Raynaud's question | Arthritis Information

I developed Raynaud's symptoms for the first time this winter. I suffered all winter and into spring with my fingers blanching white, then turning beet red when the blood flow returned. I also had this happen to my feet, nose and ears.

There is a suspicion that the heart medication (in my case, used to regulate my heart beat rather than blood pressure) could be causing the Raynaud's, so I am currently going through a trial of no heart med.

My question to Raynaud's suffers is, knowing there is an improvement of symptoms during warmer months, do you still suffer symptoms during warmer months when you hold a can of cold soda? Get something from the freezer? Sit in cold AC too long? Get in cold water?

Just wondering if my symptoms are improving or if during warmer weather, its just not an issue, even if you are exposed to a trigger? Thanks for the info!

Even in warm weather I can get some thing out of the freezer which can trigger the white fingers.
Things are not as bad as when I first noticed the white fingers. Then I could hardly hold the camera let alone fire the shutter.
I had this for six months before coming down with RA.

Generally I am not to bad at the moment.

Unfortunately, Stephen, even in summer there will be a need for gloves for getting things from the freezer, even walking by the refrigerated section of grocery store, etc. Take this seriously, as amputations in bad cases like yours are not unheard of. Gloves need to be your new best friend. I have developed a milder case of it this year -- but not as severe as yours. One of the heart medications can be good for it -- it's a calcium channel blocker - and if it weren't so early in the morning, I'd come up with the name. Do keep your extremities warm.... please.http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/raynauds-disease/DS00433

This is a comprehensive overview of Raynauds -- keep pushing the tabs for more info....my hands were like that before the diagnosis. The MTX and prednisone did the trick. I'm off the Pred nowIf I am sitting at the desk and my feet are on cold tile and the air is on I have a problem. I put down rugs say at the desk under the chair was the biggest problem. Carpet is a good thing for me in the summer with the air on.

For the most part I do not have any trouble in the summer now that I know what not to do. I had to learn the hard way. Once I figured it all out I do pretty well.

I hope the summer months bring you some relief. Question how will you know if your improvement is from the summer or from stopping the medicine? I think you try this during colder months to see if stopping the meds is helful. Just my take on it.