Hi everybody
Is it possible to have Raynaud's without having the fingers and/or toes turning white or blue?
My toes, and especially my fingers get really cold and painful when I am outside doing chores and I wear two pairs of gloves. After about 10 minutes I have to draw my fingers up into a fist to warm them up enough to make the pain stop - or at least to make it more bearable. It happens even when the outside temperature isn't too awful cold - like around freezing.
Thing is, I haven't noticed that my digits turn white or blue (and I suppose that would be something that I would notice!). They do get a bit red when they warm up, however.
Nans
I do think so. At least the Rheumy told me that. Mine usually get red when coming in from outside. I suppose everyone is different tho.
Hi
I thought that was just normal getting cold. :)
My ears and nose turn blue, but not my hands or feet, but when I come inside, look out, everything turns red and extremely painful.
I have this and my hands and feet turn blood red and feel like I've scalded them. Really painful. Even pouring a can of cold soda without wrapping a cloth around it, is quite painful.
My rheumy said it's because I have what they term "Secondary Raynaud's". Don't know if this correct or not, but it sure is painful.
Good luck with it, I wouldn't wish it on my worse enemy.
Pooh
I can't answer if your fingers/toe/nose/ears need to change colors in order to have Raynaud's. I know that when my fingers (nose/ears) get cold, they turn blue and sometimes that weird white color, and bright red when rewarmed. I'm with the others, the pain upon rewarming is something I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy either.
Patze
I always thought Raynaud's at least involved a stark white appearance along with numbness. I get it in, like, three fingers out of five and it looks and feels really weird :)
I turn more blue in the summer around the air conditioner. mostly red and white in winter, blue in summer. Don't like turning any shade of anything!! Don't like this desease either!!
harlin
I have mild Raynaud's; used to get the red color change, but that hasn't happened in a long time. Never got the blue or white colors. My fingers just hurt if they get too cold because the little blood vessels to into spasms. So I wear gloves a lot.
Prairie gal
There are ways to check for Raynaud's. There's a list at http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/dci/Diseases/raynaud/ray_diagnosis.html that you might want to share with your doctor.
My rheum used this method: "Your doctor may do a test called nailfold capillaroscopy (KAP-i-lar-OS-ko-pe). For this test, your doctor puts a drop of oil at the base of your fingernail. He or she then looks at your fingernail under a microscope. If your doctor sees abnormal arteries, it may mean you have a disease linked to Raynaud's, such as scleroderma" (http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/dci/Diseases/raynaud/ray_diagnosis.html). My doctor didn't mention scleroderma (and I have no reason to believe that I have it), but he said that the specific kind of damage let him know that my Raynaud's is autoimmune.
As for Raynaud's without the color change, everything I read references the change as a part of diagnosis. As mine has gotten worse, I've gone from occasionally developing stark white fingers and toes to having it look like my hands and feet are covered in bad bruises when I have an attack. The blue only goes away after I'm thoroughly warmed (not always easy in Connecticut!).
From what I have read, your appendages don't have to turn the classic red, white and blue, even if your a patriot. Some people just turn white others blue some red or any combination. All I know is it is painful, I could never figure out why other people could stand being out in the could and I couldn't, thought I was a mom's boy. :D
Hi Nans,
I have Raynauds, my hands always go white and very painful. My sister also has this this but she tends to go bluey/purple with a little swelling, so I guess it must vary from person to person.
I think the color changes vary from person to person but haven't checked the Raynaud Association's website in a long time. All I know is my fingers HURT when they get cold. So I either grab a towel or a pot holder to take something out of the freezer, or ask my husband if he's close by. And I wear gloves a lot -- even in the morning on a beautiful spring day like we had today (60-62 degrees this afternoon).
Prairie gal
Epson said "From what I have read, your appendages don't have to turn the classic red, white and blue, even if your a patriot..." but what if they go bleu blanc et rouge, wouldn't that make u a patriot of a French sort?
I get the cold fingers without the color change. I also get the pain and my fingers will be ice cold. I sit with my hands under a rice pack that I heat in the microwave. Sometimes I wrap them in the bottom of my shirt when I am sitting watching TV. This pain is usually only in the winter.
I know that when I clean or rearrange my chest freezer I have to wear gloves as my fingers get so cold and the paiin is quite bad. I have never even told the docs about this. Seems like when you have something only occasionally you tend to forget it. Unless, you happen to go to the doc the day the problem is bothering you.
I guess that I have figured that this finger coldness and pain is part of the AI issues and that in time will probably turn into the true Reynauds. Who knows!!!Irish ;D