Another vasculitis question

[Lightfeet]

I've read many posts on this topic, and I know many walkers get this, including me (has happened many times and gets worse each time it happens). I have it terribly again today from walking 18 km yesterday in Boston in hot, humid weather. I will be walking in Portugal in September.

My question--have people gotten this day after day while walking the Camino? I know in general it's not a dangerous condition, but to have it potentially day after day?

 

[mrsjulie]

I am also wondering this

 

[basquelady]

I've read many posts on this topic, and I know many walkers get this, including me (has happened many times and gets worse each time it happens). I have it terribly again today from walking 18 km yesterday in Boston in hot, humid weather. I will be walking in Portugal in September.

My question--have people gotten this day after day while walking the Camino? I know in general it's not a dangerous condition, but to have it potentially day after day?

When I suffered this problem, I used 1% hydrocortisone cream for the itch; I then found that rolling my socks down as far as possible, so they were just at top of my shoes, seemed to prevent further problems.

 

[RibbonRomanceAuthor]

I walked last year in June/July, first on the CF and then on the CN. I've had this happen several times in past years on much shorter walks. On my Camino, it happened again but cleared up in a few days and hasn't happened since. I don't use a treatment of any sort. Hope this helps you. Buen Camino

 

[LTfit]

I've read many posts on this topic, and I know many walkers get this, including me (has happened many times and gets worse each time it happens). I have it terribly again today from walking 18 km yesterday in Boston in hot, humid weather. I will be walking in Portugal in September.

My question--have people gotten this day after day while walking the Camino? I know in general it's not a dangerous condition, but to have it potentially day after day?

When I walk in warm months I get it on my lower legs and it stays until l stop walking. At home, even in warm weather I don't but then again I don't walk for weeks on end an average of 30 km a day either.

It is unsightly but innocuous and does not need creams of any sort as vasculitis typically does not itch. It's not due to any particular socks, I got it with expensive Smartwool socks as well as inexpensive Coolmax running socks. I've just accepted it as part of my Caminos and don't worry.

 

[Dave]

Happens all the time. I used to mostly hike in shorts, so I switched to pants, hoping that cutting off the direct sun contact would help. Still happens. For the feet, I find that taking off shoes and socks at breaks a couple times during walks is helpful for reducing the risk of heat rash. I fold the upper part of my socks down around the 1/3 mark and then pull them back up for the end, and that seems to help a little.

This summer was my most successful year for managing it, and it speaks to the old "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure" saying. I realized that my lower legs are malnourished, even in non-Camino times, so I got in the habit of applying moisturizer both before departure and then every day, in the afternoon. Seemed to help a lot.

But yeah, in the end, if this is the worst thing happening physically to me on a Camino, I have to count myself pretty lucky.

 

[Felice]

I have suffered from it twice.
The first time, in 2014, I did go to a chemist where I was given an antihistamine cream which helped a little. The rash lasted for at least a week before going. I felt slightly 'off colour' for several days too, although the rash itself neither hurts not itches. After it had gone, it never reappeared, but as I was walking in Sept, the weather was cooling down anyway which will have helped.
In May this year, I got it again. Took several days before I felt back to normal again by which time I was home anyway in cool old UK!

Keep yourself as cool as possible, either by wearing less on your legs, or by stopping and letting your feet and ankles cool down. And don't let the rash get sunburnt.

As others have said, it's nothing to worry about, just a bit of a nuisance.

 

[Cindy McGuire]

I've read many posts on this topic, and I know many walkers get this, including me (has happened many times and gets worse each time it happens). I have it terribly again today from walking 18 km yesterday in Boston in hot, humid weather. I will be walking in Portugal in September.

My question--have people gotten this day after day while walking the Camino? I know in general it's not a dangerous condition, but to have it potentially day after day?

This year, on the Camino, I experienced this but after about a week it disappeared and never returned. ???

 

[dbier]

I think the one distinction between vasculitis and allergic reaction is that vasculitis does *not* itch, but allergic reactions do. Someone with training please weigh in on this.
Lightfoot, did you get a doctor's diagnosis, or are you just hoping that we were right?

 

[TaraWalks]

I've read many posts on this topic, and I know many walkers get this, including me (has happened many times and gets worse each time it happens). I have it terribly again today from walking 18 km yesterday in Boston in hot, humid weather. I will be walking in Portugal in September.

My question--have people gotten this day after day while walking the Camino? I know in general it's not a dangerous condition, but to have it potentially day after day?

Mine went away after about a week. In the mornings, I used corticosteroid cream, took antiinflamatories given to me by the pharmacist and wore light that compression garments on my calves. I just kept walking and elevated my legs every day in the afternoon.

It does go away eventually. You might need to consult a GP or a pharmacist. Buen camino

 

[jl]

I found, by accident, that putting either my whole self, or just my legs, into a chlorinated swimming pool cleared it up - but these are few and far between!

 

[Sugaree]

It is a circulation problem whereby there is not sufficient pressure for venous return thus blood pools in the surface blood vessels. I find staying very well hydrated diminishes it. Usually for me it is more of a problem during exertion while hiking steeper mountains. Didn't get any during our 8 days on the Voie de Vezelay. Socks do matter, if the ribbing is too tight the red marks are ribbon imprints!

 

[Gringazolana]

Correct me if I’m wrong, but isn’t vasculitis a problem of poor circulation? I wear support stockings every day, sometimes underneath wool compression socks. My legs are happy!

 

[C clearly]

I wore knee-high compression socks once and got the worst case ever of hikers rash - bright pink skin up to the knees. I'm not sure that circulation in the tiny blood vessels that are affect by hikers rash is the same issue as circulation in the larger vessels that is treated by compression stockings.