the answer to my constant coldness...especially hands!
there have been lots of commercials about lupus on tv lately. so i checked it out online & i'm pretty sure i don't have it :) but something related to it i thought i did. i had a doc apt on tuesday to get a mole shaved so i asked her & she thought it seemed highly probable. i kinda wish she would have mentioned it a couple years ago but that's cool, no other doc has ever offered it as a "solution" before.
Primary Raynaud's (disease):
Raynaud's phenomenon (pronounced /reɪˈnoʊz/, us dict: rā·nōz′) is a vasospastic disorder causing discoloration of the fingers, toes, and occasionally other areas. This condition can also cause nails to become brittle with longitudinal ridges. Named for French physician Maurice Raynaud (1834–1881), the phenomenon is believed to be the result of vasospasms that decrease blood supply to the respective regions. Emotional stress and cold are classic triggers of the phenomenon.
It comprises both Raynaud's disease (also known as "Primary Raynaud's phenomenon") where the phenomenon is idiopathic,[1] and Raynaud's syndrome (secondary Raynaud's), where it is caused by some other instigating factor. Measurement of hand-temperature gradients is one tool used to distinguish between the primary and secondary forms. It is possible for the primary form to progress to the secondary form. In extreme cases, the secondary form can progress to necrosis or gangrene of the fingertips.
Raynaud's disease, or "Primary Raynaud's", is diagnosed if the symptoms are idiopathic, that is, they occur by themselves and not in association with other diseases. Some refer to Primary Raynaud's disease as "being allergic to coldness". It often develops in young women in their teens and early adulthood [i've been cold all my life. when i was a kid, i hated to get out of bed until the heater was on, so i could make a tent with a blanket & get dressed under it]. Primary Raynaud's is thought to be at least partly hereditary, although specific genes have not yet been identified [could be. i don't know half my dna since dad was adopted & left us when i was young. i bet it's where the migraines are from, my moms side seems healthy].
Smoking worsens frequency and intensity of attacks [good thing i quit about 3 years ago!], and there is a hormonal component. Caffeine also worsens the attacks [haven't ever noticed this, but possible. have to investigate more. like is it worse while you're drinking it or hours later?]. Sufferers are more likely to have migraine and angina than controls [ HELLO!! migraines anyone?].
The phenomenon is more common in women than men, with the Framingham Study finding that 5% of men and 8% of women suffer from it.
Treatment: i could take pills if i had it really bad or secondary type. the pills are blood pressure meds which i've tried for migraines and almost put me to sleep forever since my blood pressure is already oddly low. plus they obviously didn't help the migraines either. my doc said to stay warm. i guess that's a reason it's so hard to move from down here. can't really afford hawaii :(
3 comments:
Have you had your heart ultra sounded? If you have a poorly pumping or leaking heart or a hole in your heart, this would also account for every one of your symptoms including migraines, low blood pressure and coldness.
yeah i've been mri'd, ultrasounded and all that back when i first started with this stuff in my teens.
i don't mind there not being an actual hands on "reason" i get migraines or am cold. i've accepted it as the body i was given :) just happy i don't have other stuff..but everything changes so who knows. i don't really want any pills i have to take daily - like how you are..they just mess you up more it seems. eating healthy, sleeping, exercise, petting cats & trying to have a good work enviroment are the main things i think help with your health. not the labels docs give or the pills.
Glad you got to the bottom of this! Guess you don't have to wonder anymore.
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