Raynauld's disease-numb fingers/toes

[shootingstar]

It was disappointing tonight. I had my numb fingers episode...so much that I could not join my partner to cycle home ...who cycled to meet me half way enroute at my bike locker when I get off the train during part of the trek home. I just couldn't feel my bike brake levers, barely snap on my helmet straps, etc.

It bothers me when this happens. It's only about 10-15 degrees above freezing. Same temp. as last night but I was fine and rode home...first bike work commute in past few ...wks.!

So I jumped onto the commuter train with bike because I couldn't cycle safely with such numb fingers (it would have been a 20 kms. ride in the dark, different turns /detours not just 1 straight road homeward.)


This worries me. Feels like a mild unpredictable disability.

[Crankin]

I know that this is an old thread, but I think some of the posters were confused when I described Scott's surgery. The usual surgery is major and involves cracking the rib cage. What he had was a laser or other micro instrument (this was 6 years ago) go in through a teeny incision in his armpit. They cut the vagus nerve, I believe. He was up the whole time and it took less than an hour. In fact, after the surgery, which was in San Antonio, Scott and my husband drove to Austin for dinner, wanting to see the place where Lance was from. Well, this was at the height of "Lance mania." The next morning he went to the doctor to get checked out and then they flew home.
I felt so bad that I sort of ignored him when he was complaining about his hands! I had never heard of Raynaud's, although now I have come to know several people who have it. He never took to the cold weather when we moved here from AZ and I really thought it was just his way of complaining a little more, even though it had been years! He researched the whole surgery thing on his own, on the web, contacted the insurance company, to see if they would pay, and then convinced my husband to use our frequent flyer points to fly to Texas for it. I give him credit, since he was only 17 at the time. It really was compromising the quality of his life.

[Andrea]

I'm pretty sure I've got raynaud's, but after reading about drug treatments, I have decided I'll just live with it. Sometimes it makes winter riding complete torture, but I don't think I could tolerate drugs that could lower my blood pressure since I tend to be a little on the low side already. I'd end up like those fainting goats you read about on the internet...

[Jolt]

Here's a tip that I learned a few weeks ago from one of the docs at my clinical: he advises his patients with Raynaud's to wear a turtleneck or a scarf and apparently that helps, something to do with where the nerves are that control vasoconstriction. I haven't really tested this out yet but it's worth a try. Also, magnesium is said to possibly help; I'm about to start taking this for an unrelated reason but it will be interesting to see if it cuts down on the vasospasm episodes (that would be a nice bonus) given that it is now the season where they tend to happen. I'll have to report back.

[shootingstar]

Here's a tip that I learned a few weeks ago from one of the docs at my clinical: he advises his patients with Raynaud's to wear a turtleneck or a scarf and apparently that helps, something to do with where the nerves are that control vasoconstriction. I haven't really tested this out yet but it's worth a try.

Let us know. I do think part of my problem is just feeling tense. I sat in a bus station last night for an hr. after walking in for only 10 min. My fingers were still numb for next 1/2 hr. And it's not even freezin' yet.

[Aggie_Ama]

I'm pretty sure I've got raynaud's, but after reading about drug treatments, I have decided I'll just live with it. Sometimes it makes winter riding complete torture, but I don't think I could tolerate drugs that could lower my blood pressure since I tend to be a little on the low side already. I'd end up like those fainting goats you read about on the internet...

Yeah, I am on Inderal right now and I feel like a moron kind of foggy. Low BP makes me feel really funky, I am not liking it at all. I wonder if I am on my way to being a fainting goat?

On a side note, my meds say not to take if you have Raynauld's, before last week I wouldn't have known what that was.