my fingers have been so cold ! The only relief that I'm getting is with wearing a thick winter glove,
I recently started sepira--could this be a herx? a cruel hoax?
Posted by Aniek (Member # 5374) on :
Have you had your thryoid tested? Could be hypothryoid.
Posted by lyme_suz on :
Hmmm. I have been dignoses with hypothyroid. I am taking 300mg levoxyl.
We moved this summer and I haven't been to dr, for that. Good idea. thanks
Posted by Kara Tyson (Member # 939) on :
You could have raynaud's syndrome. It is when the small arteries constrict tightly in response to cold.
There are some Rx calcium channel blockers that you can take, but most people either wear mittens or take Hawthorn Berry herb.
Posted by Kara Tyson (Member # 939) on :
Posted by hatsnscarfs (Member # 6562) on :
I have had the same problem in my hands & feet. The last few months the weather has been really warm and my hands stopped getting cold. My feel were OK as long as I didn't walk on a cold floor or let air-conditioning blow on them in the car.
Now I'm up north on vacation and the temperature has dropped. My hands are frozen along with the rest of me. This afternoon I was wearing 2 fleece jackets, a neck warmer, fleec headband and gloves. I guess its back to wearing gloves all the time again.
This cold hand problem has improved over the last year. I find I do better if I wear gloves before my hands get really cold. I have gotten all different weights of gloves since I wear them so often. hatsnscarfs
Posted by AlisonP (Member # 7771) on :
Sometimes when I get this really bad in my fingers and feet I take a shot of cayenne tincture in water (just slug it back and make faces). It really helps with circulation. Also red clover is good for this.
Chhers,
Ali
Posted by Mathias (Member # 5298) on :
Had that symptom for months. Could be the lyme, could be a co-infection. With treatment it went away for me.
Posted by seibertneurolyme (Member # 6416) on :
See the thread I posted about Lyme/Chemical Sensitivity. There is an explanation there of how the Lyme affects the thyroid levels.
Also see the thread regarding Iodine supplements -- needed to make the thyroid function properly -- Dr C in Missouri has found many Lymies are iodine deficient.
Bea Seibert
Posted by Lyddie on :
Raynaud's , as described above, causes cold, white fingers and toes,from blood vessel constirction, and oversensitivity to cold. When the blood vessels re-dilate, the fingers and toes turn very red, sort of rainbow-colored actually, in our expereince.
There are two kinds of Raynaud's, one is Raynaud's phenomenon and the other is Raynaud's syndrome, I think....one is "primary" meaning the main problem, and the other is "secondary" meaning it is due to another medical problem, and will go away if that problem is resolved.
Lyme, lupus and other autoimmune problems (including those triggered by Lyme), thryoid problems and probably lots of other factors can cause this.
In our experience, the Raynaud's has improved with abx. We think playing the guitar has helped too!
Posted by Andie333 (Member # 7370) on :
I was suffering badly from cold fingers and toes but seem to have found a solution for my hands.
I recently saw a product advertised in an in-flight magazine -- something called Wristies. They cover your wrists and palms but leave your fingers free for typing, driving, knitting, etc.
They're made of fleece and were developed by a 10-year-old girl who's now got a nice business selling them. I was surprised that they keep my fingers warmer, since they leave them still exposed. But they do cover the pulse points on the wrist, and I think that has a lot of benefit.
I have NO stake in the product at all but now own several pairs of them -- the long and short version. They're reasonably priced, and the company's great to deal with.
Their address is: wristies.com
Stay warm!
Andie
Posted by char (Member # 8315) on :
Thanks Andie,
Fingers are better if I don't let them get cold. but I may get these gloves. Been thinking about this type, but mainly seen this style in Harley biker gloves....Maybe I will get a Harley and drive away! Ha Ha
Kara-
How I love you visual aids. I am so happy and surprised when they pop up. Like a split second brain vacation.
Thanks everybody. Spring is coming. Hang in there.
Char
Posted by Andie333 (Member # 7370) on :
Char, If anything, people use these under their gloves as sort of extra liners...or at home.
They're fleece (did I mention that). I got a pair in a very intense purple (just to get some color in my world). I think that would be beautiful with a Harley!
Andie
Posted by hatsnscarfs (Member # 6562) on :
I had cold or frozen hands and feet since I got Lyme. Just the last few months (16th month of abx) I warmed up.
Sometimes a portion of my thumb or a toe would turn yellow and frozen.
Here's how I got through this symptom. Always wear heavy gloves outside. Lighter gloves when possible inside (I like fleece). Keep arms and wrists warm. A friend made me some wristies like Andie got. I also bought some cotton leg warmers on ebay. I always wear them an my ankles but when my hands where really cold I wore them on my wrists too.
During winter I used instant heaters (the kind you unwrap and they stay hot 12 hrs.)in my gloves. I would keep then on my desk at work since my hands would freeze as soon as I took my gloves off. I would rest my hands on the heaters most of the day. I bought 100 pairs when they were on sale at sierratradingpost.com (they were 88 cents a pair). Great deals on gloves too in their outlet.
Hot baths helped a lot. One time I had to soak my feet in a hot bath during a heat wave because my feet were absolutely frozen. I had trouble wearing sandals last summer since despite the heat any breeze would freeze my toes!
Sometimes my hands would get shriveled and prunelike. I often felt like my hands had been dehydrated. I always drank lots of water. Finally the symptom went away. Hooray. I think it was yet another Lyme thing.
Hoping you warm up soon, hats
Posted by DolphinLady (Member # 6275) on :
When my feet were really cold I'd sprinkle cayenne powder in my Uggs. Worked for me.
I would not use it in gloves! For cold fingers I let hot water run over my hands for a bit.
Posted by vachick (Member # 8353) on :
My fingers and toes get very cold (my hands and feet, too) and when I run them under warm water they HURT like pins and needles.
About two years ago, I took something out of the freezer and looked down to see some of my fingers completely white! They were also numb. This came out of the blue...before then I just had cold fingers and toes.
Turns out to be Reynaud's...perhaps from Lyme or some other autoimmune disorder (been diagnosed with Fibro which could mean anything).
Keep fingers covered with gloves when it is cold out and stay away from touching cold things without gloves.
Posted by map1131 (Member # 2022) on :
Thank you so much for this thread. It's exactly what I needed to read.
New tick bites 5/05. By August I'm having hand and feet problems. In Dec I was waking up in the night with horrific pain in my hands. The worse lyme pain I've felt in 6 yrs. My alternative doc has helped some with the really bad pain. But he hasn't been able to make it go away.
My internist doc is involved now. Especially since I also have a recurring bite site from one of those ticks that turns from scar to tick bite every 30 days. There's got to be connection.
Take care, Pam
Posted by groovy2 (Member # 6304) on :
Hi all
I had cold hands- feet all the time-- Hands would go totally numb
After a few months of including Babs treatment the cold hands-numbness- and tingles are gone--
Having one co infection can make you 3 times as sick--Jay--
Posted by lymelady (Member # 6207) on :
When I am killing babesia/lyme my extremeties get very cold, fingers, toes and even eyes. Early symptom of lyme for me was occasional bouts of Raynaud's in my fingers. Even moved my computer away from the window due to cold air causing spasms in fingers which then turned blue and went numb. lymelady
Posted by char (Member # 8315) on :
lymelady!
I have had the cold eyeballs, too. Not too bad, but they are cold now just thinking of it.
So validating, I thought I was alone with my freezing little eyes.
I hate putting my hands under cold water, and now that I am getting out and about, I can tell you which public bathrooms have the hottest and quickest to get warm hot water faucets. Our Border's is good. Dr. office is not so great.
When my hands are cold, deep pressure pushing on them or tight gloves feel good and it seems more like painy tingling than cold, but cold.
Glad to hear that this gets better with treatment.
Posted by Shar (Member # 2619) on :
Having just researched more info I ever thought i would on thyroid problems, because i just HAD thyroid cancer...300mg of levoxyl is a huge dose.
I am still VERY HYPO (tsh 44 amd climbing last Friday) and they put me on 150 Synthroid, I started on Tuesday. The generic levoxyl, often causes tsh level changes and you may not be responding to whatever is in the batch you are taking.
Maybe you are hypo. I am and I am freezing!!! I also have nueropathy, so hot pads and baths makes it worse. Get checked...this is nothing to mess around with.
Best to you...sorry, i for got your name!!! (SUE?)
Posted by Big B (Member # 8229) on :
Cold fingers? Sounds like me. Of course, I get a really warm core temperature, but freezingly cold extremeties, so I would like to walk around in shorts, no shirt, and heavy gloves.
I'm 21. My youthful vanity won't allow it.
As far as the source of the problem, it could be Lyme, it could be amalgam illness.
Could be both.
The question is, are you better off heating up your hands with gloves or letting them adjust to the cold temp? I like to go as long as I can gloveless to 'train' them before protecting them. I live in the mildly cold climate of Pittsburgh, so if you're living in northern Minnesota forget 'training.'
![[Wink]](wink.gif)