“I’m unable to take long walks. My feet hurt 24/7,” one MyLupusTeam member shared. Lupus symptoms vary widely and can affect different parts of the body. But can lupus affect the toes and feet? Often, the answer is yes. Foot problems are common in people with lupus, and they can have a big effect on quality of life.

Lupus toe and foot symptoms vary from person to person, but often include circulation problems, pain and swelling, and skin issues. Read on to learn more about how lupus affects the toes and feet, what causes toe and foot symptoms, and how they’re treated.

Toe and Foot Symptoms Are Common

People living with lupus may experience symptoms in any part of the foot, from the heel to the toes. Toe and foot symptoms related to lupus include:

• Pain
• Coldness
• Numbness
• Swelling
• Discoloration
• Skin rashes
• Sores

Foot symptoms in lupus are common and can make daily life harder. One study found that 77 percent of people with lupus had foot pain during their disease, and 61 percent said it negatively affected their quality of life. The same study reported that participants experienced pain in all parts of the foot, including the toes, but that the heel and ankle were most often affected. Toe and foot symptoms can make basic foot care difficult, like cutting toenails.

MyLupusTeam Members’ Experiences With Foot Symptoms

Many MyLupusTeam members experience a variety of symptoms in their feet, and the symptoms are often painful:

• “My feet feel like I’m walking on glass whenever I walk.”
• “Does anyone feel as though you’re walking on rocks? Literally, I feel rocks on the bottom of my feet.”
• “The arches of my feet hurt and feel cramped.”
• “The tops of my feet are aching and very painful. It comes and goes all throughout the day.”

MyLupusTeam members also experience joint pain, swelling, and circulation problems. One member talked about their heels and the joints in their third and fourth toes, saying they were “burning, painful, and sometimes feel COLD 🥶.” Another member shared that their “hands and feet are very swollen nearly every day.”

Several members have mentioned how lupus foot pain affects their daily life, including walking. “I’m 85 and just walk as little as possible when necessary. The burning and pain I experience is horrible,” one member shared. Another wrote, “My feet hurt especially after I have been on my feet and rest for a bit. I get up and can barely walk. It is crazy.”

Causes of Foot and Toe Symptoms With Lupus

Some foot symptoms are related to complications of lupus, while others are related to a different condition affecting people with lupus. Here we describe common conditions linked to lupus that may cause toe and foot symptoms.

Arthritis

Doctors say that arthritis, one of the most common symptoms of lupus, is the main cause of pain and swelling in the feet and ankles. About 95 percent of people with lupus will have arthritis or joint pain at some point.

Arthritis with lupus is different from rheumatoid arthritis, but it can look similar in that it affects small joints in the feet, wrists, and hands on both sides of the body. For some people with lupus, swelling, pain, and stiffness in the joints are their main symptoms.

Treatment for joint pain and swelling with lupus may include:

• Anti-inflammatory medicines, like ibuprofen or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)
• Lupus medications themselves
• Daily antimalarial medicines

Raynaud’s Syndrome

Coldness or numbness in your toes and feet may be a sign of Raynaud’s syndrome (also called Raynaud’s phenomenon). According to the Lupus Foundation of America, Raynaud’s syndrome is the second most common reason for foot symptoms in people with lupus. Lupus is a risk factor for developing Raynaud’s syndrome.

Raynaud’s syndrome causes the fingers and toes to feel cold and numb in cold temperatures due to narrowed blood vessels that supply blood to the skin. This can even happen in mildly cold environments, like rooms with air conditioning. People with severe Raynaud’s may develop ulcers on their toes.

Treatment for mild Raynaud’s focuses on keeping your hands and feet warm, like wearing gloves and warm socks. It’s also important to prevent problems with blood flow. Stopping smoking, if you do smoke, can help with Raynaud’s because nicotine causes your blood vessels to narrow. Your doctor may also recommend taking blood pressure medicines during cold months to reduce blood vessel narrowing and help with blood flow to your hands and feet.

Chilblain Lupus

Painful sores on your feet may be a sign of chilblain lupus. Chilblain lupus is a rare type of cutaneous lupus erythematosus, a form of lupus that affects your skin. The term “chilblain” means cold and sore.

Chilblain lupus causes painful sores or plaques (patches of skin) that may look red, purple, or darker than your usual skin tone, depending on your complexion.

These sores usually show up on your fingers and feet, including the toes, the sole, and the heel. Anyone at any age can develop chilblain lupus, but it’s most common in adults and people who live in cold, wet climates. Cold climates and moisture in the air can also make the sores worse.

Similar to treating Raynaud’s syndrome, the first step in managing mild chilblain lupus is protecting yourself from the cold. Avoiding cold environments can help prevent chilblain lupus symptoms, but this may not always be realistic. When you can’t avoid cold environments, here are some tips to keep your feet warm and healthy:

• Wear thick socks and shoes that protect your feet from the cold
• Keep your home and workplace warm
• Soak your feet in warm water as needed to warm them up
• Exercise to keep your body warm and maintain your core body temperature

Quitting smoking if you do smoke can also help treat chilblain lupus because nicotine constricts blood vessels and restricts blood flow.

For moderate or severe chilblain lupus, treatments may include prescription medicines such as corticosteroids (steroids) or immunosuppressants, which help stop the immune system from attacking healthy tissue.

Lupus Nephritis

Swelling in the feet, ankles, and legs may be a sign of lupus nephritis. Lupus nephritis develops when lupus autoantibodies (proteins made by the immune system) attack the kidneys, causing inflammation.

Lupus nephritis is a serious complication of lupus. It’s a common one, too. Between 30 percent and 60 percent of people with lupus develop lupus nephritis, often within five years after lupus symptoms start.

In addition to swelling, other symptoms of lupus nephritis include:

• Peeing more than usual, especially at night
• Weight gain
• Blood in the pee
• Pee that looks foamy
• High blood pressure

If lupus nephritis isn’t treated, it can lead to kidney failure. Getting treatment early is very important. There is no cure for lupus nephritis, but treatment can help protect kidney function and control inflammation. Treatment may include:

• Medicines to manage blood pressure
• Changes in your diet, like reducing the amount of salt and protein you eat, to help the kidneys work properly
• Medicines to slow down or stop the autoimmune response

Tell Your Doctor About Foot and Toe Symptoms

When you’re already living with lupus, paying attention to foot symptoms may seem like less of a priority. But experts from the Lupus Foundation of America say that people with long-term health conditions should be extra watchful when it comes to foot problems. If you have an open sore, for example, and are taking immunosuppressants, you’re at a higher risk of developing an infection.

Talk to your healthcare provider if you have pain, swelling, sores, or circulation problems in your feet or toes. Once they determine the underlying cause, they can design a treatment plan to reduce your symptoms and prevent complications. They may also recommend at-home remedies like compression socks to manage lupus foot swelling and nail care to keep your toes and feet healthy.

Your doctor may also refer you to a podiatrist — a foot care specialist — for treatments focused on your feet.

Find Your Team

On MyLupusTeam, the social network for people living with lupus and their loved ones, members come together to ask questions, give advice, and share their stories with others who understand life with lupus.

Have you had a lupus flare-up in your feet? What toe and foot symptoms do you have? Share your experiences or start a conversation in the comments below or by posting on your Activities page.