RA Q&A articles share our responses to inquiries about Raynaud’s, symptoms, products, treatments, doctors, warming strategies and more. We hope the information in this Spring 2024 RA Q&A edition, along with all of our quarterly columns, prove helpful to fellow Frosties.
I work for Wholefoods in extreme cold and have Raynaud’s. It is getting worse all the time. Can you please send info regarding the condition and resources to help me or accommodations? I don’t know my rights or remedies for this. Thank you.
So sorry you’re having major issues with your Raynaud’s at work. Unfortunately, Raynaud’s on its own is not considered a disability. We’re not an experts on the subject, but if your Raynaud’s is secondary to a more serious autoimmune disease, and it directly impacts your ability to perform on the job or tolerate work conditions, that will help your case.
Separate from rights, there are things you can do to help improve your work situation, including warm apparel and heated products. There are also medical treatment options for which you may be a candidate. If I knew more about your role at work (for example, do you need dexterity for typing?), I could make some specific recommendations.
Here are links to articles, information and product reviews you may find helpful:
Treatment Options for Raynaud’s Phenomenon
The Cold Facts on Raynaud’s (Our 35-page guide)
If you’re interested in exploring medical treatments for Raynaud’s, it’s best to see a rheumatologist. These are the specialists who are most knowledgeable about the disorder as they treat the autoimmune diseases closely associated with the condition. If you haven’t been tested to determine if your Raynaud’s is the primary or secondary form (by-product of a more serious disease), a rheumatologist is the one to consult on this issue.
I hope you’ll find our information helpful. Please let me know if you have any specific questions I can address for you.
Hi, I just wondered if there was any information connecting these together. I’ve suffered from Raynaud’s since I first noticed it at age 23,was diagnosed at 30, and I’m now 53. Having had cold feet all my life, they are now throbbing with heat. I’ve had to buy bigger shoes to accommodate and relieve the pressure. Clutching at straws really but wondering if a higher body temp has caused the smaller capillaries in my feet to open? I saw the GP and am trying HRT to see if it makes a difference. I also had plantar fasciitis going on. So think I have two problems that initially I thought were one and the same. Maybe you have heard of this before?
So sorry you’re experiencing more serious issues with your Raynaud’s symptoms. While we’re not aware of any specific data studying the impact of menopause on Raynaud’s patients, as more females suffer from the condition than men, it’s not surprising that their might be some hormonal connection.
For example, for years we’ve heard that birth control pills can potentially be an issue for Raynaud’s sufferers as they can constrict blood flow. Regarding estrogen, one study from researchers at the University of Shizuoka in Japan shows estrogen can have an impact on reduced blood flow, at least in mice. Here’s more info on the study: Could Estrogen Be a Key to Raynaud’s?
We’ve also found articles and research confirming that unopposed estrogen (without added progesterone) can constrict blood flow:
Raynaud’s and Unopposed Estrogen
Raynaud’s Disease and Oral Contraceptives (in this article, the one patient who changed from a combined contraceptive pill to one with only progesterone – as opposed to stopping pills altogether like the other study participants – also saw a noticeable improvement in her Raynaud’s symptoms).
Raynaud’s Disease – Family Doctor.org (This site specifically mentions medicines that contain estrogen, such as birth control pills, as triggering development of secondary Raynaud’s.)
Based on the above information, it appears that estrogen alone is the key factor to avoid, so if you’re considering hormone therapy, consider progesterone-only pills. You don’t mention if your Raynaud’s is primary or secondary, but sufferers with more severe symptoms will more likely benefit from avoiding estrogen.
As for your symptoms, it’s not uncommon for feet to swell during Raynaud’s attacks, and – if stuck in shoes that are tight – could result in a feeling of overheating. It helps to buy shoes or boots a half to a full size larger in winter months to accommodate thicker socks and some swelling.
Whether or not your symptoms are specifically related to menopause, I really can’t say. We’re all different and Raynaud’s tends to be a very personal experience in terms of how we describe attacks and their impact on our bodies. But we did find a connection between menopause and hot feet on Medical News Today. I hope the above information is helpful!
I suffer from sensitivity to the cold. My toes, fingers and nose are constantly cold (unless wearing thick socks) and fingers go numb.
Summer is a nightmare with sandals, no socks. My toes are freezing and go numb. They then become painful. However I had a Doppler test and it was within a normal range. If my circulation is normal what could be the reason for my numb fingers, toes and constantly cold nose.
Thanks for your inquiry. First, you state that your extremities “are constantly cold.” The fact that they’ve remained continually cold and in pain as opposed to intermittent based on trigger events (exposure to cold or stress) suggests there may be another medical condition to explore. Raynaud’s attacks are not constant, they can last a few minutes or hours, but then the body recovers once we’re warm or calm again and the pain subsides.
There are other conditions with similar symptoms to Raynaud’s (e.g., color changes in the digits), so they are often confused or misdiagnosed by doctors. One is called acrocyanosis which is a vascular disorder.
If your condition is, in fact, Raynaud’s, it’s not unusual to test normal for circulatory issues. A person with the primary form of Raynaud’s (not related to a serious autoimmune disorder) generally has perfectly normal circulation except during attacks. People often refer to Raynaud’s as “having poor circulation,” but that’s not the case. For this reason, there really isn’t a definitive test to diagnose primary Raynaud’s. A doctor has to listen closely to a description of a patient’s symptoms and triggers, view the color changes in their digits from photos, or witness a live attack. Without a formal test, and there being a number of disorders with similar symptoms, getting properly diagnosed can be a frustrating process.
Wish I could be more definitive, but there’s only so much to go on from your description. To determine if your symptoms are Raynaud’s related, it’s best to consult with a rheumatologist. These are the specialists who are most knowledgeable about the condition as they treat the autoimmune diseases closely associated with secondary form of Raynaud’s. Hope that helps and you find some relief soon!
I’ve experienced primary Raynauds symptoms in my hands since a teenager but my feet haven’t been much of an issue until the last 5 years. They’ve started overheating and swelling once they get warm – too warm, and it’s limited my walking activities as they become extremely painful. I’ve seen a rheumatologist, who found no underlying issues apart form a low level marker for an “autoimmune disease.”
I look after myself well – as well as working full time, I cook my own food from scratch, exercise regularly, don’t smoke, drink very little alcohol and have a wide range of physical and artistic interests – so I have balanced life. I am rarely ill and have a good immune system, not getting colds & bugs my friends and colleagues get more easily. Do you have any ideas on what is causing my foot issues? and if so, what can I do to mitigate against them?
It does happen that Raynaud’s can spread to other extremities over time. Some people only start with a single finger that spreads to others. Some initially suffer in their toes, but later find their fingers, ears or other extremity has symptoms.
You state that when your feet get warm, they swell and overheat. Is this during recovery after a Raynaud’s attack resulting from exposure to cold temperatures, or just any time your feet get warm? It is possible during an attack that the feet will swell. If they swell significantly and shoes or boots get tight, the discomfort could potentially result in uncomfortable warmth. Raynaud’s tends to be a very personal disorder, and people describe their symptoms differently from one to the next, so it’s hard to always be able to match up someone’s description of their experience with those of others.
If this issue is the result of the warmth experienced while recovering from a Raynaud’s attack, the best defense is to try to avoid attacks in the first place – but easier said than done! It helps to learn your triggers (e.g., temperature thresholds) and dress accordingly. That includes keeping the core warm, not just the fingers and toes. The body’s response during a Raynaud’s attack is to naturally send blood to the core to protect our vital organs – it’s an exaggerated version of the flight or flight response. So if we can do a good job of warming the body’s core, it helps prevent attacks from initiating.
If the overheating and swelling is separate from your Raynaud’s attacks – maybe they surface whenever the feet are exposed to warmer temps, then it’s possible you could be suffering from a another condition called erythromelalgia. Erythromelalgia is a disorder with the opposite effect to Raynaud’s: instead of feeling cold, sufferers feel extreme warmth and burning during attacks when exposed to warm temperatures and their extremities turn red. I’m not sure if this condition has any relevance to your situation, but it may be worth reading up on. There is a theory being researched that suggests that Raynaud’s and erythromelalgia may result from similar causes. It is possible for patients to suffer from both Raynaud’s and erythromelalgia at the same time, so these conditions may in some way be connected. Like Raynaud’s, there are both primary and secondary forms (where the condition is a byproduct of a more serious disorder).
Wish I could provide a more definitive answer, but there’s still much to be learned about Raynaud’s. Please feel welcome to share more about your symptoms and their triggers and we’ll see if that leads to any additional suggestions.
We’d appreciate your feedback on our Spring 2024 RA Q&A column. Have questions for us? We’re not medical professionals or the Good Housekeeping Lab when it comes to testing products, but we’ll do our best to provide fellow Frosties with answers. Write to us at info@raynauds.org.
