Massive Blister - foot arch

[944fan]

I have been a bit of a plonker. I changed to new running shoes and went for a long run. Because of the way I pronate I use support shoes. When they are new until I have broken them in they give me blisters on the arch of my foot.

Anyway I have a massive blister which has already burst. I tried a compeed but it was too small, I removed it but that took some of the skin with it. My skin is now red raw and it fking hurts like hell.

I have cleaned it with TCP, put a Savlon blister plaster over (which only just fits).

Is there anything else I can do to get it to heal quickly? I have a 10K race on Sunday.

[IroningMan]

I've never heard a medic say a good word about Compeed and the like.

In your situation I would:

Bathe/soak the foot in very salty warm water every evening for 20 minutes or so. Allow to air dry and then leave open overnight.

Dress the blister with a sterile pad like Mepore during the day.

You might get away with the race with a Mepore dressing secured with lots of good quality Zinc tape - the white stuff that climbers use for their fingers, not the pink stuff that Boots sell - but that depends on your pain threshold...after the race continue to treat as above: the big issue with blisters is preventing infection.

Edited to add gruesome pic for effect: I did 40km on this...

Edited by IroningMan on Tuesday 5th March 13:22

[944fan]

Yep that's about what my foot looks like, just on the arch.

Will try the salt bath. Right now it is agony because the skin is raw, hopefully as the air gets to it and dries it out it will heal.

[Smitters]

+1 for above advice. You need it clean and airdrying as much as possible to aid healing. Pop a couple of ibuprofen before the race and zip the mansuit up. Oh, and perhaps race in the old shoes?

[944fan]

Smitters said:

+1 for above advice. You need it clean and airdrying as much as possible to aid healing. Pop a couple of ibuprofen before the race and zip the mansuit up. Oh, and perhaps race in the old shoes?

Yes will absolutely be in the old shoes for the race!

It feels like it is on fire at the mo.

So, race day: Vaseline, ibuprofen, MTFU! Got it.

[IroningMan]

You'll need a dressing on it for the race - Vaseline won't be enough.

[944fan]

Um, so just took the dressing off to salt bath it and its oozing yellow liquid. Guess that means it is infected then?

Shoukd i go to the quacks tomorrow?

[BlackVanDyke]

IroningMan said:

You'll need a dressing on it for the race - Vaseline won't be enough.

Anyone tried the Dr. Scholl gel pad things? They look pretty decent for protecting such epically bksed-up-looking skin but I've never stumped up to try them - I get blisters occasionally that will head towards that big if I don't realise they're forming quickly enough.

[944fan]

Yeah, it looks Gangrenous now so have an appt. at the quacks.

Still fking hurts. The race looks unlikely at this rate.

[Smitters]

944fan said:

Yeah, it looks Gangrenous now so have an appt. at the quacks.

Still fking hurts. The race looks unlikely at this rate.

Gutted for you. This is the issue with the Compeeds - they lock in the nastiness. I might add I use them often, but as a preventative nowadays as I too have inserts and new shoes cause blisters in exactly the same place.

So, earn massive PH Man Points and hop your 10k?

Give the body a chance though - it may sort itself out in time. I feel your pain. I once took a 50p sized disk off each heel. Had to wear flipflops for two weeks. Ended up with blisters where the thong of the flipflop rubbed between my toes. Was beyond pee'd off at the irony of that.

[944fan]

There is the temptation to suffer through it or hop it!

I found another 10K at the end of the month so think it is best to recovery properly and do that one!

[IroningMan]

Makes sense: it generally takes me a minimum of a fortnight to get back to normal.

Salt water works pretty well as a preventative measure, too - it acts to make the skin more durable without killing/drying it out as surgical spirit would. Oh, and you might try moleskin as an alternative to climber's zinc tape - it's expensive but effective.

[944fan]

Thanks for all the tips. Dr was great, took one look at it and said I will prescribe you some antibiotics and told me not to run on Sunday.

[BlackVanDyke]

Grue. All the best for healing up quickly. Right decision!

[dave_s13]

Any excuse!!!

We use this stuff for friction related problems

http://www.canonbury.com/p-992-fleecy-web.aspx

I wouldn't stick it directly to broken/open skin though it would need a wound contact layer on first, something like melolin.

[Centurion07]

Is it wrong of me to ask for pics? Just as a measure of your manliness obviously.

[944fan]

Centurion07 said:

Is it wrong of me to ask for pics? Just as a measure of your manliness obviously.

Enjoy. This was taken last night after cleaning, since then the infection has spread and is oozing ()

[Centurion07]

It's nasty but not as nasty as the first one.

But it still looks like not a lot of fun. Glad it's you and not me that has it!

[AlexC1981]

IroningMan said:

Edited to add gruesome pic for effect: I did 40km on this...

Edited by IroningMan on Tuesday 5th March 13:22

My goodness what on earth for? Charity, health and fun are all good reasons for running. I really hope you weren't doing that for fun

[IroningMan]

AlexC1981 said:

IroningMan said:

Edited to add gruesome pic for effect: I did 40km on this...

Edited by IroningMan on Tuesday 5th March 13:22

My goodness what on earth for? Charity, health and fun are all good reasons for running. I really hope you weren't doing that for fun

Sheer bloody-mindedness.