Sudden Onset Broken Foot Syndrome

[Deleted member 4366]

About four weeks ago, I went to bed in perfect health and woke up with a sore foot. Within 24 hours the pain was excruciating and lasted for about 2 weeks. I was completely incapacitated for about 4 days. After 4 weeks, the pain has just about gone. I went to the GP about it, but I don't think she had a clue. I've broken bones in my foot before, and it felt exactly the same. I had an insect or spider bite on my foot, so she diagnosed infection and gave me antibiotics. I'm pretty sure that something broke or got otherwise damaged, as the pain from a break normally lasts about three weeks.

Two days ago, I went to bed in perfect health and woke up with the other foot a bit sore. Now, 24 hours later, the pain is excrutiating. There's no position I can put my foot to lessen the pain. It's a little swollen by my big toe and it looks a bit crooked. What the hell is going on. I've heard of stress fractures from pedalling too hard, but does that happen in the misddle of the night? Interestingly, both these events happened on the day after I got my best time on my normal 5 mile sprint, but younger roadies come past me pretty fast, so I'm not pedalling that hard.

I'm very depressed about it. I had a 40 miler planned for today, but I've got no chance.

 

[flecc]

I'm sorry to learn of this Dave. One thing that often shows up first in feet and is incredibly painful is gout, and your big toe being swollen could be commensurate. The symptoms seem right, so maybe worth suggesting to your doctor?

If not, perhaps inflammation due to an unknown cause.

Back in 2008 on a visit to my brother in Dorset we walked the dog for an hour as usual in the evening and I had no problem. The next morning on getting up there was unbelievable pain in my left knee leaving me limping helplessly.

It gradually cleared but permanently afterwards I was unable to walk more than around a 100 metres without a return to the agonising pain, and I couldn't cycle at all. A couple of months later after trying the usual anti-inflammatories the doctor recommended, since neither he or a hospital specialist knew the cause, I lost patience and asked for diclofenac which he refused since it could on very rare occasions kill.

With a future of looking at four walls I thought "what the hell" and got the diclofenac online and started dosing myself. It worked after six days but I had to phase it off over two more weeks to prevent the pain returning. That did the trick and I've had no trouble in the near nine years since.

Obviously I can't recommend you use it, but inflammation might be worth exploring with your doctor as the cause, then if they agree, trying their recommended treatment first.
.

 

[Croxden]

I suffered gout, it sounds just like it.

A blood test would confirm if you have high levels of Uric acid.

I was told once you have it, it will return. And my toe disfigured.

I now have Allopurinol to keep it at bay but still get twinges (in the hinges).

 

[Zlatan]

Its Tom sticking pins in dolls ...or Gout...

 

[Danidl]

About four weeks ago, I went to bed in perfect health and woke up with a sore foot. Within 24 hours the pain was excruciating and lasted for about 2 weeks. I was completely incapacitated for about 4 days. After 4 weeks, the pain has just about gone. I went to the GP about it, but I don't think she had a clue. I've broken bones in my foot before, and it felt exactly the same. I had an insect or spider bite on my foot, so she diagnosed infection and gave me antibiotics. I'm pretty sure that something broke or got otherwise damaged, as the pain from a break normally lasts about three weeks.

Two days ago, I went to bed in perfect health and woke up with the other foot a bit sore. Now, 24 hours later, the pain is excrutiating. There's no position I can put my foot to lessen the pain. It's a little swollen by my big toe and it looks a bit crooked. What the hell is going on. I've heard of stress fractures from pedalling too hard, but does that happen in the misddle of the night? Interestingly, both these events happened on the day after I got my best time on my normal 5 mile sprint, but younger roadies come past me pretty fast, so I'm not pedalling that hard.

I'm very depressed about it. I had a 40 miler planned for today, but I've got no chance.

Could it be an unexpected consequence of your recent weight loss? Since it has occurred in two different sites and at the extremities, gout seems plausible. Since you have lost a lot of mass, mainly water, then there is less space to dilute blood solutes, gout is a crystalline form of uric acid, which deposits in low blood circulation areas.

 

[Deleted member 4366]

I've had gout before. This pain feels different. It's sort of sharp with an overtone of deep throbbing. I'm not saying anything is broken, but the pain is the same, only with breaks, the pain is often less when you hold it in certain positions. This is just constant.

Also, I've been on a pretty healthy diet since Xmas and lost 20kg. i shouldn't be a normal candidate for gout, but I'm not ruling it out.

 

[Cliff-C]

When you had the problem with the other foot did you have it x-rayed and did that show a break?

Another possibility is perhaps plantar-fasciitis?

My mother (in her 80s) suffers from this and has similar symptoms to those you describe. It's more commonly suffered by athletes and, in particular, cyclists.

I'm no medical expert, but might be worth considering.

https://patient.info/health/heel-and-foot-pain-plantar-fasciitis

Hope you make a speedy recovery.

Sent from my Paris using Tapatalk

 

[Croxden]

A good bout of throbing gout, I said it would return.

It only gets worse. Avoid food with purines such as fish, peas, red meat and turkey, avoid alcohol especially beer and sugar.

I did all that bar the whisky.

 

[Danidl]

I've had gout before. This pain feels different. It's sort of sharp with an overtone of deep throbbing. I'm not saying anything is broken, but the pain is the same, only with breaks, the pain is often less when you hold it in certain positions. This is just constant.

Also, I've been on a pretty healthy diet since Xmas and lost 20kg. i shouldn't be a normal candidate for gout, but I'm not ruling it out.

20 kg out of 100 kg is a very large reduction, considering that bones , skull ,organs will have remained nearly similar mass, that is a massive reduction in the fat, water and fluids , so you won't have the same capacity as before. The 20kgs you have lost has gone somewhere, but may have left residues behind.

 

[Georgew]

I experienced something similar to this including the toe peculiarly bent. This was caused by cramp and in my case was a side-effect of Statins. If this is the case the Schweppes tonic or quinine may help.

 

[Deleted member 4366]

The 20kgs you have lost has gone somewhere

This always gets me thinking because 20% of me is no longer in my body. the question is then where is it?

You can trace back nearly every living being to being made of water, carbon dioxide and energy. The other substances are absolutely minimal. It's basically what would be left behind after you're cremated and originated in star dust. Some of the carbon dioxide that you're breathing, which also contributes to global warming was me. Some of the rain that falls on your head was also me. The energy that was me is bouncing around the planet I guess. 20% has now gone the same way as if it had been cremated. Does that mean I'm already 20% dead?

 

[flecc]

Does that mean I'm already 20% dead?

In a sense it does, since from about our early to mid 20s the number of cells we replace falls below the count of those dying. At first a tiny deficit, the gap gradually grows until it reaches a huge deficit in later years, and ultimately death when not enough is left to sustain life.

It's an exact parallel with the UK economy over the last few decades!
.

 

[Croxden]

In my experience should someone say in an office looses some weight, someone else puts it on.
There is so much weight in the world, it just moves around.

So it's your fault d8veh my trousers don't fit me.

 

[Deleted member 4366]

In my experience should someone say in an office looses some weight, someone else puts it on.
There is so much weight in the world, it just moves around.

So it's your fault d8veh my trousers don't fit me.

No, you have to blame Antoine Lavoisier for inventing the law of conservation of mass when he discovered that matter can't be created or destroyed. it can only be re-distributed.

 

[Gubbins]

I have planter fasciitis which manifests as an intolerable sharp pain in my heel. Nhs sorted me out with some made to measure insoles so providing I wear them I am reasonably pain free. A few years prior to diagnosis I would wake up one morning with a masivly sore big toe, or a excruciating pain under my instep, came from nowhere and made it impossible to walk until it subsided after a few days not to return for months. Doctors thought gout but tests negative. Went on randomly for years until I was sent to hospital. Young girl had me walk around with no shoes on and spotted it straight away . Something to do with the arch collapsing...
Cycling doesn't affect it at all but driving does.. it is my left foot so now drive automatic and is much better,

 

[Deleted member 4366]

I just remember that the day before this started, I stubbed my big toe on a 1" high tree stump out the front of my house. It made me hop at the time, but then the pain went away. The stump was left after I cut down a tree about 10 years ago. That's not the first time I've done that, so I went in and got some tools and levelled it so that it won't happen again. I only remembered when I hobbled out to the dustbin today and saw the missing stump.

 

[Georgew]

I just remember that the day before this started, I stubbed my big toe on a 1" high tree stump out the front of my house. It made me hop at the time, but then the pain went away. The stump was left after I cut down a tree about 10 years ago. That's not the first time I've done that, so I went in and got some tools and levelled it so that it won't happen again. I only remembered when I hobbled out to the dustbin today and saw the missing stump.

That's it then....now we can make a proper diagnosis.

You are clearly suffering from Dutch Elm disease.

 

[flecc]

You are clearly suffering from Dutch Elm disease.

Don't be too hasty, it could be ash dieback.
.

 

[Deleted member 4366]

Do we have a doctor on the forum, who can come here and cut this wretched foot off. It's killing me and I didn't sleep a wink last night.

 

[flecc]

If you've got a late chemist in the area, ask the pharmacist for a powerful painkiller like tramadol or co-codamol. Though normally on prescription they will often oblige. If not there's overnight services online for tramadol.

Also try an anti-inflammatory like Ibuprofen which can also suppress pain quite well.

Wrapping the foot in a couple of layers of cloth with a pack of frozen peas between will chill it and can sometimes greatly suppress the pain.
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