Menopause, ailments and Morton's Neuroma

Hi Everyone,
Here I am again getting ready for a moan and perhaps a little of 'ohhhh yes I get that'.....
I started slipping into the menopause about 3 years ago at the age of 48, what a dreadful experience I've been having. Probably along with millions of other people, no sleeping, hot flushes, bad memory, headaches, aches and pains. I was lucky enough go almost 12 months with no period and then I flooded, which sort of re-sets your menopause body clock and you start all over again.
During this whole time I have had nothing but trouble diabetic control wise, the hot flushes will either push my sugar levels up alarmingly or drop them like a brick. I can go from lows of less than 2 to highs of over 30 all within the space of a couple of hours. Because the hot flushes and sweats can mimic my hypo warning signs I'm never sure just what exactly I'm having a hypo or a menopausal moment. I'm testing my blood up to 12 times a day as I just have no full control from one hour to the next. Due to the added testing I am having to buy in extra strips for my meter as 50 strips may only last me a matter of days. Does anyone else have such an unstable relationship with the menopause?
Then throw in the blood pressure. Last Xmas I had a kidney infection, my kidney filtration reading was at 85, the doctor put me on Ace inhibitors, and my kidney filtration rate has dropped month on month since starting them to such a degree that I got so scared I asked to come off the tablets when my filtration rate hit only 62%. I am not a happy tigger. The doctor just pats me on arm and says there, there, nothing to worry about. I do worry, I worry myself sick that kidney's are going to fail on me, I have no protein or anything else showing up in my urine samples. I have another blood test due this week as I finally managed to come off the blood pressure meds, fingers crossed that my kidney filtration function will once again start to climb - I do not want stressed, damaged kidney's due to medication - they now tell me it may be too late and that damage may already have been done - I am so angry at this. Human Insulin already destroyed my life now the b/p meds are following suit. I also gained over a stone in weight on these tablets - a thing they said wold never happen! ohhh and just to put the icing on the cake I suffered badly from psoriasis which can also be helped into flare up by certain ace inhibitor meds. Has anyone else had this type of reaction?
We have also been packing the house up for a possible move (this eventually fell through) but we have cleared most of the rooms including the attic which had 28 years worth of stashed stuff. So I have been putting stress on my feet going up and down loft ladders and up and down stairs to the car and other rooms, carrying heavier loads, putting them down picking them up etc etc flexing and moving my feet a lot more than usual. Of course I have a phobia about my feet, I can't stand them being touched..... anyway, I am currently having the tests done as my doc thinks I have Morton's neuroma between the second and third toe on my right foot, I have all the classic symptoms. I have had an xray - where the nice lady talked me into position without touching my foot, but now the scan date has arrived - not only will this be very very painful, but someone will have to touch my foot and put gel on it and then scan it ... the mere thought sends my b/p out of control and brings on a panic attack - what am I going to do? Any ideas anyone (Nick??) I have found a web site which shows an operation for the condition in graphic detail - at least you are out cold but I think my b/p could be a problem at the moment it stays around 134/80 but when feet come into it its been known to scoot up to nearly 200/95 - what the heck am I supposed to do - there is now way I can have any injections into my foot - I just couldn't - this condition I know can be caused by bad control, but the doctor thinks its more likely due to he added stress I have put my feet through and during the move process and not due to the constant menopausal control issues I have suffered over the last three years.

So over to everyone, any help/advice will be gratefully appreciated.

Thanks for reading (and letting me whine)
J xxx

Hi J,

Sorry am so busy don't get on here very much now.

You really are in the wars!

OK Mortons neuroma is normally found between 3rd and 4th and sometime 4/5 but occassionally 2/3 (but pretty rare I think). The ultrasound scan shouldn't hurt you if done properly and carefully and it will show up as a neuroma if one is there. Don't panis honestly there is no need

Causes?

Well often it's tight fitting shoes across the toes or the metatarsal heads...try trainers with front laces loose and tighten further up to keep em on yr feet.

Sometimes they can be caused by a big toe joint protruding downwards (plantarflexed). Especially if you have excess cartilage or bone growth around the big toe joint (attached to foot as opposed to middle of toe) and possibly a bit of OA (arthritis). What happens is that as you walk you don't push off on your big toe (as you should) and you offload onto the 2/3/4/5 toes to propel yourself forward. Do this and in tightish shoes and you will rub the bones of the foot > toes (rays) together and catch the nerves that run between them. You might be able to get some orthotics that will help you with this from a Podiatrist.

If the US scan doesn't show anything...tell GP that you want a referral to Foot and Ankle Orthopod Consultant and they can refer for MRI scan to see what else may be going on with yr foot.

Hope that helps?

(I'll send you my mobile number on private email on here just in case you wnat a slighly more in depth explanation of this )

Nick