I have primary Reynaud's Disease/Syndrome and my hands are very hot and tingly what can I do about this?

Question

I have moved from (relatively) cold Canada to hot and tropical South East China, and now my hands have gone from being cold and purple, to feeling like they're hot and tingly. They're actually quite painful. I run them under cold water, and put them in the freezer for very short periods of time.
I thought moving to a warmer climate was supposed to help!
My Reynaud's was diagnosed by a dermatologist in 2005.
Thanks!

Answer 1

Bummer - tough thing to treat. There is a class of medication called calcium channel blockers that can sometimes help with this. Trouble is, it doesn't always work. Sounds to me like your Raynaud's could be progressing. Sometimes Raynaud's can be one of the early signs of another autoimmune/connective tissue disease like scleroderma. Have you checked into this? Best thing to do is prevent exposure to extreme temperatures to minimize the symptoms.

Answer 2

You could try taking a betablocker during the summer. This is high blood pressure medication that slows down your heart rate a bit and decreases circulation to the extremities including your hands and feet causing them to be cold. Examples of betablockers include Inderal( propranolol ) and atenenol. Do not take this medication if you have asthma. This medication will make your raynauds worse in cold weather.

Answer 3

My suggestion is to try herbs. Look for a doctor experienced in herbal medicine. Should be easy to locate one in China.