CHILBLAINS. FFS.

[LitralViolins]

What is this, 'A Christmas Carol'?? Have I timeslipped back to Dickensian times? Am I Tiny Tim??

I am wearing fingerless gloves indoors and I have bloody chilblains! The fingers on my right hand (my computer mouse hand, obvs) have swollen right up and are itching like buggers.

Yesterday it cost almost a tenner to have the heating on for a few hours. Ugh. I'm so sick of this. Anyone else just want to have a RANT about stupid heating costs and stupid cost of living and WE DON'T EVEN HAVE ANY DECENT EGGS IN ASDA!

Grrr. <<itch>>

I get them on my lower legs. I guess I would get them on my hands and feet if it wasn't that I am permanently wrapped up, but I always get them just above sock level. Snowfire ointment (I get mine off an ebay seller) is brilliant if you treat them straightaway

Get some Snowfire ointment stick. Life changing!

I have terrible circulation in my extremities and get these on my fingers most winters. I was actually referred to a consultant a couple of years ago because the GP thought it was rheumatoid arthritis! But no, clearly all those Enid Blyton boarding school books caused some kind of physiological change in me and chilblains it is.

I have Reynauds and swollen fingers and chillblains so I feel your pain. Might try the wee trick as DS also has one after he was out in the snow for ages without any gloves.

I do find that wrist warmers work better than gloves (or the ones that you just put your thumb through) as the (slight) warmth from the next finger seems to help.

It’ll be diphtheria and scurvy next.
DS gets them regularly, but he works nights in a supermarket. Boots chilblain cream.

My poor husband suffers from chilblains too. Today we had to have all our heating off as the gas engineer was servicing the boiler and our gas fire. We had a very stressful half an hour where he couldn't get the boiler to fire back up!! (He sorted it thankfully). My husband was wearing a balaclava and cap on top - I said he looked like the portraits of Archbishop Cranmer!!!!

Lol at Archbishop Cranmer!

I can't make a fist with my right hand because my fingers are so swollen. Oh god, I'm going to have to piss on my hands, aren't I?

Yes 😪

I feel your pain, I have suffered on my toes most winters since I was a child. I have tried all the usual stuff (snowfire stick, sudocrem, ibuprofen, not warming up too quick etc) but recently started to look a bit harder at what creams/meds might be available and think I have hit on something.

Google Nifedipine for chilblains. I requested this from my doctor who after a bit of research and a chat with the pharmacist agreed to prescribe it to me. But....whilst waiting for my prescription to come through I decided I'd try You Tube (!) to see if there was any recommendations on there. An Australian podiatrist popped up and suggested Hirudoid cream, I'd never heard of it but after a bit more googling, its seems to be recommended frequently for chilblains in Australia. You can purchase it in the UK from pharmacies and it's for bruises - it does something to the blood vessels just under the skin. I ordered some and have been using it for a few days now and my chilblains are improving!!! So much so I havent started the Nifedipine. Can't believe it!! Am rather miffed this cream isn't suggested for chilblains in the UK as it seems to be doing the job!! I think the tube was about £8. My chilblains were so bad I just wanted to stamp on them to bring some relief (sounds weird I know!) and they were so swollen and red and sore. It's been lovely the last few nights to go to bed and not have them drive me mad. Can't believe I have suffered for so long and never found out about this cream before.

Will keep you posted on whether it continues to keep them at bay or whether I start the nifedipine.

Big sufferer here. Tried all sort as already mentioned but it would be so good if could prevent or hinder them (toes and fingers) and yes tempted to stamp on them for relief from the pain too!

has anyone tried the wee idea yet and did you leave it to dry??!!??
how does anyone apply creams when the pain has started?

@PinkCosYouAreSoVery fid you just ask for Hirudoid over the counter?

@SirChenjins I ordered it from an online pharmacy

Thanks, will take a look 😊

I suffered with chilblains for a few years in my 20s a couple of years ago on my toes and omg the itching!!! When I would wear socks and boots and couldnt reach to get a good scratch the itching and burning was horrible!!! Isn't it just where the area has gone from cold to warm too quickly

Sorry about your chilblains OP.

I have already put £80 on my gas card for the meter for the month. I mainly work from home and hate being cold. My hands are so sore they are bleeding in places. This is from the cold weather and hand washing. Every night I slather them with hand cream.

I hate the cold.

I'm in agony this last week and got more today. Came on mumsnet for some advise.
Gong to look up snow fire and hirudoid cream.
@PinkCosYouAreSoVery is your cream still working?

@validnumber ive been using it as neededbut when we last had a really cold snap (last week some day, can’t remember which day) they really flared up. But i hadn’t been using the cream daily. At that point I put the cream on again for a day or so and they went. I truly believe that without the cream they would normally lasted many days longer. So yes, without the cream I think I would have resorted to trying the prescribed tablets nifedipine. I’ve also bought myself some of the Nike cushioned socks which have kept my feet at a more constant (and cosy) temperature than my normal cotton or thermal socks. The cream is definitely worth a go. The snow fire didn’t really do anything for me. I hope you can get some relief - it’s so hard for people to understand how bad they get if they haven’t experienced it themselves. Good luck and update re the cream if get it, I would love to hear how other mumsnetters get on with it.

Raynauds fingers and chilblain toes here. I got some kind of cream from the pharmacy when they were really bad during lockdown.
I realise not knowing the name is really unhelpful! But ask at a pharmacy, they will help!

Thanks so much @PinkCosYouAreSoVery for replying.
I'm going to go to a pharmacy tomoro and ask. I've looked online and can get it delivered for Friday/Monday if I can't get it in a pharmacy.
I'll update once I get it and try to.
Fingers crossed it works!

@validnumber if they stop you sleeping I find amitriptyline helps! I had them prescribed for another condition that affected my sleep but they also help me to sleep when usually chilblains would have affected getting off to sleep and staying asleep. I wish you well.

I've tried the hirudoid cream and can report back it's cleared my chillblaines.
Gave quick relief and took a couple of days for complete relief but really pleased I tried it.
Thanks @PinkCosYouAreSoVery

Fantastic, im so happy for you!! Yay! I wish I has discovered it years ago. Would have saved so much time spent in pain/frustrated. I wonder why its not promoted over here in the UK by Pharmacists/Gps, in all my years of checking in the pharmacy it has never once been suggested.

I'm not sure either.
The pharmacy was reluctant to sell it to me for chilblains as it doesn't say that's what it's for! So I had to say yes I want it for swollen veins or something after he read out what it's for!