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I have had Raynauds since the age of 21. Last weekend, I took my granddaughters sledding, I had two pair of pants on plus my hubby overalls for outside, and three shirts on. Plus the coat and two pairs of socks on each foot. My boots are lined and are good for cold weather. I had also gotten some good gloves that would keep the wetness off my hands. I had stuck toe warmers in each shoe and had hand warmers in each glove. I tell You I really like those products. I was so warm and toasty and had a good time. I don't get to do that too often but I figured I wanted play outside to with the girls. I really enjoyed it, will go sledding again.

Sam

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Sam DeTray

Edited: 01/26/2011 at 06:17 AM by SamD

That sounded like you had a great time and I enjoyed hearing about it. Glad you were able to keep warm and enjoy being with your girls!

Karen

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I will persevere & live strong.

Secondary Raynaud's to Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, Hashimoto's thyroiditis.

I love those warmers! Some of the sporting goods stores sell them in 40 packs for a reasonable price, so this winter I use 'em every day, even indoors. One of the best preventative products out there, IMO!

The warmers are fantastic, I agree! (I carry around a pack in my bag for cold classrooms!)

Question for you guys: I cross-country ski, and have been finding this winter that my fingers are getting really cold (really fast) even in my nice warm gloves. However, wearing hand warmers palm-side is really awkward while trying to grip ski-poles. I could try putting the warmers on the back of my hand, but I'm not sure if the warmers will be too hot for that. Any other suggestions?

(P.S.: While all suggestions are welcome, do keep in mind that I am a grad student, and thus by definition have exactly no money to spend on anything and very little free time, so quick, easy, free suggestions are my favorite, and the most useful to me.)

Thanks!

You might want to try it on top of your hands but I would recommend not have it right on your skin though, maybe stick some material inside or sew it on and have like a pcoket and place the hand warmer that way. Let us know if you decide to do that

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Sam DeTray

I have a system for cross-country skiing that includes mitten liners, Grabber hot packs and thinsulate lined fleece mittens. The mittens are roomy, so I'm able to shake the pack to the top of the mitten leaving my hands free to grip the poles. The hot packs create a nice warm environment inside the mitten helping to keep my hands and fingers warm. The liners keep my hands from directly being in contact with the hot pack.

My only problem is on very windy, cloudy days when, by the end of the afternoon, my thumbs can get too cold, as they are not inside the "heated nest" of the rest of the mitten, but I've been using this system in New Hampshire for years and it works for me.

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Frostie

Hot Hands ( hand warming product ) was having a contest. The company was asking anyone to write in their story of why they use and like Hot Hand products. So, I wrote in my story about how their product helps me on a day to day, year round basis because I have Raynauds.

My story was chosen to be considered as a winner. I am still waiting to see who won. More than likely they are looking for a sporting story of why hunters use their product.

But, if my story does win, I thought it would be a good opportunity to get a Raynauds story out there. OK, and some free products!

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Raynaud's is secondary to Scleroderma, Post DVT Blood Clot and blood disorders.

GOOD FOR YOU ILOVELUCY!!!!!!!!!! Hope you win. Keep us posted.

I LOVE THE WARMERS TOO!!! I can't go out with out them and I use them at home too.
I carry a packet of them in my purse and I have an emergency bay in my car with a wool blanket, space blanket, extra foothuggers, leggwarmers, hat, mittens, you name it, and of course THE WARMERS.
I like the insole warmers A LOT especially when I have to use a regular boot(dress one) to go to church or an event. The insoles keep my feet warm and happy, they are very thin and can be use with any kind of shoe.

Hi,
my daughter has raynaud's and plays sports outside in the winter. has anyone tried the hand warmer on comfort house? ($61). the gloves are just too expensive for us right now, and i'm concerned she'd lose them. the last time i picked her up from rugby practice, her hands were numb and she wasn't able to hold the ball any longer


any suggestions?

thanks!

also, anybody try just the cheap one-time use handwarmers? if they work, i could at least get those for her until we find another solution.

kate

Welcome to the forum, Kate, and although I haven't tried the hand warmers from Comfort House, I have tried the other one-time use product and they didn't get warm enough for me. Now, I'm an adult so they may work better for your daughter. Besides, it would be the cheaper route to go - give them a try.

Karen

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I will persevere & live strong.

Secondary Raynaud's to Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, Hashimoto's thyroiditis.

Karen,

Thanks for your responses to my posts about my daughter, Miranda.

After her Raynaud's diagnosis a few years ago, she had a thyroid test, a test for sprue, juvenile RA, and lupus, all of which were negative. I was told she had primary Raynaud's and that she did not need to see rheumatology because all her tests were negative.

Do you or anyone else on the forum know of any other labwork which I should request for her?

I will ask her doctor about the referral to pediatric rheumatology.

As far as treating her pain--what do other people do? Aside from minimizing exposure to cold... what do people do once the pain is there, aside from warming back up?

Any thoughts anyone?

Thanks again, very much!
Kate

You're on the right track by requesting a referral to a pediatric rheumatologist. They will know what tests (lab work) to run on her, as the list can be exhaustive.

If her pain is from a Raynaud's attack, then trying to keep warm or slowly warming the area affected will help. There are a lot of ideas and suggestions on this under the Coping Strategies and Hot Products categories. There are also medications called calcium channel blockers, or CCB's, that are given to help dilate the blood vessels and prevent or minimize the effects of an attack. Again, this is best left up to a rheumatologist to determine exactly what she has and what needs to be done.

Sorry, Kate, that I can't give you more specific information.

Karen

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I will persevere & live strong.

Secondary Raynaud's to Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, Hashimoto's thyroiditis.

Somewhat late here. I bought 320 pair of the generic "Grabber" toe warmers for around $.28 per individual pack back 8 months or so ago. I called them before ordering to be sure they were truly "Grabber" brand and was told they come off the same production line. Sure enough, when I got them, there were, in fact, Grabbers in generic packages. They work fantastic! They are very expensive in the small packs but not so painful to the wallet when bought in large bulk and generic brand. Looks like they're about $.31 cents each, now.

http://www.warmers.com/ItemDet...al=TWGENCS&pIds=itemid