uncontrolled itching in arch of foot

Many Thanks to those who suggested ice ! I stood barefoot on ice cubes for just a few minutes last night. The itching stopped a few more minutes afterwards, and through the night ! Still good this morning !

 

You guys I have been trying to solve this problem DAILY for almost 2 years now (actually more now that I think about it) and oh my god i can't believe i can finally say this BUT I FIGURED OUT WHAT IT IS!!!!!!!!!! Now I'm going back to all these threads to help all the other confused folks suffering from this with no good answers and no help from doctors. It's a less common variant of **athlete's foot** called **moccasin-style**. You may be sure it's not fungal. So was I, there was absolutely no indication in the presentation to suggest that (besides the itch), and two doctors told me they didn't think it was the case. Turns out we couldn't see it because the infection was SO DEEP in my foot and normal-looking skin had grown over it.

Disclaimer: I'm not a medical doctor, but I do have PhD in pharmacology.

Moccasin-style tinea pedis (athlete's foot) is really hard to treat at home because it can get really deep in the foot and it causes hyperkeratization, meaning thick plaques form over infected areas that impede absorption of antifungal creams. However you may have no choice but to treat it at home because, as many of us have experienced, doctors are of little to no help with this issue. If you can find a doc that you can convince to give you a course of an oral antifungal (like terbinafine, brand name Lamisil), that's very likely going to be your easiest path to defeating this thing. But oral terbinafine can be hepatotoxic (liver damage) and also is metabolized by CYP450 and so has a fairly high potential for drug-drug interactions, so I strongly recommend you go through a doctor (despite how frustrating they can be) to get it so that you can be assessed ahead of time and monitored over the course of the treatment. In other words, don't just get it from a website and dose yourself. I know dealing with this can be maddening, but it's better than destroying a major organ or potentially even dying. Don't risk it.

If you must treat it at home (which is probably the case for most of us), it can be done, but it's a process and you have to be really on top of it and consistent. I'll add another disclaimer that I'm only on day 5 of treatment, but the improvement is marked and undeniable, both in pictures and in the way my foot feels (so much less itchy). Nothing else has even made a dent in this thing until now. Now on to MY routine (you may need to adapt as needed):

* **Pare down the skin** on the infected area as much as possible without breaking skin using a callus shaver or razor tool (BE CAREFUL WITH SHARP THINGS, damaging the skin can make the infection worse). Pumice stone would probably work too, but you're gonna want something disposable to avoid reinfection. You're supposed to do this after soaking the skin for a little while (I think like 15 min or so). Water is fine, but if your foot can tolerate it, 50/50 vinegar/water might work a little better and there's anecdotal evidence that vinegar may have mildly antifungal properties. Once you start paring down the skin though, KEEP VINEGAR AWAY unless you like the feeling of wearing a sock filled with belligerent wasps. As i mentioned earlier, the unusually thick skin layer over fungal infection points makes it hard for creams to absorb, so this step is crucial. Don't make open wounds though or you'll need to wait til they heal over a bit to start treatment. NOTE: do this step at the beginning of treatment, then as needed throughout the course of treatment if thick skin starts building up again.

* Wash whole the foot with a mild antibacterial soap and dry fully (get in between the toes) before doing the ointment stuff.

* Apply **Lamisil AT** antifungal cream to the affected area. This is your workhorse. Rub in to increase absorption. Don't go too crazy with the stuff or you'll just waste it and make the area stay moist to boot (which fungus LOVES). I apply the most of it to my heel which has the most obvious infection, but I also apply a thin amount to my whole foot and up on to my ankle just a little bit. No idea if this makes a difference but I sure as hell am not stopping now since something is FINALLY working.

* Wait ~10 minutes for Lamisil to absorb, then apply **urea cream** to the affected area (not the whole foot). I personally use a 40% urea concentration (it also has smaller amounts of salicylic acid, hyaluronic acid, and tea tree oil), which is pretty harsh, so you may need to use a lower concentration or maybe alternate with Lamisil (like Lamisil AM/urea PM) if your skin is getting too irritated. Remember, damaged skin can make it easier for fungus to spread. The urea cream works as a chemical exfoliant, which will supplement the physical exfoliation done in the first step. It also lowers the pH of the skin, which presumably helps with Lamisil absorption. Depending on the cream you use, it also might contain an occlusive which will help keep the Lamisil locked in.

* Personally, I wait another 10 min and apply an additional THIN layer of Lamisil over the urea cream. I only do this because I can't seem to get a clear consensus on which order to apply Lamisil and urea, so I'm just hedging my bets. Again, don't over-apply. You don't want soggy skin.

* Do the Lamisil and urea thing 2-3x day. Adjust as needed if skin gets irritated.

* I have also somewhat inconsistently been applying tea tree oil and orange listerine to the affected area (each held there 10 min on a cotton ball), but i think this has been too harsh and I'm skeptical of their efficacy in the face of their harshness, so I will be backing off doing this for now. I may return to it later if I determine it was helpful. I just want everyone to have the full picture to use to troubleshoot their own treatment approach.

* **DO THIS WHOLE COURSE FOR 4-6 WEEKS. BE CONSISTENT.** Like I said I'm only on day 5, but everywhere online says to do this for 4 weeks minimum, and I see no reason to question that. You really want to be thorough when dealing with an infection this stubborn.

* Oh yah and wash your socks after every use (changing them at least once a day is advisable if you have to wear them for an extended period) and use a clean towel on the affected area every time. Change your sheets more often too and consider cleaning your floors if you walk on them barefoot. Sanitize the bathtub/shower floor. Put Zeasorb or another moisture-absorbing powder in your socks and shoes. Rotate the shoes you wear and sanitize them in between. Do whatever you can to prevent reinfection.

I think that's everything I wanted to mention. I'll try to remember to come back and update at the end of my course of treatment, but assume that no news from me is good news. I can't guarantee that this treatment course will result in 100% infection elimination, especially for very deep or very advanced infections, but it should at the very least beat back the fungus to a significant degree. And I don't know about y'all, but at this point with this thing, I will take any relief I can get.

BEST OF LUCK TO US ALL IN CONQUERING THE MYCELIUM MENACE!!!!

Edit: sorry for the formatting, I originally wrote this for a Reddit post.

 

I came here becuaes the itch on the arch of my left foot is driving me mad.

I use a callus scraper routinely; 2-3 times a week,

Sometimes this resolves it; sometimes not.

I've read what some of you have been posting and realised my issue isn't that bad after all.

I have gilberts syndrome, which is an elavated level of bilirubin, produced by the liver but not able to filter it out.

It's an overproduction of bile.

I know heat escapes from your head, hands and feet so I am wondering if bile in your sweat may do the same thing.

Good luck to you all.

You itchy mo-fo's.

 

I've had it for probably 10 years now, I use a brick! I used to use a fork, but found the edge of a brick is perfect. It itches most in cold weather. I've also found that it's most itchy after eating foods with starch, yeast or sugar. I'm guessing it's linked to diabetes

 

I've had it for probably 10 years now, I use a brick! I used to use a fork, but found the edge of a brick is perfect. It itches most in cold weather, possibly because heat escapes that area. I've also found that it's most itchy after eating foods with starch, yeast or sugar. I'm guessing it's linked to diabetes

Ps. Instead of ice cubes, use an ice pack, I've fallen asleep with one on, it's very cold, but a lifesaver if you can't sleep

 

The itch in my arch is deep and soooo itchy that nothing can scratch it good enough! No diabetes, but I do have circulation issue with Factor 5 Leiden. I found Cayenne pepper & castor oil mix will give me about 8- 12 hours of relief, most of the time. 1 cup castor oil to 1 tablespoon and set in the sun for the day. Pepper will settle to the bottom and its ready to use! Wear thin socks. also put on your restless legs too!