Those with Raynaud's

[jazzlover]

It's only in the 70's outside and it's 71 inside today. And my hands (fingers!) are freezing already!! I dread winter!! Do you guys wear gloves inside the house? I'm about ready to!! Any other suggestions???

About the only time my hands are warm is if my body is hot!

[Pisces24]

So far my fingers are ok. I have Reynaurds but it only appears on two fingers of my right hand and only in winter. Guess I am odd and lucky?

I was looking for some heated gloves but I found some winter gloves at a sporting goods store that have a much higher thinsulate # than those at dept stores, etc. So will see how those do this winter.

I never asked further - BUT when my gp said I had Reynaurds, he said the pharmacy made a "cream" that would  help it.  Have you ever heard of that?
I could ask him again or call the pharmacy if you want and get the name.

[engy]

I have raynauds bad in my feet. I have socks, heating pad & 2 blankets on them & they are still cold! warm water is the only thing that helps them but only for a while.

The only time my feet aren't cold is when the rest of me is sweating.

I'm a mess!!!!  Carie

[Jellyb]

I use a heating pad, and try to not let myself, my body get chilled. Otherwise I get a raynauds episode where all my fingers go numb and I cant get warm and get really fatigued.

[jazzlover]

The only time my feet aren't cold is when the rest of me is sweating.

-
exactly...same here with my hands. My feet are bad too, but at least I can put socks and shoes on them!! It's hard to type on the computer with gloves!! lol

Will ask about the cream .. thanks!

[smallfry]

Hi Jazzlover
We have just come through a winter and my hands and feet suffered terribly this year,I had gloves and thick socks for most of the time.
keep rugged up Good luck.
Cheryl

[4Kids]

I have it so of affects me while I am nursing or after I get very, very cold. We have hardwood floors and -40 here, nighttime wake UPS with the baby is terrible. My breasts hurt so bad and my nipples turn life white, it is agony. I have started wearing moccasins to bed but my hands stay cold as ice cubes. None of us can sleep in a warm house, it is generally 17-19 degrees but I might have to have it a bit warmer this year. Not looking forward to it

[Nat]

Raynaud's is "closely related" to elevated levels of homocysteine as the following information shows. Homocysteine rises in direct proportion to low B12 levels. In autoimmune disease, patients are not able to properly metabolize B12. Homocysteine causes the endothelial cells that line the vascular walls to "commit mass suicide." It is also linked to scleroderma. I can post some studies if anyone would like to see them. Here is the info.

http://www.yourhealthbase.com/database/a97c.htm


It is very important to address elevated levels of homocysteine. A study conducted at Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School in Boston, Massachusetts followed 14,915 doctors. The study revealed that participants with high homocysteine levels had 3.4 times greater risk of heart attack that doctors with lower homocysteine levels. That's 340%! Homocysteine is a potent nerve and blood vessel toxin.

[Jozee]

My doc said I have it but my hands only get red or purple when cold. My feet feel cold all the time and white but not purple. What color are your feet when it acts up?

[engy]

I only have it in my feet & they get red but a few toes turn purple/black. Rhuemy wants me to try a calcium channel blocker this winter to see if it helps. Unfort. those drugs lower bp so I may not be able to tolerate

Carie

[Jenny]

 I moved to Florida last December 

[4Kids]

Raynaud's is "closely related" to elevated levels of homocysteine as the following information shows. Homocysteine rises in direct proportion to low B12 levels. In autoimmune disease, patients are not able to properly metabolize B12. Homocysteine causes the endothelial cells that line the vascular walls to "commit mass suicide." It is also linked to scleroderma. I can post some studies if anyone would like to see them. Here is the info.

http://www.yourhealthbase.com/database/a97c.htm


It is very important to address elevated levels of homocysteine. A study conducted at Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School in Boston, Massachusetts followed 14,915 doctors. The study revealed that participants with high homocysteine levels had 3.4 times greater risk of heart attack that doctors with lower homocysteine levels. That's 340%! Homocysteine is a potent nerve and blood vessel toxin.

Enjoyed my kefir smoothie this morning, Nat 

[DesignerS]

jazzlover, I understand completely! If my body is really hot, then my hands and feet feel great! But any other time, they are freezing. I know what to do when I go outside, but inside the house its tough. The only thing that helps me at all is to bundle up and then keep myself moving. If I sit, I am in trouble.

Designer

[jazzlover]

Thanks for all the info.. esp on homocysteine!! I need to get that checked since I have heart issues. Also.. I give myself two B12 shots per month. Will that bypass the absorption problem or not??

and ... I'm already on a calcium channel blocker...so I guess it doesn't work all that great for Raynaud's.

----spill the beans on the kefir smoothie, please!

4kids... OMG .. where the heck do you live? 17-19 degrees inside your house?? I hope I read that wrong!!!

My fingers get whitish .. if I have an episode, they turn white, then blue then red... forgot the actual order of the colors!! That is when it is painful.

[Nat]

The problem is in the binding and transport of B12. Here is the title of a study you can access online that concludes, "the absorption of vitamin B12 is dependent on the presence of appropriate pancreatic enzymes." (protease) In the first sentence it states,"In vivo studies demonstrate that the pancreatic enzymes and the ionic environment in the upper gastrointestinal tract are essential determining factors for TRANSPORT AND ABSORPTION OF COBALMIN(B12) in man." The title of the study is ,"Cobalamin Malabsorption Due to Nondegradation of R Proteins in the Human Intestine." When the abstract speaks of "R" proteins, they are referring to the amino acids of which proteins are comprised. If you lack pancreatic enzymes called protease, you will not be able to release essential amino acids, nor will you be able to bind and transport B12 to the only place in your body it can be properly absorbed into your cells, the lower intestine. Studies show that supplementing with B12 will increase your cancer risk by about 25%.

Kefir is a wonderful healing food for someone with Sjogren's. Here is some info from my book.

Kefir

Kefir, which means ?feel good? in Turkish, is an ancient, cultured, enzyme-rich food that is filled with friendly bacteria. It is made from whole organic raw milk and it will help you in ways nothing else can. Kefir is an essential part of your recovery. Here are some of the reasons why.

Although homemade yogurt is a perfectly healthy food, it doesn?t hold a candle to kefir.  Both are cultured milk products, but they work differently. The digestive enzymes in yogurt help digest the yogurt and only the yogurt. Kefir comes with extra enzymes that attach themselves to the walls of your gastrointestinal tract. The yogurt?s nutrient delivery is gone in 24 hours, while kefir?s is indefinite. It will fill your digestive tract with living, beneficial bacteria and enzymes.

Kefir contains 30-35 major strains of friendly bacteria not commonly found in yogurt. It is a turbo-charged, antibiotic colon cleanser. Kefir also contains beneficial yeasts, such as Saccharomyces kefir, which dominate and eliminate pathogenic yeasts. The beneficial yeasts penetrate the mucosal lining, where unhealthy yeast and bacteria reside, and destroy them. The friendly Candida yeast in kefir will kill the Candida albicans yeast that causes the classic yeast infection.

The complete proteins in kefir are partially digested and therefore more easily utilized by the body. Kefir is also rich in vitamin B12. You will have an immediate source of B12 to begin to heal. I cannot stress enough how important this is. Also, since the proteins are already partially digested, this will lessen the load on what little enzymes you are starting with. Your immune system will recognize these proteins and stop the attack. There just isn?t another food out there that can match kefir for your specific needs.

Kefir also contains an ample supply of phosphorous, which aids your body in utilizing the proteins you are now able to break down for cell growth and energy. It is an excellent source of biotin, a B vitamin, which aids the body?s absorption of other B vitamins (including B12). Kefir has a particularly calming effect on the nervous system. It contains calcium and magnesium, both of which are beneficial for healthy nerves and restful sleep. It also contains tryptophan, a precursor to serotonin and melatonin, well-known for their relaxing properties.

What if you are lactose intolerant?  The lactose in kefir has already been predigested by the beneficial bacteria in the kefir. Therefore, even people with milk sensitivities can usually drink it. This is nature?s perfect food.

A man-made probiotic supplement in pill form has around 15 million bacteria. Yes, that sounds like a lot, but if you look at 500 ml. of kefir, you get up to five trillion beneficial bacteria! The most difficult part of making kefir will be locating a source for organic raw pastured milk.  Store bought kefir is made from pasteurized milk and contains denatured proteins.

In addition to the raw milk, you will need kefir grains (look in the resources section for where to order).  Kefir grains are colonies of microorganisms, mostly yeasts and bacteria, that are beneficial to the human digestive tract. They form small, irregular, whitish balls, that when immersed in a nourishing liquid (usually raw milk), digest the liquid through a fermentation process that results in ?kefir.? 


To be continued: I have exceeded my allowed number of words I can post.