deep purple fingers and toes

 i, I'm new to the forum. I actually never have been on this site before. I did a search for a lupus site and this one looked like a good one, after reading the posts. I did the search because I'm really concerned about my fingers and toes being purple due to circulation, I guess. I've tried talking to all of my Doctors. I had a rather strange episode last week, and went to the emergency room. That's a whole different story, but needless to say, they didn't answer my purple situation. My right index finger is now staying this deep purple 99% of the time, the other 1% is when it is completely white. It hurts tremendously every night. It pulsates and hurts like a smashed finger. Now  some of my other fingers are starting to turn purple part of the time and my left hand fingers are always a deep red. My toes also go between red, white and you guessed it, purple. They don't always hurt, but when my feet start hurting I usually have to put it under hot water, or blow it with a blow dryer. That doesn't help my right index finger anymore. Does anyone know what I can do, and if this is something dangerous?  It must not be, as none of the doctors seem concerned, but I am very concerned. Please help.

Azrose,

Although Raynaud's is a condition that affects many people with lupus, it can also be a condition all on it's own. My 21 year old daughter has it. She's tall and thin and has the longest fingers and toes I've ever seen, and the poor thing suffers in the winter when they get purple and hurt. I found some sleep socks at Bath & Body Works and she sleeps in them at night. They are thick, soft, and warm.

For more information, google Raynaud's. Here's a site I found that might help you understand the condition:

www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/dci/Diseases/raynaud/ray_what.html

Lots of folks here have it & will be able to share their experiences with you. I've have a very mild case for 20 years and don't even notice it. If it really bothers you, ask your doctor to refer you to a rheumatologist.

Take care. I'm glad you found this forum & hope you'll stick around.

Pat

I have had Raynaud's syndrome for many years, along with Lupus (mixed connective tissue disorder.) I lost the end of my right pointer finger about 20 years ago, and lost part of the flesh on my left pointer finger about 10 years later. I understand completely when you say that the fingers and toes hurt so terribly. My rheumatologist put me on Procardia, which is a calcium channel blocker, to help with the Raynaud's symptoms. It actually did some good, although it didn't solve the problem completely. In 2003 I had a wonderful hand surgeon in Melbourne Florida who did surgery at the wrist level to reverse the blood flow into my hands. The arteries became veins, and the veins became arteries. That helped quite a bit, because at that point I was having episodes all the time and was in danger of losing more fingers. Talk to your doctor about the calcium chanel blockers. They may help quite a bit.
Doreen Boles

Thanks for your replies. They are all very helpful. I went on the site that Pattylatty suggested. It was very helpful. According to the site there are 2 types of Raynaud's. The first one sounds what I had been like for most of the 20 (actually, I was thinking about it and it's been 30 years), anyway the 2nd one sounds what I am going thru now. It's pretty much 24/7 that it is affecting me. I can't get over how painful it is. I am calling my rheumatologist today, and ask about the medications and treatments that doreen boles wrote about. I am actually worried that I could lose the tip of my pointer finger, too. It is the one that hurts the most. My skin on the sides of my fingers are very hard. So thank you all for responding. I did get a call last night from the emergency room Doctor that I saw last week, when I had a different type of episode, and he said that my sed rate was very high. So maybe they are tied together. Thanks again. I've been doing alot of reading on the forum and everyone is so comforting and helpful at the same time.

Rose

Thanks. I have actually seen 3 doctors in the last 3 weeks, including 1 ER, and a rheumatologist at Barrow's St. Joseph's in Phoenix, which is supposed to be world renown. I guess my other problems were more important at the time. I'm seeing my rheumatologist next Wed. Tonight has been especially bad. My middle finger and index finger are both almost black. They are pulsating so....bad. My left hand is completely white and my right hand is red and black. The doctors don't seemed concerned. That's why I wrote in. I thought maybe it wasn't as bad as I think it is. But the pain keeps telling me otherwise. It's always worse in the evening, with tonight qualifying as the worst. I just took aspirin to see if it would help the pain. Hopefully, it will be okay until next week. It's just that I'm worried that it'll be like taking the car to a mechanic, it'll look and feel perfectly normal when I go to the Dr. and he'll think I'm crazy. As I'm sure anyone with autoimmune illness' have experienced. Isn't that the worst part. After all these years, I still can't get past those insecurities of nobody believing me. The feeling like everyone will think I'm just being a hypochondriac. I wonder if that ever goes away. Probably not until there is a cure to embody all autoimmune diseases. Even on this post I see myself trying to explain it so anyone reading it will believe me. Oh well, like I said, I'm sure most of you know what I mean. Anyway, thanks and just say a prayer, that a week from now will be ok.

Rose

Visit the ER before you loose those appendages! I can't believe it's nothing if they are black.