My sausage fingers need help!

[StarDolphins]

Since perimenopause I’ve suffered so badly with these chilblains/sores in winter, they’re so sore, prickly, swollen & itchy & it’s making me so grumpy. It’s only on 1 hand, my left hand is perfectly normal.

i’ve tried bepanthan, witch hazel, hydrocortisone, sudocrem, germolene, savlon! I try to keep my hands at the same temp but this hand is always cold then I need to shower in hot water so it’s agony.

Has anyone any suggestions of anything that will help?

You been to a dermatologist? Do.

no dermatologist, GP said to wear gloves & don’t go from hot to cold & said try hydrocortisone. I might have to push for a dermatologist then, thank you!

Can you slowly warm your hand temperature up before showing by soaking in Luke warm water and gradually warming it until at shower temp?

you could try a stronger steroid.

I’m sorry - that looks sore. Have you tried speaking to a pharmacist? They often have something tucked away behind the counter that’s an absolute godsend.

Edit: GP’s will often take these “minor” things more seriously if the pharmacist hasn’t been able to offer anything that helps.

Yes I’ve tried this & my hand is still cold ish then it gets hot in the shower but thank you!

Try soaking in Dead sea salt for 15 mins then putting soothing moisturiser and cotton gloves befit sleep. Mine are cracked and swollen like this.

Thank you, I’ll try the pharmacist tomorrow then if not try the GP. I’m so grumpy because it’s so prickly & sore!

I get them on my feet too but not as bad as my hand! The other hand is fine!

Bless you. I get them on my feet but thankfully hands are unaffected atm.

Thank you, I’ll try this tomorrow!

Meant to type before sleep, not befit sleep!

Could it be Scleroderma (an autoimmune disease)? I'm probably way off and don't want to alarm you unecessarily, it just made me think of that because one of the early symptoms is thickening and swelling of the fingers.

ETA: sorry I just saw you already know it's chillblains. I'm not deleting in case it could be useful info for anyone else but apologies for not reading the OP properly!

I get this - it's absolute nightmare from early autumn to spring for me so you have my sympathies!

I went to the GP. She prescribed nifedipine which I think can be very effective, but unfortunately I can't take it due to the side effects. I was also prescribed a steroid cream which hasn't done anything.

I find ibuprofen gel can help with the pain and swelling. I've also recently started doing finger exercises to increase the blood supply to my fingers which seems to be helping. Also keeping core body temperature warm and thick warm mittens whenever I'm outside, and fingerless gloves inside.

Sudocrem helps for when the skin splits, and the best moisturiser you can find to try and keep that from happening!

My friend had a similar thing on her hands and was referred to a dermatologist. Hers had cleared up by the time she saw him but showed him pictures and he said it looked like chillblains but that it’s often misdiagnosed so it could be something else. I think you need to push for a referral for it to be properly looked at. My friend sorted hers with treatment for athletes foot!

I'm also suffering with chilblains. I have Raynauds and feel it's got worse in perimenopause. My hands are permanently painful in the winter.
I found useful advice here. https://www.sruk.co.uk/raynauds/chilblains/
It might be worth asking GP about scleroderma.

Ps. You mentioned asking for a dermatology referral. I think it might be a rheumatology referral for this.

if it helps at all, even with the swelling and obvious soreness you still have very pretty dainty looking hands.

That looks rheumatoid, not just a skin issue