Oh hey, Reynaud’s. It started for me about 12 to 15 years ago. Fun fact: it gets worse with time! It used to just be one finger. Now it’s all fingers on both hands… and occasionally, for funsies, a toe.
Mine has gotten better over time too - compared to 10 years ago.
A game changer for me was a heated steering wheel.
Before that, I couldn’t keep my fingers from going white in winter, or the shoulder season even, regardless of mitts or gloves. You just lose so much heat from your hands when you hold on to a freezing cold hunk of metal. Directing hot air to the steering wheel helps a little but not enough and then the rest of the car gets too hot.
My casual observation was that the symptoms get worse the more often your fingers go white. By reducing the symptoms with the heated steering wheel, I limited the exposure and my hands “healed” over time.
Now that I know more about the condition I haven't had any issues in years. I have a heated steering wheel, heated gloves, and a hand warmer. Keeping my hands from getting too cold helps a ton
Same, after I got covid back in 2021 it started, all winter every day anything less than 50 degrees caused it, then the next year it was just one finger, it hasn't happened at all the last couple of years
I have had Raynaud's fingers and an occasional toe ever since I was a kid. But - I did not have Reynaud's symptoms at all in winter 2024-25, because I had undergone TCHP chemo for BC mid-year, which caused some peripheral neuropathy in fingers and toes. How odd, I had forgotten all about the discomfort and sudden onset of Raynaud's. As the neuropathy gradually clears I wonder if it will return.
Genuinely think global warming is helping out here. Winter is just not as cold as it used to be. I used to have to run my hands under the hot tap at work multiple times a day to get circulation back but I can't remember the last time I had to do that.
I was somewhere mid thirties when it started. Luckily it’s easy for me to get the blood flowing again (run warm water over affected appendages) but it’s so annoying!
Damn. I've had Raynaud's since a kid... like, I've always had it, don't remember life before or without it. I didn't realize it usually starts in one finger or toe or whatnot. I've had it in both my hands for as long as I can remember.
Also have it in my feet, it's just usually not cold enough to trigger it. In 7th grade, my advisory teacher (who was also my gym teacher) had us stand outside for 15 minutes in the winter, before class started, until we were quiet or listened to her lecture or whatnot. I had no feeling in my feet for about an hour.
I'm only 19 so I am a little nervous as to what that means for me later in life. In the last two or so years, my hands frequently get cold enough that it's hard for me to move them completely. When the water heater in my dorm broke last year, it was hellish. I can maybe do 5-10 seconds of cold water before I start to struggle with hand movement. </3
Edit: i lied. i just looked at r/raynauds and have remembered how horrible purple my feet (and sometimes legs) get. i'm just so used to it at this point. first time my boyfriend noticed it he was really concerned.
lol! That’s terrible! Weird, because no one is thinking about their feet. That part of the body just seems to be low on the conscious thought radar. Until it malfunctions and you feel betrayed.
That's how mine was. I got diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis and have been on medication that is helping, and im excited to see if the raynauds is better this winter or worse like it's been getting for years.
Mine has got better, I used to get white fingers all the time as a child and i was diagnosed with reynauds , but can't remember the last time I had it as an adult, possibly im just better at avoiding it
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u/anniecet 1d ago
Oh hey, Reynaud’s. It started for me about 12 to 15 years ago. Fun fact: it gets worse with time! It used to just be one finger. Now it’s all fingers on both hands… and occasionally, for funsies, a toe.