Reynauds - how do you deal with it?

[Nopax,thanx]

Last year I was diagnosed with Reynauds (white fingers) and as you do, looked it up online. Lots of advice, and my condition is not yet too serious, so I'm hoping to avoid medication for a long time, forever if I'm lucky.

Here we are in winter again and of course it has returned, wearing gloves doesn't really help that much, as I seem to get it mostly when driving, and I wonder if it is to do with hand position (fnarrr....) Plunging hands into hot water doesn't do anything, circulation just seems to return to normal after about forty minutes in a nice warm house.

One thing I did try was whizzing my arms around like Pete Townshend in full cry...that works, but am I at risk of damaging my capillaries by forcing blood into them?

So, assuming there are fellow sufferers out there, got any useful tips? Much better than talking to the doctor, you know what us blokes are like :)

[gingernut]

Here we are in winter again and of course it has returned

This is key to prevention, are you putting the gloves on in time, (prevention is better than cure and all that.)

Failing that, nifedipine seems to work quite well, (chat to your AME/GP).

[Rory Dixon]

I think gingernut's advice is good word, I would add that keeping your trunk warm should also be a goal, as a decreased central temperature leads to decreased peripheral blood circulation and might worsen your symptoms.
There are a variety of causes for Raynaud’s, for some of them even causal therapies are available. So it could be adequate to see a specialist, if it is getting worse.

[Herod]

I did better than talk to a doctor; I asked my wife, who is a sufferer. Her advice is prevention, not cure. Try fleece-lined gloves, or even better if the task allows it, mittens (more circulation I think). If indoors, at the first inkling, grab hold of a radiator or, put your hands under warm water (before they turn white, not after). Body warmth can help. Literally sitting on your hands is a good preventer, or keeping your hands between your thighs (yours, not your partner's - cold hands are not appreciated) ;). There are commercially available hand-warmers of various types. I've got her one for Christmas that charges from the USB point. Hope this helps.

[Nopax,thanx]

Thanks for the advice, chaps, well received. I'm going to try some different gloves (I had been wearing woollen Thinsulates) and will certainly keep the body warm. Fortunately it's not getting noticeably worse than last year, so I'm hoping to avoid medication for the foreseeable (hate taking pills of any description)

The irony is that it was always my missus with the cold hands and feet in bed, and I was the one able to go out in all weathers and not feel the effects at all, until turning 50.....this getting old lark ain't for the faint-hearted, is it!

[WestWind1950]

I've"suffered" from it for over 30 years and I'm still around! :) When I first got it really bad in my younger years, I paniked and had a number of tests done... I was afraid it'd go further then just my fingers (btw., your toes probably are suffering, too, in spite of heavy warm shoes?). Anyway, I had x-rays (the contrast stuff put through my artery didn't go past my wrist) done and lots of tests like putting my fingers in ice water. After all that came the diagnoses... raynaulds (however you spell it). The advice of the doctors: wear warm mittens (duh), wear warm shoes (duh), try to keep warm (duh). Live with it! (duh)

I also get it in summer when the weather is moist and cold or when I try to peel potatoes under cold water.

It's a "pain" (in more ways then one) when driving the car and the fingers are all cramped up, or the toes hurt. But I live with it. Sometimes I go for months with nothing, then there will be days when it's particularly bad. I've learned to just live with it and since I know it won't get worse, no problem with that.

It was hinted to me once, that it could have been caused from getting frost bite at one time. That's possible...

I know this doesn't help much... but maybe it eases your mind a bit.

[Whirlybird]

I used to get all the symptoms, though it was never diagnosed. Now it's almost completely gone away. Interestingly, the timing corresponds to my starting to take Gingko Biloba, a herbal remedy for bad memory and circulation - and I thought I was taking it for the former! Might be worth a try though. You want the highest concentration you can buy in health food stores and catalogues.

[300-600]

My son has this and wants to fly for a living (I tried to talk him out of it). I guess it is not an issue for a class one medical issue from the number posting on here?

[Zoyberg]

I don't know whether this condition stops your son getting a class one medical. Doesn't look like the people who know are on this forum either. Guess you need to contact LGW direct.

[Mac the Knife]

Botox injected around the spastic vessels has shown good results.

Botox therapy for ischemic digits. [Plast Reconstr Surg. 2009] - PubMed - NCBI (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19568080)