anyone with raynauds or know anything about it

[pinkkoala]

have been told by docs that may have raynauds, i went with symptoms in my hands and toes, they turn white and shrivelled up then go blue and numb.

i have never heard of it before.

I have it!

You must ask the dr for ways on how to deal with it.

Checkups at the hospital too.

It is possible to cope with it but there are various degrees of it and it can be quite dangerous (dont panic!)

I am sure there is a Raynauds association which might help you.

www.raynauds.org.uk/potioncms/viewer.asp?a=30&z=12

I have it, I also get chilblains

I wear lots of gloves and socks, found long socks very very helpful when layering up - also long boots

is it that serious that you need check ups at hospital, what will they do.

is it anything to do with having a funny heart beat do you think. mine seems to go realy fast and i can feel it like a flutter.

do you think i should mention that to doc

Dangerous? I self-diagnosed this the other week on teh basis that my middle fingers can almost instantaneously go white when I'm cold. All google searches said that it wasn't really serious ie your heart isn't going to blow up (which was my concern)

I have a friend who has Raynauds and she had to have regular check ups at the hosp but she got 'confused' and never went to the hosp.

she has ended up very poorly and with scleroderma.

It is not always about keeping warm.

I dont want to be a ScareMonger (despite my name of GossipMonger!!) but just go and get it checked and read up about it as much as you can.

Oh no, have just read this. Shouldn't do this, nodding at various symptoms. I do not
want spots oozing toothpaste.

Tinker - this is why she should have been to the hosp regularly. Am not sure what the hosp could have done but she is really ill now and her skin is waxy and she looks about 15 years older than she really is.

Dont google it - just get to the doctors.

Weird- DH has reynauds- was diagnosed after he had a cryogenic fit (turned all blue). He never has to go for check-ups.
In recent years he has been much better with it actually. Ginger is supposed to be good for circulation which can help.

I have it and cos one of my entire hands and both feet go dark blue much of the time and I get ulcerating chilblains I'm on medication (not actually really working) and am waiting for further investigations.
Theres a whole range of raynauds from mild to pretty severe and it does depend on whether its primary or secondary as well.

Apparantly if you have Reynauds it doesnt mean that you WILL get Scleroderma but it did mean it in my friend's case.

Dont know why some need checkups and others dont.

Think I would get it checked out just for peace of mind.

have had it for years

I use Adalat Retard when I'm numb for hoooourrs, otherwise I just wear squillions of layers every day

I was FINE during pregnancy! It was brill!

Adalat Retard - I get it on prescription

It makes my low blood-pressure even LOWER though so I feel a bit grim when I take them

yes I was fine during pregnancy too

I don't like it when shop assistants look at my dead yellow fingers suspiciously

it seems to be getting better as I get older though, apart from the chilblains - am not on any medication for it

I've managed ok but this year I have started getting tendonitis in my knuckles which the GP thinks to being made worse by the lack of blood to my hands

It's a bit painful but I'm already on anti-inflammatories and painkillers for my back so I just up the dosage a bit

I'm like a walk pharamacy

I had it for years too. Used to get chill blanes and also blacked out sometimes. It went away during my first pregnancy and so far not returned. (Still wear lots of layers on cold days though).

On the down-side, I have a close cousin who has it and needs in-patient treatment twice per year for her "anti-freeze" as she calls it. We're told it's not hereditory though.

I have low blood pressure as well - is it linked? Had never considered it to be a problem, just a quirk

I used to suffer really badly, but once having the children it has improved and stayed improved.

hoovering is still an issue tho......the vibrations make my hands go numb. and I do still suffer when it is VERY cold, altho thankfully I don;t have the white fingers anymore......just blue with an odd orange tinge (very strange).

chilblains thankfully are a thing of the past since having thick soled boots during the winter. I found thin soles were a bugger for causing them (or at least, ensuring I get them IYGWIM).

From a natural point of view you could wear pulsewarmers on your wrists (similar to sweatbands). Cayenne pepper, ginger, cinnamon and ginko are all good circulatory warmers.

Raynauds is more common in wommen, can be due to emotional upset aswell as the cold.

Esentially keep your hands and feet warm.

Worth going to the doc to have your blood pressure checked.

I've had it for years and i've always dealt with it by just wearing extra layers - doc has always said there is nothing he can do about it.

It was sooo much better when i was pregnant! but even then the midwives were worried when i went a bit blue during labour, but they had pointed a fan at me!

Apart from scleroderma is it dangerous or just inconvenient?

I have this too. I find a swig of vodka does the trick

On occasions when vodka cannot be used (driving etc) I keep those clicky handwarmer things in my handbag.

oh I've got those but it is so yawny yawny yawny having to revitalise them in boiling water - or do you mean yours click back to life?

I'm interested in the numb hands thing- DH has a problem (not been associated with hos Raynauds actually) where if he laughs too much, his hands go numb and he can't hold things- anyone else have anything like that?