Rheumatoid Arthritis Support Group

Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic, inflammatory, multisystem, autoimmune disorder. It is a disabling and painful condition which can lead to substantial loss of mobility due to pain and joint destruction. The disease is also systemic in that it often also affects many extra-articular tissues throughout the body including the skin, blood vessels, heart, lungs, and...

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Raynards??

Lifeis2short
Lifeis2short
I am soooo mad! I just got back from my primary care doc because my feet and hands have been extremely cold and painful for a couple of months. I have to wrap my feet in a heating pad for about 45 minutes for them to get warm and they hurt! Same with my hands. I was at my Rheumys office on Monday and I mentioned it to her. She said casually, its not from the RA or the Remicade. I don't know. Well, today my primary told me that it sounds like Raynards and that it's an autoimmunie disorder! I think that my Rheumy should have told me about that or tried to diagnose me! If it's an autoimmune disorder why didn't she even mention it!! Does anyone have Raynards? I'm seriously thinking about switching practices...I am so fed up!!
deleted_user
deleted_user
Yes I know exactly what you are talking about my primary told me the same thing. My feet be so cold sometime that my toes nails be bluish purple. But neither of my doc have told me what to do for it or about it so??? Another RA gift I guess

Gentle Hugs
Avis
deleted_user
deleted_user
I don't know about Raynards but I hope you can find out where the problem is. If you're not happy with rheumy, finding a new practice would be a positive step. You need to be comfortable and confident with your doctor. Good Luck!
deleted_user
deleted_user
My youngest was diagnosed with her RA partly because of the Raynards. When she was two, she had fifths. Nothing big, right, all little kids get the fifths virus. Well, her rash lasted for way longer than it should have. I took her to the Dr and the first thing he noticed he was her nails. They were blue. He checked her toes, same thing. That was when he looked at me and told me that she had raynards, and that the rash started with the fifths, which brought out JRA.

I cried. Oh, was I mad! Stupid heriditary disease!

Anyway, it was the indicater that helped diagnose her. Where there is one autoimmune disease, there's usually more.

-Tanya
deleted_user
deleted_user
It's actually called Raynaud's disease. It can be primary, or secondary to another disease, often autoimmune. I have what I thought was secondary Raynaud's, also called Raynaud's Phenomenon. I'm not really sure, though, because I had Raynaud's several years before I was hit with RA. I did have Fibromyalgia first, and while that's often not considered autoimmune, I think it's all related.

I have an old link (sorry, I only scanned to see if it's still pertinent) that might help....

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/raynauds-disease/DS00433/DSECTION=causes

I think your rheumy should have said something, too, since it's very related to RA. My doc always asks (he should read my file!).

I've have it for 15 years, so I'm usually proactive, but certain activities render caution useless. I live in a (normally) cold winter climate, so I wear gloves before I touch anything cold (ice cubes excepted). My fingers quickly turn white when they touch cold, then get numb, and will turn purple if I don't reheat them quickly. Exposure alone will do the same thing, though not as quickly. Same for toes, nose, ears and lips. It's become habit to wear gloves, heavy socks and a hat when I'm out in the cold, and if I do start reacting, I try to quickly warm myself. Tepid water first, then gradually increase the heat.

Best wishes.
deleted_user
deleted_user
Raynaud's isn't autoimmune it's a vascular disorder that often goes hand in hand with autoimmune conditions. You can get it on your own and that's known as primary Raynaud's or as a part of an autoimmune disease, which is known as secondary Raynaud's. It's usually a benign condition but in severe cases it can cause problems with gangrene. I've had Raynaud's for a few years now. It's more of an irritation than a problem.
Lifeis2short
Lifeis2short
Thanks so much! I was so frustrated and angry last night and then to top it off I went to my bible study and the room was not heated! I stayed for about 30 minutes and started to feel my feet and hands hurting and so I had to leave. I guess I'll have to talk to the church to see if there is a room with heat for that group. Anyway today is a new day and I have a new attitutde! (A good one). I've always wanted to move back to Texas from Ohio eventually anyway so now I have a new goal!!
deleted_user
deleted_user
If Raynaud's occurs on its own, it is known as Raynaud's Phenomenon. If it is in conjunction with another autoimmune condition it is called Raynaud's Disease

A classmate of mine has is, she also has Hashimoto's . . . they expected her to have Graves' because she couldn't keep weight on and had actually dropped down to 95# . . . It all started during the last phase of Army Bootcamp, from which she was medically discharged.

She is know in school for her MSN, she has a bachelor's in Psychology and wants to be a psych nurse . . .
Any who . . . sorry to get off track . . . she mentioned these!
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000JUFG50?ie=UTF8&tag=chronically-inflamed-20&linkCode=xm2&camp=1789&creativeASIN=B000JUFG50
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000KBLKTO?ie=UTF8&tag=chronically-inflamed-20&linkCode=xm2&camp=1789&creativeASIN=B000KBLKTO
And I came across this:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002DHPZGM?ie=UTF8&tag=chronically-inflamed-20&linkCode=xm2&camp=1789&creativeASIN=B002DHPZGM

Good luck hon! And yes, find a new practice!
deleted_user
deleted_user
BTW . . . . Texas sounds wonderful!