DD has purple toes - any ideas?

[RedskyAtnight]

DD's toes on both feet are very noticeably purple. All the time. Her feet also feel cold to the touch, as do her hands. I'm wondering about Raynaud's (which I have) as I think this can be genetic?

DD is seeing a physio (for an unrelated foot problem) and the physio suggested it might be worth seeing a GP to rule out anything more worrying. Not sure if I want to see a GP currently.

Anyone suggest what this might be? Would you go and see the GP?

Covid? Covid-toe is a phenomenon but she’d probably have other symptoms too.

She's had the purple toes for a few weeks - so think that would rule out Covid (or at least that she had it now)?

Are her toes itchy @OP? I have freezing cold hand and feet all the time (even in summer) and get chilblains a lot.
You often get them from trying to warm your feet too quickly (like putting them in front of the fire or on a radiator which I used to do).

Kirkland merino wool socks are a god send as are Hot Hands footwarmers (warming pads you can wear in your socks).

I would ask for a telephone consultation with your GP. Our GP has a portal that you can upload photos on so that they can have a look at obvious concerns without actually seeing the patient. I had to do this with a picture of a mole I was worried about. The GP just texted me a link for me to upload the image on to.

You don’t have to physically go and see a GP - you can just make a phone appointment and send photos.

Definitely call them tomorrow.

My dd has purple toes on one foot too. It's much worse after a bath or shower, something to do with the sudden change of temperatures.
I brought her to the GP (I was hysterical with worry ) and it was exactly what you said... Raynaud's.

DD doesn't go out much due to the foot problem. So her feet are mostly at room temperature and are just purple all the time (i.e not caused by temperature variations). They aren't itchy.

Not seen a GP since March so not sure what they are doing in terms of appointments nowadays, but a telephone consult + photos might work well - thank you.

How old is your daughter? My 13 year old daughter was diagnosed last year with Raynauds.

Same symptoms - purple toes, fingers and very cold digits, even the hot summer months last year.

She has started medication.

She's 14. I didn't know there was any medication you could take for Raynaud's but I guess I'm just used to managing mine :)

Just checked and our GP is not even running F2F appointments currently. Doh! So will have to get in touch tomorrow and see what they suggest.

I think she was given medication by her consultant as she wasn't managing and she also has another chronic health condition.

Fingers crossed your GP can help your daughter ASAP. Interestingly I did read that it is more common in females and is often diagnosed in teenage years. Good luck.

Mt DD also gets terrible chilblains. I had them when younger but seem to have 'grown out of them'. Now yesterday she showed me a white finger which came and went within an hour. I wonder if this is Raynauds too?

I didn't realise there was medication. If the white finger returns I'll get her to take a picture and send to GP.
Reading this thread with interest..

My teen DS gets purple, somewhat inflamed toes from time to time. His GP ran bloods to rule out auto-immune disease a couple of years ago and we have wondered about chilblains, but they are not painful. Not cold either and fingers not affected. I took him to a podiatrist who said it was indicative of capillary constriction and to avoid extremes of temperatures. When he was younger he was always in and out of the garden in stockinged feet in winter and he doesn't feel the cold generally so I wonder if damage was done then.

I have read (on FB so no idea if true) that Covid toes can last for months.

Anyone suggest what this might be? Would you go and see the GP

Glad you're phoning the GP. We've had a couple of appointments in Lockdown and both have been over the telephone. You can ask when you make the appointment if they want you to email in some photographs for the Doctor.

I had purple toes all the time as a child. Wasn't Raynaud's, just bad circulation! Keep her feet warm in socks and slippers and she'll be fine!

@scentedgeranium - definitely sounds like
Raynauds to me. For me, my middle finger especially seems to 'switch' on to white mode in the cold, feel numb and big, then literally switches off back to normal again. It's painful.

I've discussed meds with my doctor and yes there is something you can take - but one of the side effects is getting very flushed all over including the face (as the meds can't differentiate between fingers, toes and the rest of your body basically)...this is temporary but I have decided to put up with Raynauds unless it gets unbearable.

Sounds like my teenage dd. She was diagnosed with Raynauds last yr.

@CovidConfusionSendingMeCrazy and @Badgerstmary May I ask whether it gets worse with age? I only ask because DD has another medical condition (scoliosis) which affects her quite badly mentally as much as anything else.

@scentedgeranium

I'm not sure to be honest! I haven't directly read anything to say it does, although I guess it might/could.

I think I've always had it but it seemed to have skipped a generation in my mum so she's not as aware of it, though she knows her own mum suffered...so she's never said "oh that's Raynaud's'.

For me, it has got worse but that is largely to do with the beta blockers I take for something else...however the benefit of the beta blockers far outweighs Raynaud's for me, so I just suck it up 😕

I think my Raynaud's has got better with age, though it's hard to say whether this is just because I've got better at managing it (i.e. I always over dress and minimise time in cold places so it's very rare for my extremities to go white/numb) and recognise my trigger points my readily.