I seem to have developed Raynaud's phenomenon or secondary Raynaud's in my feet. Only my toes are affected. My fingers, nose, ears, all the things typically associated with Raynauds's syndrome or primary Raynaud's are unaffected.
Does anyone have any experience with secondary raynauds or any information on its relationship to PsA?
Thanks
I have had Raynaud’s since I was a kid, but it didn’t become problematic until after my first child was born, also the same time that I started having blood sugar problems. The blood sugar issues went away overall at about the same time as I had my first PsA flare, when my second was about a year old.
My point? It’s not uncommon to develop Raynauds in conjunction with autoimmune disorders. When mine got worse, I was tested for a huge range of autoimmune diseases . It might have been simpler if I ever tested positive for anything, even w/ my diagnoses of PsA and Sjogren’s.
You can take a look at the following link. . . http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/raynauds-disease/basics/causes/con-20022916
I've had Raynaud's phenomenon for many years, I just didn't know that it was a condition until recently. Eventually I developed PsA and it seems that I am even more sensitive to cold than I was originally. Mine is ears, fingers, toes. My rheumatologist said if it gets really bad that I can take blood pressure medicine for it but I don't think I'm anywhere close to that bad yet. I just dress warmly in layers to keep my core warm and wear warm socks and gloves if its chilly. If its downright cold, I have to limit my time outside because it's pretty painful for my toes and fingertips even after a short time outside (even with gloves.)
I haven't been officially diagnosed with Raynaud's (never even heard of it until I started hanging out here!), but then again, until recently I've lived in Deep South Texas for the last 10 or 12 years. The weather there is always considerably warmer (it snowed there once in the entire time I lived there). In January of last year, however, I moved to Oklahoma City - and it is COLD here! I've noticed my fingers and toes get really cold and numb on a regular basis - even in the house where it is relatively warm most of the time. I don't notice any discoloration (of course, my natural skin tone is pasty white, so that isn't really surprising). So now I sit here and wonder....am I pushing what could be "symptoms" into a box to fit this diagnosis, or are these new symptoms I should be mentioning to my doctor. Hmmm....
My mom had Raynaud's, which kept her out the lake for most of her life, and my dad had psoriatic arthritis. Guess what I have? Both! I haven't had any Raynaud's symptoms for many years, though. Not so much the psoriatic arthritis.
I also have Raynaud’s and have always wondered if it is somehow linked to the PsA.
Stoney - thanks for the info link.
I had initially assumed I just had some circulation issues related to PsA inflammation in my feet.
But I noticed the cycle of my toes going cold pale & blue then eventually flushed red & hot. It was different than dactylitis (aka sausage toes). From what I have read it seems the phenomenon or secondary condition can be associated with inflammatory autoimmune illness ... as well as a number of other things. For me it seems manageable with big wool socks & fuzzy slippers for now... & yes ... I live in southern California.
What an exciting life I lead where I actually sat and watched my toes change colors ... more than once, just to be sure ;) Thanks for humoring me.
I imagine the primary Raynaud's can present a challenge, especially in colder climates. My warm wishes to those with this challenge (thermally warm, of course)
FWIW, I noticed there is a Bens Friends group for Raynaud's disease inclusive of primary and secondary conditions.
http://rarediseases.bensfriends.org/group/raynaud-s-disorder
Someone mentioned blood pressure meds. When the Raynaud's got bad for me initially, I was nursing a young infant. My rheumatologist recommended that I take gingko biloba every day, and I took it every winter. It did help. Once I started taking DMARDs, I noticed that I didn't seem to need the gingko anymore. Talk to your doctor before starting any supplements.
Yep raynauds was my first auto immune issue. They are often closely linked… My feet, hands, nose and nursing my babies are greatly affected. I live up in northern Canada so my best friend is a heating blanket 
The beginning of last year, I had a couple of things happen to me for the first time. A really bad flare, pain so bad that I was actually shaking, and secondary Reynaud's. My fingers and toes turn the most beautiful shade of purple. Fortunately, the Reynaud's occurred during one of my visits to the rheumy. It doesn't matter if I am cold or warm. We've had some really cold temperatures in Atlanta the past few days and I have noticed that the very ends of my fingers have constantly been purple. Even though I like the cold, my swelling and pain goes away, I am hoping for some warmer weather. Right now I have been making sure to wear my gloves. I have at least one pair of socks on at all times. So, I just stay warm and if I am warm, but turn purple anyway, I get my fingers and toes moving to get that blood flow going again.
How do you get diagnosed? My fingers, toes, ears, nose, and nipples get ice cold for no reason at all! I have ice cold hands right now and the rest of my body is fine and my house is at 72 degrees Fahrenheit!
It's typically based on appearances. It's not just cold hands and feet, but hands and feet that turn colors. .. Think red, white and blue. For example, my fingers and hands will go from white to blue, and then back through those to red as they rewarm. My fingers instantly turn white when I get something out of the freezer, and they are painful. I saw a doctor for it only because I actually got frostbite due to the Raynaud's.
SublimeAmiga said:
How do you get diagnosed? My fingers, toes, ears, nose, and nipples get ice cold for no reason at all! I have ice cold hands right now and the rest of my body is fine and my house is at 72 degrees Fahrenheit!
I just happened to be at the rheumatologist when my fingers and toes turned all purple. That is how I was diagnosed. Sometimes I don't even feel cold. Like Stoney, I hate taking anything out of the freezer and typically use a clean dish towel to get what I need out of the freezer.
SublimeAmiga said:
How do you get diagnosed? My fingers, toes, ears, nose, and nipples get ice cold for no reason at all! I have ice cold hands right now and the rest of my body is fine and my house is at 72 degrees Fahrenheit!
Here’s a picture of my first documented episode. I have had several more, but it’s not a consistent thing. Sometimes, I get the white to blue in my fingertips, others times, I’m just fine. It’s usually worse when I go grocery shopping!
456-image.jpg (954 KB)
I have had raynoids for a few years. With me it started in the fingers. last year moved to the toes and recently my nose. The meds were making my BP to low.
Someone mentioned surgar issues. What sort please?
That was me. I developed reactive hypoglycemia. The problem was that my blood sugar was spiking high and then crashing. By using insulin for a stretch of time, it kept my glucose levels from spiking, and then crashing. For me it was a temporary thing (4 years?). Looking at it now, I think that my pancreas was under attack, and when my immune system moved on to attacking other things, my pancreas was able to recover. I'm not expecting this to be a permanent recovery, but am enjoying it while it lasts.
Robyn said:
I have had raynoids for a few years. With me it started in the fingers. last year moved to the toes and recently my nose. The meds were making my BP to low.
Someone mentioned surgar issues. What sort please?
mine doesn't go high, it just randomly crashes. No clue why
Grumpycat: THANK YOU for posting that pic. Now that I've seen what it looks like, I think I can officially clear Raynauds off my list of worries. My fingers don't change colors so much as get pale and icy. So thank you again!!!!!!!!
This is about how blue mine get
Amiga- it’s really the fingers (or toes)themselves that will be the indicator, not so much the hand by itself. Warm, red hands or fingers are something else altogether. Cold combined with red, white or blue could indicate Raynauds. Now that you sort of know what you are looking for, try to take pics for your doc to see the next appointment. You can make sure that you get good images. Take several of each episode and you will probably get at least one really good photo that shows the best detail. Only keep the best images, so that you don’t overwhelm your doc! 
Also take note of what you were doing, such as shopping in the frozen foods section, or shoveling snow.
