Raynauds criteria!

[Zelda5]

On Tues. a new Endocrinologist that I saw for the first time said that I have Raynauds, but I don't think I do. I saw her to get my thyroid meds lined out. I told her the tips of my fingers and toes on occasion go numb ( not necessarily from the cold) and my feet is often cold and if my feet are cold then the rest of me gets cold, which is common for a lot of people, I think. Anyway, she looked at my hands and feet and felt for what I assume was my pulse in my feet. I've had a negative ANA in the past, with a normal ESR and a high C-RP. I do have an antibody associated with liver disease (AMA-M2) but was neg on liver bx for the disease that its associated with PBC and I have Hashimoto's thyroid. That's it as far as autoimmunity goes except the Endometriosis, if that is indeed an autoimmune condition. However, my hands that I can ever recall have they ever turned blue or white like the pics I saw on the net when cold. She mentioned the capillaries in my hand or something but except for the severe dryness to me looks normal.

[LarryDahlka]

another possibility which is probably more likely is Peripheral Neuropathy. It not only causes numbness, but also makes your feet feel cold and is often secondary to Diabetes. The testing for it is done with an electrode testing the ability for impulses to travel through a nerve.

[Zelda5 in reply to LarryDahlka]

I don't have diabetes, but after reading your comment, I looked it up and it said it could be caused from other things too, including metabolic disorders, which Im being checked for and your right that would make more sense than Raynauds. Thanks!

[LarryDahlka in reply to Zelda5]

It can also be from dioxin exposure. Many Vietnam Vets got it from Agent Orange, a herbicide they used in the war and elsewhere to get rid of foliage.

[Hidden]

I have pretty much the same thing as you - also Hashimoto's hypothyroid - supposedly adequately controlled by 100mcg levothyroxine according to lab ranges. My toes go white in the bath and my fingers go white occasionally but that's the height of it - although I hate going near fridges or freezer sections of supermarkets and I get chilled inside often now.

At night my peripheries burn as if soaked in acid. I feel often as if have been poisoned but can't see how really. I was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis four years ago but the symptoms of this have gone away now after heavy duty medication which I failed to tolerate in the end.

I've been told I have small fiber neuropathy although all the nerve conduction and cryoglobuin tests etc have proved negative. Also all my autoantibody tests are negative now. My CRP is raised but was high when RA was active, not sure about ESR as they won't test it here but where I used to live it was often very high.

I'm on BP med now and my rheumatologist has advised that Amlopodine should be added to address the Raynauds at same time. My liver is playing up just now - I think it may be because I'm taking paracetamol regularly though. I have an urgent referral to urology because of microscopic haematuria with symptoms of a UTI but no sign of infection. I don't know where any of this is going but it's driving me vaguely nuts anyhow!

Could the test with the capillaries be the nail fold test where they put some oil on your nails and look at them through a microscope?

[Zelda5 in reply to Hidden]

No microscope was used, she just had me to fan my fingers and she just looked at them was all. She also diagnosed me as having Catecholaminergic Polymorphic Ventricular Tachycardia which also with no labs or a stress test that is mentioned in articles about diagnosing this disease. This makes me leary of this Dr. and maybe she needs to explain how she came to that assumption when I see her next.

[Hidden]

Yes I would certainly think so! It's my understanding that this is the specialist area for a rheumatologist rather than an endocrinologist. Twitchy

[missymystique]

raynaud's can be due to hashimoto's (secondary)

mine has stopped since I started levothyroxine (1 year) and as long as it's balanced I dont have it

[Zelda5 in reply to missymystique]

If you don't mind, how were you diagnosed with Raynaud's?

[missymystique in reply to Zelda5]

if you don't have white/purple color change it can't be raynauds. the numbness is simply poor circulation. you'd know if you had raynauds. shame it's not possible to put a picture here

[missymystique]

it was so obvious

a few of my fingers were getting completely white while the rest was red. I took many pictures and the doctors told me: yes that is so obvious you have raynauds. also I started having chilblains which is a result of raynaud's. I was scared for a while it could be caused by another disease but a few doctors confirmed that it could be due to bad circulation caused by hypothyroidsm

[Zelda5]

I think you can post pics, I believe I did once and others have. I tested the fingers under cold water they turned a little pale, but not bad and mine tend to worsen right before my period, so I always thought hormones or at the least vitamin deficiency played a role. There's a slight red just under nail bed, but my hands are very dry.