Despite two pair of Smart wool socks and slippers, my toes are constantly white and cold. A nice hot bubblebath brings them back. It's the weirdest thing, my left hand has no sores at all, but my right hand is covered with red bumps which itch and hurt. Go figure.

So far so good, I wear my toe warmers so my feet are OK but have more trouble with my hands, my fingers are always white and blue. I also use hand warmers when I go out.

wow -- there are others out there with Raynaud's?! :o) I agree that it's been a bad week+!

Now I'm curious.... several years ago I started to experience an "attack" when I'd eat very hot peppers! anyone else w/ an odd trigger like that?

I've never had that experience, PartyMusic, but then again, I never eat very hot peppers. ;-)

Lily, you really should try foot warmers. I use the disposable, adhesive kind, like these, sometimes going through two pair over the course of the day and evening.

Here is a link that might be useful: Toe warmers on eBay

Foods trigger it for me. As long as I stay strictly gluten, dairy and soy free I do very, very well. I didn't get white hands put purple knuckles, haven't had that in about a year now. I have rough, thin/bony, working hands so when they were freezing I would always joke that they are probably great stand-ins for the grim reaper.

I have been doing good. We keep the house warm and I have learned to dress warmly when I go out but I don't go out when it's really cold. The two places that really affects me is church and my favorite grocery store. They must keep the thermostat down.

I never thought about food having any affect on Raynaud's. I will be on the lookout for that.

This post was edited by jkayd_il5 on Fri, Jan 10, 14 at 7:01

Thanks for confirming that I'm not imagining a food trigger, cookie8!

If anyone has a problem with cold feet, I would *HIGHLY* recommend Steger Mukluks, and specifically the one they call 'Arctic'! I've been wearing my pair for about 25 years and still absolutely love them. I even wear them indoors in the winter. They are the most comfortable thing I've ever worn on my feet... like walking on a giant marshmallow. :O)

Here is a link that might be useful: Artic Mukluks

I never thought about a food connection either, although it makes sense. Food allergies affect adrenalin, which could greatly affect capillary shut-down.

My diet is so limited already; I can't imagine taking away even one more thing. :-(

hahaha! here's another thing I've always wondered about... when you go for bloodwork does the phlebotomist wince and comment about how TINY your veins are???? Do you need to be stuck multiple times???!!! I've always wondered if there was a direct correlation between vein size and having Raynaud's!

PartyMusic (are you a DJ?), YES. I have wicked veins, according to the phlebotomists. I remember one nurse in NYC who got nasty about it. So many years ago....it's funny what we remember.

I suffered terribly with Raynauds, a specialist told me he could relieve 80 percent of my problems with carpal tunnel surgery. I did have it and the only problem I have now is my left hand middle finger turns white when I'm extremely cold. No more sores on my finger tips and no more pain.
I suffered with white, purple and sores on my finger tips that would split open. I used to wear mittens in the grocery store, I had it so bad.

It was worth the surgery

alisande, no, I'm not a DJ. :) When you responded about also having small veins, I thought my idea was going to be validated. :p For so many years, I didn't know that I needed to ask them to use the smallest needle they have -- boy was I bruised every time on both arms then. Now I ask for their smallest needle. At my last visit, she also used a butterfly. I'd never seen that before and it definitely helped!

cheryl_ok, I'm glad that you got so much relief from the surgery!!!

After weeks of extreme cold weather, we are about to enter a series of days with temps. that are well above normal. It's been a wild winter so far!

Cheryl, I guess every case is different, but I never heard of a connection between carpal tunnel surgery and Raynaud's. Did you have the surgery on both hands? I had carpal tunnel surgery on my right hand 13 years ago, and it made no difference whatsoever in my Raynaud's.

On second thought, PartyMusic, I've been told my veins are hidden. No one actually said they're small--although they might be. When my blood is drawn, they often end up taking it out of my hand. It stings.

Alisande, I never heard of the connection either. How it happened is for years I have had c-spine injury and was seeing multiple specialists trying to find one that would do the surgery on c2 and more. One surgeon wanted me to do the carpal tunnel surgery first to see if it would ease some of my numb arm problems, he also told me he thought it would help my pain by 80 percent and may even help my Raynauds by allowing proper circulation to flow...it sure did. I had it done on my left hand planning to do the right one day, but it helped so much I left it alone.
2years later I did find a surgeon to work on my spine...I feel wonderful now.
I had my c-spine surgery almost a year ago.