Any have experience with, Raynaud's....

Lindsay, our youngest (2 in May) has always had days where her feet and hands went purple. Friday, getting ready to leave the daycare to take the oldest to school I go to give Lindsay a hug and kiss and notice that her hands were purple again and her lips. I asked DC to look at her (her son has a heart condition and she is aware of what to check, how to check). So she pulled down her lip and her whole mouth was purple/blue. She checked her hands and then took her shoes and socks off to check her feet. Sure enough the feet were purple too - tops and bottoms. So, she tells me to forget taking daughter to school (it was only a 1/2 day anyway) and go to the doctor's office and get her in immediately, which I did. He looked at her, listened to her heart and lungs and didn't hear anything out of the ordinary. She was obviously not in any distress (thank goodness). Anyway... he said he thinks she may have a syndrome called Raynaud's... were when she gets cold her blood vessels constrict making it harder to get the blood moving. It took almost all day for her color to come back to almost normal. Then she had a milder "attack" saturday after her nap....

Anyone know anything about this.... help!!

We are also going for a 2D Echo on Wednesday and had blood work which showed nothing other than a slightly low White blood cell count - most likely from her having a stomach bug...

I don't know anything about it but just wanted to say KUP when you find out more

Yep, I have it on my fingers. No big deal - it doesn't hurt anything (as far as I know). Just looks weird.

Thanks! Since she's so young, I don't know if it hurts her or not. But since she seems to be acting okay during these episodes I'm assuming (hoping) that it doesn't bother her. It does look awful though....

Are you guys Norse? I had a friend from Finland who had this. Like Aimee said, it didn't hurt him but it was kind of odd.

I looked it up and this is what I found [underlined items are links]:

Raynaud's Phenomenon

"What is Raynaud's phenomenon?
*Raynaud's phenomenon (pronounced ray-noze feh-naw-meh-non) is a condition that makes it harder for blood to reach certain areas of the body.
*This happens because the blood vessels under the skin tighten. When blood does not reach parts of the body, these areas may turn blue and feel cold.
*Most often Raynaud's phenomenon affects the fingers and toes. It can also affect the ears and nose.

Raynaud's phenomenon is a condition resulting from poor circulation in the extremities (i.e., fingers and toes). In a person with Raynaud's phenomenon, when his or her skin is exposed to cold or the person becomes emotionally upset, the blood vessels under the skin tighten and the blood flow slows. This is called vasospasm. Hands and feet have fewer large blood vessels and, therefore, when a vasospasm occurs, it is harder for the blood to keep flowing and these areas may turn blue because less oxygen is reaching the skin. The skin will also feel cold because less blood is reaching the skin to keep it warm. While attacks of vasospasm may last from minutes to hours, only rarely do they cause severe tissue damage.

Raynaud's phenomenon is named after the French doctor Maurice Raynaud, who first described the condition in the mid-1800s. The condition is also known as Raynaud's syndrome or Raynaud's disease.

How common is Raynaud's phenomenon?
*It affects 12,000 (4 in 10,000) Canadians.
*Women develop Raynaud's phenomenon more often than men.
*People who have scleroderma or Sjogren's syndrome are more likely to develop Raynaud's phenomenon.

People diagnosed with scleroderma or Sjogren's syndrome are at higher risk of developing Raynaud's phenomenon than the general population. Raynaud's phenomenon is present in almost all people with scleroderma and 35% of those with Sjogren's syndrome.

What are the warning signs of Raynaud's phenomenon?
*Fingers or toes that turn blue when they are cold or pressed on or when a person is upset. The nose and ears may also be affected.
*Pain in the fingers or toes when they are cold.
*A tingling feeling or pain in the fingers or toes when they warm up.

If you notice that your fingers, feet, nose or ears become blue when you are cold or emotionally upset, you probably have Raynaud's phenomenon. It is common in those who suffer from scleroderma or Sjogren's syndrome, but it also occurs in those who have not been diagnosed with any form or arthritis. In some cases, especially in people with scleroderma, small, painful sores may appear on the tips of the fingers or toes.

If the condition progresses the blood flow to the area can become permanently decreased. If this happens in your hands, your fingers can become thin and tapered and have smooth shiny skin and slow growing nails.

What causes Raynaud's phenomenon?
*The exact cause of Raynaud's phenomenon is not known.
*It may result from other diseases that affect the blood vessels.

Raynaud's phenomenon is often associated with diseases that may affect the blood vessels, such as artherosclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis and scleroderma. It can also follow repeated trauma to an area, particularly vibrations such as those caused by typing or playing the piano.

What can you do about Raynaud's phenomenon?
*If your doctor thinks you have Raynaud's phenomenon, he or she may perform a physical examination and order tests to measure blood flow.
*Although there is no cure for Raynaud's phenomenon, there are a number of steps you can take to manage the condition.
*Learn as much as you can about this disease. Speaking with people who are specialists in arthritis care can provide you with the information you need.

Establishing the correct diagnosis is important, because something can be done to manage most forms of arthritis, and most therapies work best when started early in the disease.Your doctor may be able to diagnose Raynaud's phenomenon based on a review of your medical history and by observing the effect of cold on areas such as your fingers. Sometimes your doctor may order certain tests, such as blood flow tests, to help confirm the diagnosis or to distinguish among different diseases.

Although there is no cure for Raynaud's phenomenon there are things you can do to help manage the condition. Your active involvement in developing your prescribed treatment plan is essential.

Medicine
*Your doctor may prescribe medicines that relax the walls of the blood vessels.
*Other medicines may be prescribed if your condition is connected with another disease such as scleroderma.

If you have Raynaud's phenomenon your doctor may prescribe medications such as nifedipine, dilatiazem or nitroglycerine. These help relax the walls of the blood vessels.

Protect Your Body
*Keep your hands and feet warm. Wear gloves and warm socks in cold weather.
*Do not smoke. Smoking causes blood vessels to shrink and will make the symptoms of Raynaud's phenomenon worse.

By wearing gloves and warm socks in cold weather, your skin is protected from cold air, which reduces the risk of vasospasm. If reaching into the freezer for food triggers Raynaud's phenomenon try wearing gloves or oven mitts during this activity.

If you smoke, stop smoking. Smoking triggers vasospasms in your whole body and will worsen the symptoms of Raynaud's phenomenon.

Relaxation
*Relax and stay calm. Being upset can make your nervous system cause the blood vessels in your body to shrink.
*There are many ways to relax. Try deep breathing exercises. Listen to music or relaxation tapes. Meditate or pray. Another way to relax is to imagine or visualize a pleasant activity such as lying on a beach, or sitting in front of a fireplace.

By not allowing yourself to get emotionally upset, your nervous system does not trigger vasospasms and your blood circulation remains normal. Developing good relaxation and coping skills can give you a greater feeling of control over your arthritis and a more positive outlook.

Additional Tips for Living Well
*The Arthritis Society offers a variety of programs and services that can be helpful.
*You can reach the Society at 1-800-321-1433 from anywhere in Canada.
*You can also reach us through our Web site at www.arthritis.ca

Along with the physical symptoms of arthritis, many people experience feelings of helplessness and depression. Learning daily living strategies to manage your arthritis gives you a greater feeling of control and a more positive outlook. To get the best results, people affected by arthritis need to form close ties with their doctors and therapists, and become full partners in their treatment. From our perspective, it's all part of 'living well with arthritis.' There are several resources you can use in finding out how best to manage your own arthritis. Here are a few:

*The Arthritis Self-Management Program (ASMP) is a unique self-help program offered by The Arthritis Society to help you better control and manage your arthritis.
*The Open Forum within this Web site is an opportunity to discuss and share information with other visitors - people who, through their own experiences, may be able to offer some useful insights.

Of course, there are many other valuable resources for people with arthritis. If you're unclear about where to look for help, be sure to call The Arthritis Society at 1-800-321-1433."

No advice or anything just wanted to send I can imagine it worried you too see her like that.. KUP on it

I've had it since I was little - well I've never been to the doctor for it but I have all the symptoms. My hands and feet get so cold they hurt and sometimes they turn purple.

Sound like she gets it a lot worse than I ever did though! Poor girl it's not a big deal I don't think but it's not exactly fun either.

That would have scared me... I'm glad you got it checked out and that it is nothing that is harmful.

I have Raynaud's, a pretty bad case, sometimes my toes would completely turn white--no blood in them at all. Being in Florida has pretty much made it go away, it's not an issue here because it never really gets cold enough but growing up (in Ohio) my hands and feet would turn purple and sometimes white. My mom has it too, I think it's probably hereditary.
My hands and feet would get really cold but I quickly got used to it. And if it got really cold, my lips too.
It's totally painless...the closest thing to discomfort I ever felt was having my friends come up to me in high school to tell me my hands are purple or were purple in history class (in the dead of winter when it was cold both inside and out of the school), etc.
Raynaud's is one of the most harmless conditions out there.

I've never even heard of that before. That would be really scary to see your child's hands and feet turning purple.

Thanks all! And thanks Jennifer (welcome back by the way, we missed you!). I took her for an echo and the heart is fine so hopefully this is what they consider a primary case (no underlying conditions). She's fine. It doesn't seem to bother her, just scared the daylights out of me. I've seen her hands and feet go before but never her lips (at least not that bad). So... if it is indeed Raynauds, they this might be the push we needed to move to Georgia, as Michigan can be horrible for weather (example: today is going to be 70, tomorrow in the 40s with snow).

Again, thank you all for your insights, it really helps ease my mind.

You know I DID see something on a show the other day (Mystery Dignosis??) w/a NJ Professor that they THOUGHT had Raynaud's syndrome. He took all the precautions in the winter, even as far as evenutally moving to FL. But it didn't help. In fact got worse. Paritally b/c he still couldn't stop from going in stores or restaurants where the a/c was on full blast.

But eventually he went to a couple different drs for second and third opinions and he ended up NOT having Raynaud's, but a more serious disorder. I'll try and find it...

Ok I think it's this episode.

The Purple Puzzle

I'm trying to find a better synopsis (imdb had NOTHING)