Cold feet and hands

[higgy52]

Really suffer in winter with cold feet and hands, think it's Warfarin or Ramipril, any idea witch one is the culprit.

Thanks

[doodle68]

Hi higgy52 I would guess it is down to Ramapril which can slow the pulse and reduce blood pressure .

I am on beta blockers which do a similar thing and I have developed cold hands and feet.

[higgy52 in reply to doodle68]

Thanks doodle,

will have to see with i can swap it for another drug, as you know its a pain in winter

[jeanjeannie50]

Higgy, I had extremely cold feet and hands and blamed it on warfarin or my heart not beating properly in AF. I discovered last summer that I had an underactive thyroid and since being prescribed pills for that am so much better. I have more energy too. Jean

[Happyhoppy in reply to jeanjeannie50]

Yeah, poor thyroid function is definitely what does it for me too. I have been on total thyroid replacement medication for over 25 years and the way I tell whether I need to top up my dose is when I get cold....it's a different sort of cold from feeling chilly, it's a feeling of being cold from the inside out!

[higgy52 in reply to Happyhoppy]

yes i know what you mean

[higgy52 in reply to jeanjeannie50]

thanks jean, iv,e got over active thyroid, could be warfarin as it thins your blood

[Hidden]

Why not have a word with your pharmacist?

Mine told me to see my doctor about my cold feet. I'd thought it was too trivial a thing to mention, but when I did my doctor took my pulse. It was quite slow and he changed my medication. And here I am a bit puzzled because I took atenolol and lisinopril at the time and he halved my atenolol and doubled the lisinopril. I wasn't on warfarin as I was only being treated for high blood pressure at that time.

I went on to develop an annoying little cough and the lisinopril was subsequently changed to losartan.

Do you get chilblains?

[Hidden]

I'm on Warfarin and Bisoprolol for AF. Almost certainly in my case it's Bisoprolol. I'm also on Ramipril for blood pressure.

Sometimes my heart rate drops to as low as 46, mostly though it chugs away at 65.

John

[CaroleF]

I don't take either of your medications but when taking bisoprolol my hands were always freezing cold. My feet were always OK. I sought advice here and received many helpful replies.

I guess the best thing is to find a medication and dose which doesn't have this side effect for you (we're all different), but I found the following helped with the cold hands.

1. Wearing fingerless compression gloves. They are advertised as being for people with Raynauld's disease and arthritis and are available on sites like Amazon.

2. Buying a couple of small bags made from fleece fabric filled with cherry stones. (lavender would work too) They can be heated up in the microwave. I got mine at a craft fair, but they would be dead easy to make.

[wilsond in reply to CaroleF]

Wheat works too

[doodle68]

I can't say cold hands and feet bother me and I find it a small price to pay for lower BP and a possible improvement in episodes of AF . I wouldn't want to change my medication for this, I might get worse side effects.

They make such great 'fun' wooly socks these days which go over my winter tights and I have invested in a woolen car blanket for the times I am sitting still.

My hands are busy cooking so I don't notice they are cold so much .

[Hidden]

Must say I had a very torrid time when I first went on Bisoprolol ( 5 mg daily, and still is this dose). The coldness was beyond belief, hands and feet. I used to go to bed with the electric blanket on, hug a hot water bottle ( yeah - I know) and have socks and gloves on. In addition, I'd get random nose bleeds, and sleep for England. All at different times of course. Initially I thought that was due to Warfarin. Went to my GP and she looked up in her book of magic potions and brews and said take Bisoprolol at night. Up till this point I'd been taking it at breakfast as instructed by the cardiologist in the very first place.

No more problems.

Yes I still get the occasional coldness and the HR drops, can be as low as 46 but usually around 50 ish. I'm now 73 and still work 30 to 40 hours a week, very active and occasionally when the HR drops I just go to bed, hug a hot water bottle (with no electric blanket on) and have a mug of sweet coffee. Sleep takes over for an hour or so, then I get up and am fine.

At no time do I get problems when I'm working at all, always when I'm at home relaxing. I'm in Cornwall, UK and often get out on the walking trails of the South West Coastal Path - no problems.

My average BP is now 125/70, down from a pre AF BP of 136/88

John

[eleanor--1941]

Hello Higgy,

Me too,I take Rivaroxaban,which is an Anticoagulant like Wafarin and do I suffer!!

A few nights recently even with the heating on,I have been sitting with my woolly scarf and gloves,and fur lined boots,almost crying,My feet and hands actually nip with the cold,rest of my body fine.Mind you I live in

Stirlingshire,Scotland,which does not help.

A hot water bottle helps,one for your hands and one for your feet.

Remember an Anticoagulant and cold feet and hands are better than a devastating Stroke,one of the things we have to put up with.

Keep well.

Eleanor,X

[higgy52]

Hi Eleanor,

the best way iv'e found to warm feet up is to have a hot bath or put feet in bowl of hot water for 10 min then put socks and slippers on quick, , my wife sits all night with no socks or slippers on and her feet are still warm

[akenclark]

I am on neither of those drugs (but I am an plenty of others!) Even in the heat of summer my feet are cold at bedtime and I need bed-socks. To my amazement, socks are faster and better than burrowing my feet under a heavy folded blanket! So the trick is to find a pair that is soft and warm and just the right level of tightness so they do not slip off while you are asleep but do not restrict circulation in any way. When I need a pair quickly I will take fairly thick gym socks and cut the elastic so it is loose around the ankles. May be of marginal help. God Bless.

[gragsdellforme]

Warfarin doesn't affect me that way, but I have a friend that was so cold, her "teeth chattered" on Warfarin. She switched to Xaralto . My late husband took it for a while and he had cold feet. Not fun sleeping with someone with cold feet. He later was switched to aspirin. I hope you find the answer.

[supergranny]

I'm not on Warfarin any more but my hubby is and he is always cold, not just hands and feet!

[silversurfer1951]

Interesting thread. I have "blamed" everything for my cold hands and feet - when I changed from Ramipril to Candasarten it didn't improve it. On or off Rivaroxaban made no difference either. Had a catheter ablation three months ago - no change. The only two drugs that I have remained on are Pravastatin and Bisoprolol. Perhaps it is one of them. Roll on summer when it goes away.

[wilsond]

Are you on bisoprolol?i know that causes same symptoms.I find hot lemon with grated fresh ginger in helps,as a tea xx