What do you do to help your Raynaud's?

There are the obvious things you can do to alleviate raynauds by using gloves and dressing warmer in general.  Don't neglect your core because that will determine how much blood goes to your extremities.  For more severe cases there are several different meds that can help.  My case was pretty bad but I have been in remission (lupus and polymyositis) for over 5 years and my secondary raynauds has gotten much better.

If your raynauds is a secondary condition to lupus then raynauds is not flaring but responding to cold or stress.  Of course, a successful treatment for lupus should help your raynauds unless it is a primary case.

Talk to your doctor about your conditions.  Moderate warmth might help a little but don't use cold....

Bill

 

I've had Raynaud's for nearly 15 years. I find mine is primarily triggered by caffeine and of course cold temps. If I go outside where the temps are below 65, I always wear gloves. I don't have much issues with my toes, but they do turn a lovely shade of blue! lol In the winters, I sometimes take Norvasc which is a vaso-dilator. Also, in the summer - If I am in the air, I wear warmer clothes. I have a sweater that takes up permanent residence near my door. I also keep a pair of gloves or socks by the fridge, so if I need something out of the freezer, I put the socks on my hands or gloves.

I just found out that my 15 year old daughter has the beginning of Raynaud's :(

I can totally relate! It sort of feels like you dipped your hands in boiling oil huh? Maybe you can ask your doc for a vaso-dilator?

Hi~

I like to use tube socks filled with feed corn heated in the microwave wrapped in a towel. And my neuro prescribed neurontin which has helped the boiled in oil burning immensely.

hugs,

suetoo

Hi~ Sherry,
No, not at all. In fact, I felt immensely better within 5 days of starting it, and when I had started Plaquenil 3 months earlier, I noticed a big improvement in my joint pain within 2 weeks. I am very med tolerant, too.
hugs,
suetoo

I've been in a bad flare these last two days.
Raynauds hitting every few minutes, Constant headache, temperture actually dropping lower than normal (75.1), fatigue so bad I didn't want to leave my chair and random joint pains.

I am not going to go like I've done this last week again. That was just too much on me.

I do the "rice sock" thing, where you put dry, uncooked rice in a sock, tie the end, and microwave it. I usually use that, however for my eye's compress, when my bursitis gets real bad. But it can certainly help with hands, too.

You don't want your fingers to stay frozen for too long - it can hurt the vessels. Swinging them around, "power-walking" and pumping those arms like Jane Fonda is cheering you on will help to bring the blood back to your fingers.

Also, and this is KEY to my survival in NYC winter: I order handwarmers online in bulk and always carry a set and a ziplock baggie in my backpack. They last for up to 8 hours, but you can slip mid-used ones in air-tight ziplock baggies and they'll stay good for at least a few more days, until you use them again..... I don't buy fur, but I gave in and bought fur-lines shearling mittens for winter, and use those with glove liners and handwarmers in winter. And I ALWAYS carry the liners with me, even in summer - darned air conditioning!

I found out if I'm having a really hard time I can run warm water over them and they feel better. I've also resorted to sitting on them for a little bit to warm them up.
I'm going to try that handshaking idea. This winter I'm going to get some of those handwarmers. It doesn't get real cold until December down south.