h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

The bane of my life...
Anyone got any sure-fire cures?
Yes, I've been to myand he gave me a cream.
Which does no good.
Yes, I've been to the chemist, where I was offered the same cream.
I have some tablets, Praxilene, which I take 3 times a day, from my last lot of chilblains.
My big toe is so painful, I could happily amputate it, with no anaesthetic.
The chemist said "Keep your feet warm"...
I already wear thick socks, what else can I do?
Any remedies, anyone?
Please?

If your feet are cold, don't expose them to heat! Put your feet up and allow them to warm up naturally.

Keep all your legs warm as well as your feet when you are out in the cold.

Do leg excercises to increase the circulation of blood in your legs.

Apparently it's good to have a small ball of bees' wax in your hand and knead it. This is also supposed to help against severe headaches.
I have no experiences with that myself but you might anyway want to try it.

The old distraction theory.Unfortunatly when I have a severe headache nothing but instant unconcienceness helps.Or knocking my head repeatedly against a wall.Essential lavender oil on the forehead does ease the pain just a smidgeon but nothing to make much of a difference.

Having once had chilblains while at secondayr school and being given the choice one Febuary morning between playing football or barefoot volleyball, I feel I am qualified to whole heartedly sympathise with the pain you are going through. My evil and satanic P.E. teacher made no attempt to understand that even walking on a wood floor without thick socks and slippers on hurt.

Any way, the point of this post: not much help this year but, when your chilblains have gone, try to get into the habit of massaging your feet several times a day, particularly the toes, in order to stimulate the circulation. The when it starts to get cold next year get hold of the sort of cream that skiers use to prevent frostbite. These are normally called something French or German and translate as 'Alpine' or somesuch rubbish. Thie really helps if you rub it in frequently. (if you can stand the smell) Wool lined boots are also a good idea if you can manage it and also be really carefull if your feet are cold when you get in the bath or shower because the sudden shock or hot water could really traumatise your ten little piggies.

You didnt say if you have any other problems with your feet. My chilblains were primarily brought on by poor circulation which I discovered later was due to my legs being out of alignment as my ankles has fallen inwards. This was corrected with supports in my shoes that I still wear if I know I'm going to be on my feet for a very long time. I have only had very mild chilblains since. Therefore I strongly recommend that if you suspect you may have other problems with your feet and lags that you get it checked out. If you're in the UK then a private chiropedist who can do a bio-mechanical exam is probably a better bet than a GP, but always get a second opinion.

Goodluck with the purple pinkies, try not to let it develop into gangrene,

FABT

Thanks for all the help, guys!
I do have a problem with poor circulation.
Always had cold hands and feet.
I have arthritis in my hips, spine and left knee.
I can barely bend to massage my feet, but I will do this before next winter. Fur lined boots are on my shopping list, too.
My feet are otherwise OK, I have no corns, callouses, athlete's foot, cracked skin...

Hi AGB. Boy, do I identify with your old crockery I used to take some pink pills for my chilblains when I was a kid. Can't remember what they were called but vitamin K rings a bell. An old remedy I could never bring myself to try involved standing in a bowl of urine. Yuk - sounds more like a punishment for gullibility than a cure for anything.

Good luck in getting through all your ailments.

Sal

I would have thought that would be a better cure for warts.
Unless it was fresh urine of course.
That would warm up your feet!

Actually, a bowl of urine is a bush doctor cure for athletes foot, as pee is antiseptic and acidic..so it kills any foot fungus. Tubes of "Schol foot cream" are probably more acceptable though

Urine seems to have all sorts of unexpected uses, doesn't it? I think camel urine (after it's been left to stand for a few days) is used to bleach hair. Yuk, I say again, because it seems fitting.

Sal

and
This conversation is turning very
My stomach churned when I was watching a programme on the space shuttle, I found out that the astronauts recycle their urine.
Therapy smile.
That kinda killed my longest fantasy.
And I always wondered why they never showed the toilets in Star Trek

You know when Picard goes into that little alcove where the replicator is in his ready room in The Next Generation? According to the Technical Manual, that's where his private head is. So Picard gets to go to the toilet even if nobody else does.

Sorry, I don't know anything about Chilblains... FABT will be terribly disappointed in me I'm sure.

Pedicures cure them - if done often enough. Get rid of the dead skin and give yourself a foot massage (better, get somebody else to do it for you) Rub menthol and wintergreen into your feet (NOT actually on the chilblains) or something like Deep Heat if you can stand it as this will send the blood round faster. Try a really good reflexology session as well. When you are sitting , move your asnkles as much as possible - in circles and up and down. Start loving your feet and they'll be a bit less mean to you.