Dilantin and foot pain

[IMNRVUS]

I haven't "complained" about this for a while, but the pain isn't going away and I wondered if anyone has had the same problem.
The bottom of both feet has hurt for a few years now. The pain is from the front of the arch to the toes on both feet, mostly in the padded area of my feet. Sometimes they feel numb, sometimes they hurt, and sometimes they feel swollen a little. Occasionally, the joints of my toes on the bottom hurt too. My shoe size has gone up by 1 to 1 1/2 sizes larger in the past few years. Extra width helps more than padding in the bottom of the shoes. After walking a while, my shoes feel too small, and it feels like my socks are bunched up under the ball of my feet... that's the only way to describe it. Massaging my feet rarely helps. Over the counter meds don't help much either.
The only other meds I take are 80mg diovan and up to 1mg ativan a day.

Also, my legs below the knee have become sensitive to the touch. This isn't too bad yet, and it comes and goes.

Just wondered if this was caused by almost 6 years of Phenytoin (Dilantin) use @ 300mg/day. It all started about 2 years after I started to take it.

Anybody have this problem, what was it, and what did you do about it.

[Travis from MN]

Have you been able to locate a shoe that provides enough support for your foot? That may be a first step so the foot doesn't fight you on other means.

I can think of a natural over the counter for nerve ends (tips of fingers, tips of toes) and that sort... so on a parallel has it caused any changes in your hands/fingers? Any aparent swelling/enlargement of the fingers or ring size?

I never had foot issues on Dilantin. However on Topa I noticed a lot of DRY foot problems. I used off the shelf natural only lotion (gel) to help add in moisture. My hands at the time remained FINE.

So a parallel I can draw from my case is it does not always effect both the hands AND feet.

Hope some of that helps.

--Travis

[IMNRVUS]

Doctor I went to quite a while ago blamed it on arthritis. I know it's possible but I was only 47 when it hit me almost overnight. Naproxen didn't help as well as OTC Ibuprofen... which still wasn't much. My shoes seem OK, and my arches and ankles don't hurt at all. My feet aren't dry either.
Fingers and hands ache a little bit, but only when used a lot like when on the computer or cleaning my apartment using my hands alot.

[crashdvs]

I have had the same experience as you... The description of the sock bunching up was very accurate... This is also sometimes very painful as well as the sensation I get... My toes sometimes feel as though they are throbbing or I will have shooting pain through the tips... The ball of my foot hurts but also feels numb! The pain along with the numbness comes and goes, but is mostly always there... There is no real rhyme or reason to it either, or doesn't appear to be.

Any info anyone has would be most helpful, I am going to get this checked anyway but just wanted an idea of what may be the cause and how to treat it...

Best of luck to all...

Godspeed...
Crash

[IMNRVUS]

CRASHDVS...
What and how much meds are you taking, and how old are you. I'm 51 and have taken 300mg/day dilantin since Oct 2001. Just went to my PCP. He says it's arthritis or the meds. To find out I'd have to stop or change meds. I'd probably have a few unwanted seizures. I declined. No real treatment other than OTC arthritis strength Motrin or Tylenol. Just another side effect I have to live with. I do have to notify him if it changes and gets worse.

If you find anying that works... please post it here!
Good luck.