LymeNet Flash: hands turning blue/purple

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»	LymeNet Flash » Questions and Discussion » Medical Questions » hands turning blue/purple

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Topic: hands turning blue/purple

Aligondo Bruce
LymeNet Contributor
Member # 6219

posted

Has anyone experienced this phenomenon: when you are outside, in cold weather, your hands turn a deathly blue/ purplish color. It happens to me (there are little patches of pinker skin interspersed) and it freaks me out.
What causes this? I've noticed that my feet also are often icy feeling (the doctor has noticed it too, btw).
Please, I need information on this.

Posts: 523 | From Stillwater,OK,USA | Registered: Sep 2004 | IP: Logged |

mjbucuk
LymeNet Contributor
Member # 843

posted

this is likely raynauds.

it should be investigated by a doctor... (I am not a health professional)

I believe it is the capillaries that respond abnormally to cold & then shrink down.

Posts: 758 | From now TX | Registered: Mar 2001 | IP: Logged |

duramater
LymeNet Contributor
Member # 6480

posted

OK, even though you called me an idiot over in General, I'll still respond.

I have this in my legs. It is or is like Raynaud's phenomenon.
http://www.niams.nih.gov/hi/topics/raynaud/ar125fs.htm

One cause of this is an autoimmune disorder (ahem). The phenomenon is likely due to a dysfunction of the autonomic nervous system which regulates the blood vessels causing the vessels to spasm.

It is unclear whether it is an ANS dysfunction caused directly by the Lyme infection or if it is due to immune dysfunction (also triggered by the infection) which affects the ANS.

When it gets bad, I use either a heating pad or hot water bottle on my legs/feet and wrap them in a fleece blanket. It usually improves in 30-60 minutes and stays pretty good for a while. You can do the same for your hands.

On a side note, I just currently started using a nitroglycerin patch for vasospasm of my coronary arteries (same mechanism as Raynaud's in peripheral limbs). Nitro increases the NO (nitric oxide) in the vessel epithelium (inner layer) which dilates the vessel reducing the spasm. My legs have been better too!

Even though we disagree on the underlying disease process, name calling gets you nowhere. After this helpful information, you might care to re-evaluate...

Posts: 689 | From western MA (we say buttER and pizzA) | Registered: Nov 2004 | IP: Logged |

Lynn Lymemom
LymeNet Contributor
Member # 19

posted

My daughter had this, too. Bad when she was bad - not as bad now that she's not as bad. Hope that's encouraging for you!

Her LLMD told her the Raynad's, too. She noticed it a lot when she got out of the shower....this was even during the summer.

Posts: 720 | Registered: Oct 2000 | IP: Logged |

long2bbetter
Member
Member # 6792

posted

My husband gets that quite often in his hands and feet. They turn a bluish purple color, they are kind of numb feeling and they are totally ice cold. I put slippers with little heat packs in them on his feet. He says it does help.

Posts: 44 | From Canada | Registered: Jan 2005 | IP: Logged |

Kara Tyson
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 939

posted

I have raynauds. It got much much worse with Lyme. I wear gloves to bed and if the weather goes below 70'ish.

You can get special handwarmers. http://www.warmmeups.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=WarmMeUps&Category_Code=foot

Posts: 6022 | From Mobile, AL | Registered: Apr 2001 | IP: Logged |

bpeck
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 3235

posted

It's not enough oxygen in the blood reaching the extremities.

There can be more than one cause - damaged vessels, or 'thick' blood (aka hypercoagulation), etc

Barb

Posts: 1882 | From VT | Registered: Oct 2002 | IP: Logged |

bobdavis
LymeNet Contributor
Member # 510

posted

I had this before they treated me for hypothyroidism.

They sent me to a heart specialist and they did a complete heart workup. Thir conclusion was there was nothing wrong with my heart, oxygen was 98%, they did not know why I was blue.

Then a blood test revealed a TSH of 8.5 and they put me on synthroid. The blue fingers ans lips went away for about 2 years. Now they are back and I need more synthroid.

Posts: 499 | From Western NY | Registered: Dec 2000 | IP: Logged |

brentb
LymeNet Contributor
Member # 6899

posted

It shows you how sick you are. There is a medical term for it and I'll look it up. At my worse my hands where purple and deep red. My llmd said they where the hands of a dead man. I believed it! Now they are bright pink and getting clearer. Also note on how quickly they turn back to the color after pushing on them. If it turns back quickly thats a good sign. Boils down to circulation problems.

Posts: 731 | From Humble,TX | Registered: Feb 2005 | IP: Logged |

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