for Athletes Foot, Hand and Foot disease, and Eczema and my problem doesnt sound to me like any of them.

Hi Brandi,
Assuming you have athletes foot (which is sounds like) you must realize that in most cases you can only control it and never cure it. Excessively scratching only makes it worse and leaves you open for a secondary bacterial infection.
Most people make the mistake of not using topical medication long enough; as soon as the foot starts to feel better they stop using the medication. In most instances the medication needs to be used for at least three weeks.
Secondly, in order to try and prevent recurrence you have to eliminate the factors that cause athletes foot, namely a dark moist environment. So for you that may mean changing your shoes and socks at work, letting your shoes properly air out at night by an open window, possibly spraying your shoes with anti-fungal spray.
If you work harder on the problem, you will have more success.
Marc Mitnick DPM