1. Welcome to the Foot Health Forum community where you can ask about foot problems and get help, as well as be up-to-date with the latest foot health information. Only registered members can ask a question, but you do not need to register to respond and give help. Please become part of the community (here) and check out the shop.

uncontrolled itching in arch of foot

Discussion in 'Ask your questions here' started by DMartin, Aug 10, 2011.


  1. Members do not see these Ads. Sign Up.
    I can't believe this. I also have this. Mine is my right arch only. Mine just started about six months ago.
    But I'm going to try drinking more water and less acidic foods. Good luck to all who have this. By the
    way it posted my name on a comment above. That isn't mine. Oh well.
     
  2. IGN

    IGN Guest

     
  3. Unknown

    Unknown Guest

    I have been struggling with what sounds like the same condition as many others in this thread. I too thought I had a fungal issue until I tried the following. I have used every over the counter athletes foot/anti fungal cream I can find. Once that didn't work I resorted to more desperate measures to stop the itching. Scraping, washing with bleach, fire, and even gasoline. None of these things worked and in fact just made it worse. I am now certain it's not eczema, bacteria, or fungus, and there is no rash or discoloration. I will go see a podiatrist this week and report back my findings.
     
  4. Peter _ NSW

    Peter _ NSW Guest

    G'Day,

    I wrote already on the 9-4-2016, listing all the stuff I tried - nothing helped.
    And to confirm again (confirmed by dermatologist): It has nothing to do with the skin!

    Best guess: The foot is formed in such a way as to administer pressure onto a nerve.
    Don't know what to do about that...

    But:
    As mentioned by a few people here before:
    I apply now too TEE TREE OIL every evening before bed - it seems to help. Maybe not immediately, but hopefully after 3 days. This seems to be the only thing, which helps...

    Cheers, Peter
     
  5. Just Someone

    Just Someone Guest

    Well hello all you foot scratchers! May I join your club? :p I am a 45.5 yr old female with the same problem. I am quite overweight (about 65 lbs). I have had this problem on and off for the better part of almost 20 years. 20 years ago I weighed 65 lbs less. I think this would happen before then but I don't really remember. As I type this right now I have a piece of concrete brick under my desk that I'm happily scratching away on. (lol) I have an old hairbrush that has just the right bristles to do the job if needed but sometimes you just need that concrete!

    The places that itch the most are: along side the foot on either side, on the ball below the big toe, and the arch. When it's the arch, that's the most intense. This can be on either foot. there's no pattern. right or left foot and which spot... doesn't matter. it's a crapshoot. ;)

    Sometimes the itch 'travels". It'll start in one spot, I'll scratch it raw (but not bleeding but that's relief in itself) then the itch will migrate to another spot (as it did just now... it started at my arch this morning and now it's on the side of my foot below my pinky toe.

    As for what causes this I've always likened it to dry skin and callouses. Our feet get calloused as we age as we're always walking on them (unless we're walking on our hands!) but after reading many of these posts I see there can be other causes. Here's some of the causes I think contribute to this phenomena:

    • Medical issues ie foot injuries
    • dry skin
    • callouses
    • being overweight
    • stress
    • certain medications
    • drug/alcohol abuse--withdrawal from drugs/alcohol
    • psychological issues
    Someone on the first page mentioned "nerves".. I can believe this. There is a nerve in the middle of our back that is triggered during times of stress. I realized this years ago when I had this itch on my back on and off (not intense, just annoying) for about a month or so. it was during a stressful time in my life. Sure enough once I removed myself from the stress the itching stopped. It happens rarely now. I think our feet itching can be symptom of stress.

    I think being overweight has a lot to do with it as well. 4 years ago I lost 30 pounds and every physical health problem I had (plantar faciaitis, facial hives, migraines, IBS, eczema, among other things) all disappeared. Idr if the itchy feet went away but if I ever lose this weight again hopefully I remember about this page and will post back w/ the results. ;).

    I think if it's stress it's possible to get your mind occupied with something else to alleviate the itching. I'm a firm believer in mind over matter. I have talked myself out of the itching in the past if it wasn't that intense. I also have noticed that the itching happens most often at night. When my mind is not thinking of anything else. That brings me to another thought about a cause: overactive mind. Your mind is always going... and you feel "at home" when your mind is going a mile a minute. But once it's bed time and your mind is slowing down it doesnt' feel right so your mind must create something to keep your mind going. Que the itchy feet!! Don't laugh.... we only know how 1% of our mind works and only 5% of our brains control our conscious activity. Our brains control our bodies ... our bodies are merely passengers.

    Now I have to go find something to do to get my mind off my feet because talking about this is making them itch MORE! :D:p:eek:;)
     
  6. Julie

    Julie Guest

    I've been dealing with this for years!! It's a food related allergy and I only found that out by accident. For me, gluten is the culprit...the itch feels like a bone itch, it also affects the tip of my middle finger on my left hand.
     
  7. michele

    michele Guest

     
  8. michele

    michele Guest

    Cant believe im not alone!! Just started experiencing for a month or two..decided to look up because came to conclusion that something is wrong..not isolated incident. Gonna get my liver checked...and diabetes runs in family..mom just got diagnosed a month ago. Thanks!!
     
  9. michele Stevens

    michele Stevens New Member

     
  10. Dawn G

    Dawn G Guest

    I have the same issue obviously.. That's what compelled me to search the Internet for possible answers. I have had the itch on the bottom of my right foot for as long as I can remember. I am now in my later 50s. I have been through menopause and the symptoms seem to be worse now. It is painful when I step on my right foot. And it still itches. I will continue to search to see if there is a cure., Or a name for the strange phenomenon.
     
  11. Makayla

    Makayla Guest

     
  12. coffeecat

    coffeecat Guest

    To add to thread, same issue but no diabetes, no enlarged liver, excellent bloodwork, excellent body shape, frequent physical exercise, skin not dry, no hormonal changes (since teen years).
    Tried absolutely every suggestion from this thread, ruined all socks with tree oil, and nothing but scratching helps.
    The only thing I can possibly see in common with the majority of comments is stress / issues of psychological nature, but at this time, such a thing can quite literally apply to everyone so it's not much of a reference.
     
  13. Charry

    Charry Guest

    Been reading a bunch of these replies. Thought I would put my two cents in. I have extreme itchiness in my arch of my right foot. I attribute it to a combination of Dry Skin and a Residual Skin Allergy. I am a recovered Heart Failure patient, with a life-long sodium and fluid restricted diet. So, dry skin is normal for me. Drinking more fluids would help others, but not me. I also had a nasty bought with Poison Oak and Ivy last summer, so it could be a constant itch leftover from the prolongued Contact Dermatitis I suffered then. Also, during my HF, I suffered from Anemia and a backed-up Liver, so for a time, was Iron-deficient. All these conditions are in the Past, but the Itch is the Present. So, No, it is not an Organ or Liver malfunction: my Cardiologist keeps a watchful eye on those and they are now in Perfect Health. I take Iron supplements in my Birth Control pill (my Gynecologist's helpful easy suggestion-solution), so am no longer Anemic. This leaves me with Dry Skin and a Residual Itch from prolongued Contact Dermatitis. What helps? Ice is good for when skin is raw, to help refrain from itching. Also, applying Lotion (I use Gold Bond Foot Cream or Excema Lotion, depending upon rawness of skin) and wearing socks to bed helps A Lot. This keeps the Foot hydrated, but does not endanger the delicate balance I must have of fluid intake and electrolytes. Although these are temporary fixes, if applied Every Night, symptoms will disappear for weeks at a time. I hope this is helpful to some. It is a common nuisance, but, No, I do not think it is an underlying serious issue, so take comfort.
     
  14. Tracy

    Tracy Guest

    I have the same problem. It's been about 5 years. I've been to doctors, dermatologists no one knows what's going on. It gets worse when it's wet. Unlike most of you mine is in both but worse in the left. I also itch all over my body. Random places. It travels. But it's so bad I scratch til I bleed. It's horrible. I am beginning menopause.
     
  15. I haven't read all of the posts but has anyone thought beyond skin? I've had this for five years. Its not a topical thing for me have no rash, and it literally feels loke someont is tickling (not the good kind) me from within my foot, all day every day. I'm twenty-five and have dealt with eczema my whole life, and this is no skin condition. I looked it up on the internet when it started and I found this lady who had it. When she went to the doctor they asked her if she had any back pain. They said something about nerve endings and how there is one I'm your back that ends in your foot. I'm not a doctor, so forgive me if this leads nowhere. I barely remember the post and what was said word for word. I'm just sharing my on perspective. I have a lot of back issues and I notice they flare up together. It usually wakes me up in the morning and I find that when I hike my leg up while laying on my back it will help. Also I've noticed that stretching or yoga really keeps it at bay. A good 15 minutes of stretching before you start your day and right before you go to bed can really work wonders. I've never been to the doctor for it, so I can't say for sure what they would say, just what has worked for me. The only time it went away was for about a year when I was doing yoga for 30 minutes every single day and exercising and eating right. I haven't been doing the best lately due to personal reasons and I noticed that it's coming back with a vengeance (which brought me here). Not really the most motivating post but I'm just being honest.
     
  16. Bev411

    Bev411 Guest

    I have had this issue for years. I was diagnosed as having an auto immunity issue. The only thing that works for me is taking Cetirizine Hydrochloride 10 mg tablets 1x p/day. As long as I am taking them I don't have any symptoms. If I skip a day it starts coming back. This itching is on the bottom arch of my feet and on the palms of my hands. There are no bumps, just horrible itching sensation. Hope this helps!
     
  17. So I went to my pcp, explained the symptoms, explained my belief that it was due to lower back pain irritating the nerve endings in my foot,and she knew exactly what I was talking about! She also has suffered from this, relating that she even used to have a special fork just for scratching! It's referred to as neuropathy "pain". She gave me a prescription for gabapentinn, generic for neurontin. I believe it's used for seizures, but can also be used for neuropathy. Like I said before I have back issues already. A week ago I hurt my back/sciatic nerve (left side) literally just standing up. Since then my right foot has been off the charts, worse than ever. Like 24/7 can't get my mind off it ever kind of bad. Yhe gabapentin takes a while to kick in but currently I'm about to go to sleep itch free. The only downside is I can only take it before bed. I'm also going to physical therapy and my pt is confident that it will help with the neuropathy as well as my sciatic pain. I'm going to my first appointment tomorrow so I'll be back with more. I hope this helps!
     
  18. Natnee

    Natnee Guest

    Oh lordy!! Surely we should get someone to run a study. I too suffer from the deep itch on my right arch. No other signs or symptoms. Drives me insane! I do have restless legs and have thought it more of a nerve issue but can't believe how many posts I'm reading that I could have written. Come on all you medically minded researchers, there's a study to be done. We need your results!
     
  19. Eric Cummer

    Eric Cummer Guest

    Try this. If the problem arch is on the right foot, then, balancing yourself on your left foot raise your right leg so that it is resting on a table (if possible) waist high. Then rotate the ankle forward so that the toes are pointed as far away from the body as possible. Now lean forward from the waist (towards the raised leg) while rotating the ankle hard to the right. Don't use your hands - the muscles in the leg and foot must do the work. If you are doing the exercise properly you will certainly feel all the muscles from the buttocks to the ankle being stretched out hard. Bringing your right leg down to the floor after the stretching you will feel a tingling sensation downward into the foot. Caution. Make sure you have something or someone to hold onto during the exercise so that you do not fall.
     
  20. Sparkles

    Sparkles Guest

    this is amazing! I'm so relieved I'm not a complete weirdo for having itchy arches.
    Mine are fine all day, then as soon as I take my shoes off (and especially in the bath) it itches and itches and itches!
    I have been going through divorce and have a very stressful job - both of which I thought I was coping remarkably calmly with.... Perhaps it all went to my feet!
    I find ice cubes work for me.... As does a shoulder massager placed under my feet....
     
Loading...

Share This Page