I’m just writing if anyone gets Chillblains associated with their RA / auto immune and how you treat or manage.
I was diagnosed with RA 15 months ago, was well controlled with sub MTX but side effects bad so was taken off, now on Leflunomide and symptoms have returned, but am due to see consultant in 6 weeks ish for review.
In the past I’ve had occasional Chillblains, but currently I have them quite badly in both feet, probably 4/5 toes. Deep purple patches and v sore.
Not sure who I should speak to ie GP or Rheumy team, or whether I can just manage myself and if so could anyone recommend anything to calm them?
Added to the various other RA complications I have, these are making me utterly miserable!
Thank you for reading
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Sapphire1701
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How horrible. Chillblains are a real pain as you know but you can get them with or without added helping of RA. Best place to start is with your pharmacist who can prescribe the right potions and lotions and go onto NHS website for extra info about keeping hands and feet warm and well-wrapped etc. if you need to see a GP your pharmacist should advise you. Do hope you get rid of them soon - we all had them as children back in the very olden days and I remember scratching and shrieking as they hurt so much!
Hi Sapphire. I have Raynaud’s phenomenon which predated the RA appearing for me, but when I developed RA the Raynauds seemed to go off the scale and I had several winters with severe chilblains, one of which developed into an ulcer on the tip of my little toe. After this I was placed on medication which I take from October to start of April each year now, originally nifedipine but I struggled with side effects of dizziness and flushing, so now switched to amlodopine. Since on the medication the chilblains have been far less frequent, and last much less time when they do appear. I tend to use a small amount of 1% hydrocortisone cream on them if they do appear but only for a few days to take the worst of the sting out of them. I have also learned to avoid spending any significant amount of time outside on the really cold days and that two pairs of medium thickness socks keep your feet much warmer than one pair of thick socks (traps the warm air between the layers). On the odd occasion I have to be outside for events to do with the kids over winter I have used disposable foot warmers which you can place on bottom of your sock, but not the most comfortable to walk in! Biggest difference for me though has definitely been the medication.
Hi Sapphire, I suffered with chillblains , I found sudacrem crème gave the best results for me , also try not to put your feet near a hot fire or radiator and not to step into a hot bath with cold feet , as others have said try to keep your feet warm with woolly socks especially if you go outdoors , hope they go soon , also it’s important not to scratch them as could lead to infection ….
Please bring this to the attention of your GP or rheumatology team. When I had chilblains a few years ago my rheumatologist did some extra blood tests.
In the meantime I have found the thing that brought most relief was to rub Vicks vapour rub on my toes. It sounds a bit strange but it was recommended to me by a pharmacist and did really seem to work. He said it works in two ways, the petroleum jelly base works as a moisturiser to stop them cracking and the essential oils in it encourage circulation.
Thank you, I will try either the Vicks or Sudocrem..and yes I will speak to my rheumy team , I have to contact them tomorrow morning anyway as I had my monitoring bloods done this morning, and the GP called this PM as I have a v low WBC. Feeling quite unwell in general so hopefully will get resolved.
As bpeal1 said rub Vic vapour rub on them plus prevention is the key I think. Suffered early badly last year even blisters, so painful. So this year really taken extra care very warm thermal socks even bought some rechargeable heat foot warmers for my feet. Think the key is don’t let your feet get cold!! Also used Sudafed for the healing. Good luck with them hope they heal soon.
I suffered very badly from chilblains for years, long before the PsA diagnosis. As did much of the population before central heating. In fact I was in my early twenties when I moved from Canada where it is much colder but we have proper houses and central heating, to work here in the UK as a nanny. I was living on the top floor of a Kentish weaving hall house, no central heating and winds blowing through the side of the house that lifted the carpet on the floor!
I tried everything; creams, potions, poultices, old wives tales. Nothing worked and much made it worse.
Then one day I was browsing in a charity bookshop and came across an old Home Doctor book. No date of publication but from the decoration in the book and the brief mention of antibiotics I would say 1930s.
Unlike modern books that only briefly mention chilblains, this book had more than a page on them. They explained about the blood vessels leaking, so it was when the foot got warm, the blood flowed to the extremities and skin, and then pushed its way through the capillaries into the surrounding tissue that caused the inflammation.
They emphasised prevention. NEVER let your feet get cold it said. Wear good stout leather winter boots all year around and two pairs of socks, cotton close to the foot and wool second.
So now I wear winter boots all year round, but only the extra wool socks if I feel my feet starting to get cold. I have a larger pair of boots for those days. The rest of the time I have leather ankle boots in the summer that have modern linings, and mid calf for the winter. I find keeping my legs warm also helps.
If my feet get cold I do not warm them up, and I especially don't do any exercise or work to get the circulation going until they do slowly warm up. Even putting bed socks on already cold feet could set them off!
I always wear the boots in the house and in other people's houses too. Nothing worse that visiting a neighbour and being asked to remove your boots, then having to walk across some expensive stone or tiled floor in the kitchen. With some friends I brought my own sheepskin indoor boots!
Now if I feel that chilblain tingle I make sure my feet don't warm up, but it rarely happens now as my feet are kept warm.
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