very cold fingers and feet

[bushy2016]

Hi all Ive had PAF and heart failure since last may and the recent cold spell Ive been out and my fingers and feet felt so cold, I couldnt feel the tips of my fingers, my finger shrank so much my ring fell off!!! and when I got back home the pain was excruciating in my fingers does anyone else suffer from this? or is it my medication taken ? apixaban, ramipril, furosemide, spironolactone. carvedilol, lansoprazole, monopril

[Barry24]

Hi Bushy,

I am not medically trained, however l would point the finger at your beta blocker, well known fact that this drug causes coldness of the extremities.

Regards

Barry

[Winterlong in reply to Barry24]

Thanks Barry

[tibetan36]

Hi Bushy

It could be a side effect of any or all of those meds combined or just plain freezing weather your out in.

If you read up on the side effects of those meds it may or may not be mentioned in there re coldness. That doesn't mean you should remove coldness from being part reason. My GP thinks if a side effect is not on the list then that's not a cause of the proble.........total crap I think.......

Cheers

Barry

[Finvola]

It could be caused by a combination of the beta blocker, impaired circulation and cold weather. I take Bisoprolol and I've had problems with chilblains on my fingers and the feeling that they had 'died', especially when working with cold surfaces.

I do a lot of walking in a cold, windy environment and use army surplus winter mittens (really warm!) and boots which are one size too large, allowing air to be trapped between 2 pairs of socks. When possible I also use a warming pad, cushion or bottle just slightly above blood temperature to stop my fingers from dying - eg when chopping very cold vegetables. It seems to work as I've had no problems so far this winter.

The trick might be to keep your hands and feet from beginning to feel even slightly cold and nip the cooling down before it becomes painful. It's a nuisance but worth working at. Best wishes.

[Goldfish_]

The carvedilol is the likely culprit. Maybe change to diltiazem

[bushy2016 in reply to Goldfish_]

Cant take that with heart failure

[icklebud99]

Betablocker Bisoprolol cause my feet to freeze, takes a basin of hot water to get them warm again, nothing else works.

[Rellim296 in reply to icklebud99]

I'm prone to chilblains so personally I'd be very very cautious with cold feet and hot water. The combination can be such an invitation if you get the beastly things and it might be an idea to start with water that is short of lukewarm and add hotter gradually. But I once noted (somewhat smugly in view of my advancing years) that they are a young person's ailment and perhaps not everyone gets afflicted.

[Finvola in reply to Rellim296]

I found water and finger chilblains didn't go together and I used to put both frozen hands into my (naked) armpits!! Agony for the armpits at first blast but it warmed the poor fingers. It goes without saying that I performed this maneuver only in private.

[Rellim296 in reply to Finvola]

That's brave! Virtually Impossible for the feet, sadly. If I've cold extremities at night, I've always found my husband a very useful source of warmth, although sometimes I can be so cold that I feel obliged to get as close as possible without making contact. It's best to marry someone who sleeps soundly if you feel the cold!

[Nickibmibile]

I too am feeling the cold really badly this year, the only "new" medication is Warfarin so I assumed it was the culprit but maybe not.

[Hidden]

I take metropolol and warfarin and have the same problem,,,,first time ever the pain in nose fingers and feet was so bad,,,,I Hate to go outside under 45 degrees,,,especially when windy,,,,heavy socks and gloves and a scarf wrapped over my face and I can just about bear it,,,,,also have a HR near 50 most days due to meds and think that has a lot to do with it,,,your circulation not so great anymore????

[bushy2016 in reply to Hidden]

My heart rate is around the 50s so yes it might be the poor circulation

[higgy52]

yes i take Ramipril as well, [ work outside and get cold feet and fingers and chilblanes on toes, its a pain for 4 months of year, have to put feet in hot water before i go out, good luck

[NiceNana]

I also suffer with frozen fingers when walking the dogs this time of year. I ordered a pair of NASA thermal gloves from easylifegroup.com (they also do socks). You wear them under your usual gloves or socks. Best £6.99 that I have spent. I wore them for the first time yesterday and my hands stayed warm!

[julia14]

I take Ramipril and Beta Blockers and also suffer from cold hands and feet even indoors during the winter, when at home and not active I usually massage my feet and find contact with a warm hot water bottle is a help outside can be a nightmare it is horrible because even when walking fast and my body is warm but my hands and feet are numb really weird, so I found two pairs of gloves and socks help especially small surgical gloves as they seem to trap the heat also scarf and hat and most important is to keep your chest and back warm so thermal underwear usual jumper or top and a gilet or added layer of a knitted waistcoat under a padded coat as once your vital organs are warm the body allows the blood to flow to legs and arms and do not forget to keep your mouth covered.

. Keep Warm

[Tapanac]

Yes I also have freezing cold feet, even indoors in the warm, and also when I go out or feel chilly inside my fingers go white and cold and numb. I can't think what it is as I am on the same medication that I have been on for a number of years and it has only started this last winter. Hope you or someone find the cause.

I did wonder if it could have been the anti-coagulants, but there is nothing to suggest that in the list of side effects. I am also on 1.25mg bisoprolol, 25mgs losartan, 20 mgs furosemide and was on 15mgs rivaroxaban, but in the last couple of weeks EP changed to 5mgs twice a day Apixaban. Oh and levythyroxine, but as I say have been on these for a few years.

Since my ablation 13 months ago my heart rate varies between 32 during the night and 51/52 during the day, perhaps poor circulation.

Good luck to you

[Crystalbowl]

I started having very cold hands and feet though hands worse than feet. Supposedly partly due to poor circulation due to HF but the Cardiac GP that I see said it was probably the Bisoprolol and changed it to Carvedilol but it hasn’t helped. Have recently had a CRT-p implant which doesn’t seem to have helped but go for a check up later today so will ask a few questions about all this!