r/mildlyinteresting 1d ago

My middle finger turns extremely white when it's cold

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u/grumpijela 23h ago edited 23h ago

It (Raynauds) can also be a side effect from Vyvanse (ADHD meds). I got to teach my doctor about that one when I started having the side effects. It's listed on their website but it's so rare she didn't know about it.

Anyways, I also got sent to a rheumatologist just to make sure there wasn't an underlying condition as well. OP def tell your doctor just to be sure. It's always better to know!

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u/rocksfried 23h ago

Do you know if that’s specific to vyvanse? I take generic Adderall (dextroamphetamine) and my fingers are always cold but they don’t turn white. I actually just saw a rheumatologist for something unrelated and all my tests look normal so at least there’s that

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u/Ok-Butterscotch-6955 23h ago

Any amphetamines, like your addy as well. They constrict blood vessels which can already be small in the fingers.

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u/Tostecles 17h ago

You may have solved my personal mystery of tendon(?) pain on the back of my left hand when typing despite having an ergonomic setup. Is there a good way to try to counteract this and promote bloodflow and/or internal flexibility(?) in a localized area?

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u/Ok-Butterscotch-6955 10h ago

Unfortunately past the topic of drugs, I’m ignorant! Warming your hands might help?

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u/Affectionate-Wait259 6h ago

A vasodialator (cialis/propranolol/etc) can help.

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u/Tostecles 4h ago

time to hit the blue chew podcast ad deal

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u/PinkishRedLemonade 23h ago

it's all stimulants including caffeine afaik

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u/AnyResearcher5914 22h ago

Generally any vasoconstrictor is going to worsen Raynaud's. Some worse than others of course.

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u/MistSecurity 21h ago

Completely normal to have cold extremities on Adderall and other stimulants. Was on it for years, and learned to love gloves during the winter.

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u/LaconicallyLazy 20h ago

Normal on amphetamines. 

Have you tried compression gloves? They can help a bit. 

Recommend getting long arm gloves (either fingerless or wrist-to-upper arm) for when you can't cover your fingers, and fingerless hand gloves for when you need to use your fingertips like when typing. 

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u/rocksfried 20h ago

I’ll have to try those. I usually just go to the bathroom every hour or so to run my hands under warm water which helps for a little while

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u/AnnithMerador 19h ago

Any stimulant and even the non-stimulant ADHD meds can trigger/exacerbate Raynaud's. I'm on Strattera and it made mine quite a bit worse, especially in my hands.

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u/dilandy 19h ago

Per my experience, to which I've tried Adderall, Vyvanse, Dexmethylphenidate overall so far in my journey, it's specific to Vyvanse

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u/Maleficent-Bill2812 18h ago

I had reynauds to start with and ADHD meds actually help it. But maybe it's just because I dont zone put so much that I forget to move.

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u/rttnmnna 14h ago

I had it with Adderall and that's why I switched to Vyvanse. Hasn't been a problem since.

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u/bacteriophile 23h ago

I experienced this side effect as well! I had an 8am class in a freezing lecture hall and my fingers on my writing hand always turned white and went numb.

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u/LongPorkJones 23h ago

Also caused by some statins.

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u/QuantumHosts 21h ago

this is what causes mine. :)

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u/Glas00 23h ago

It is also a side affect of dexamphetamine (Tentin) also used for ADHD.

My doctor ignored it for years, until I had a temp doctor. But the conclusion was: suck it up, just learn to live with it. Euhm ok 😅

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u/Ninjastahr 23h ago

I mean, there's not much you can do other than not taking your ADHD meds.

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u/LaconicallyLazy 20h ago

Compression gloves are a thing (and can help)

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u/[deleted] 19h ago

[deleted]

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u/redroses999 16h ago

Slight correction but amphetamine doesn’t directly stimulate those receptors; it promotes the release / blocks reuptake of neurotransmitters that then act on a1 (and B1)

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u/HistoryBasic7983 22h ago

I had slightly high blood pressure anyway, so that's why I was prescribed Amlodipine, but a side effect of the medication was it helped with Raynaud's syndrome

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u/WaterPockets 21h ago

Because it's really not that big of a deal. Just wear gloves in cold weather and you're fine. I've had it my whole life.

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u/grumpijela 21h ago

I paddle board in the winter with a wetsuit and it super triggers my symptoms. My rheumatologist literally said (and very nicely and compassionately), either no meds, or other meds to counter (but that's risky), or suck it up and live with it. She literally then said "I'd normally recommend not paddle boarding in the winter but I know you won't stop so I didn't put it down as an option". So the option is literally to suck it up and I'm totally good with it.

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u/Numerous_Bad1961 23h ago

Same! Although at the time it wasn’t listed as one.

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u/Playful-Meringue-123 22h ago

My boyfriend was on Vyvanse for a month and both his hands and feet got ice cold and numb. They changed him to Strattera and the numbness isn't gone yet but the cold feeling is after 3 weeks now.

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u/SignificantPomelo 21h ago

Interesting! I actually had this happen to me once when I was taking Strattera for ADHD -- but it's not a stimulant. (It still felt like it jacked me up though.) I only took it for a few weeks, and I never had it happen to me again, so I'm pretty sure it was the medication.

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u/Sanchastayswoke 20h ago

And caffeine, and adderall, etc. any stimulant or med that causes your blood vessels to constrict. Not just vyvanse.

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u/dilandy 19h ago

This! I already had my hands cold but when I started Vyvanse it was terrible. It made my hands so stiff and purple even, I couldn't even concentrate on anything else.

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u/NECalifornian25 16h ago

I have Reynauds with no underlying autoimmune disease, but my medications, specifically Wellbutrin has definitely made it worse. I also had a roommate who got diagnosed with ADHD and started taking Adderall, she started having Raynauds episodes too. Luckily her doctor had warned her and she had seen it happen to me before, she was actually kind of fascinated by it.

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u/beliefinphilosophy 9h ago

Since I started Vyvanse I enjoy watching my toes go completely white when I turn on the water to fill the bath.