Red hands and feet

[nmkgirl07]

My hands and my feet started to get very red about 3 or 4 years ago for no apparent reason. It has gotten worse as I've gotten older. My hands and feet will get really hot and red. If I do any physical activity my hands and feet will turn very red and be very hot and I can feel the heat radiating off my hands and feet. If I am outside and the weather is hot and I am wearing flipflops my feet will get beat red and so will my hands. I dont feel any pain but it is uncomfortable because i can feel something happening in my feet and even my legs. If i take a hot shower my feet and legs become beat red and my legs get blue even and I dont know why. If I am walking in the mall the same thing will happen to my feet; they get very red and hot. Or even if I go outside in the cold and then come back inside my hands will get red and start to get really warm. I've been to the doctor about it and have taken several blood tests but nothing has shown up. If i raise my hands above my head the redness will dissapear in seconds and they are not as hot anymore, but if i leave my hands by my sides I can just feel the blood rushing to my hands and turn beat red. Also my hands and feet will be very cold in the winter and sometimes turn blue or even red when they are very cold. It has gotten worse this winter and I don't understand why it happens or what i can do. I think that could possibly be Raynauds but I dont think when my hands and feet get red and hot that that could be Raynauds. I have tried look it up on the internet, but I can't find anything on it or what it could possibly be. I dont do much physical activity which my doctor said could relate that and i also have fatigue which he also said could relate to that also. Does anyone know what this is?

[Lasdonaldson]

Hi,
     My daughter has exactly the same problem and she gets very embarrassed by it.  Were you ever able to get any suggestions as to what might be causing it?

[cbear290]

The same thing has been  happening to me for the past 3 years and is getting progressively worse. I've stopped wearing flip flops because ppl are always asking what is wrong with my feet, unfortunatly there's not much I can do to hide the red hands. Sometimes my hands and feet feel like they are on fire and other times they feel completely normal or even cold to the touch (regardless of the temp they are usually abnormally red). Occasionally my feet will turn a purplish color and my toes will go numb, this can happen even when my hands are on fire and bright red. Its so strange.  I have done alot of research and have yet to find an answer. Please let me know if you find any information and I will do the same

[sarah345]

Just curious how old you are?  I am in my 30s and just now experiencing the very same problems: Red, burning, sweaty hands and feet that range from extremes of very warm and sweaty to cold cold.  But my hands are always red..more so when down at my sides and less so when elevated, but always red.  They swell up at night and sometimes fall asleep on me too.  I know that many Raynaud type disease show up in teens, but I am in my 30's.  Wish I knew what this was and how to help myself. I have been tested for just about everything and all they have come up with is that I should take an asprin a day.  It doesn''t seem to help at all.  I will continue to share any new info I get.

[Shell415]

it could be erythromalalgia   sp?
I tis when your hands and feel sell, turn red, almost purple in some cases, and feel very hot. Usually happens when you are warm, during warm weather. mine happens in the shower, sleeping at night, and when my hands are in the sun, especially when I am driving, it gets very uncomfortable.
Hope this helps, but usually EM is a sign of something else...

[starzygrl]

I know this may sound kinda crazy, but I have been experiencing the same problems for about 6 months and I am finally feeling better.  I've been to several doctors and nothing seemed to address my problems.  My allergy doctor thought it was Raynauds and ordered some blood work.  My white blood cell count was high, so they ran some more tests and turns out I have strep.  I don't have a sore throat or fever, but I've got strep and I have no idea how long I've had it.  I started taking an antibiotic Friday and it is now Monday and I haven't had burning red hands or feet or ears!! I am still a little reactive to temperature change, but not like I was.  I really hope that I have found relief for good!

[Skyfrog]

I am experiencing burning feet and arms/hands. I have to run cold water over them to alleviete it. I've been checked for everything including a 2hr scan for bloodclots. I don't even know what specialist to try next. Please update if you've found anything!

[jason80]

I have similar symptoms. I can feel a slight temperature increase on the skin, but most of the burning feeling/redness comes from the nerves itself. Anyway, I find that cold showers/sprays help for a little while.  I also wipe aloe vera on which gives longer relief, of course still temporary.

[mlsaw]

As I said for my last 4 or 5 posts. Doctors Please, please research Erythromelalgia. I know how all of you feel. Took 12 years to be diagnosed.It is a rare disease which is being researched with very little money at yale. The EM group at yahoo gave and raised if I'm saying this right, 25,000.00. for 20 researchers and the man from China which found the mutated gene He will be there for 2 years.. Please do your homework,read, read, read, then print it out and take it to your doctors.

Some one has to pick this information up and pass it along.. I wish I could have duplicated my firsts post. I have typed this so much I can't even make much sense anymore.HOpe this helps.

[youngj28]

I've been experiencing the same: red, hot hands and feet. I've always had this but find it's getting worse.  I've had these symptoms for as long as I can remember.  Now, my feet are almost always red/purple.  My hands and feet get hot/red but not sweaty. As everyone has mentioned it's extremely embarrasing and now for the first time people are starting to notice.  I'm extremely self-concious of this.  It almost always happens when I'm either sitting or standing for any length of time, when it's warm in or outside and often WHEN I EAT, tired or stressed.  That's almost always!  It's very strange.  Does anyone have these symptoms while they're eating?  No one has mentioned that. Has anyone's doctor determined if it's definately "Erythromelalgia" or something else?  I al- ways had an excuse as to why this happens but recently it dawned on me that "there's something wrong"'.  Has anyone learned anymore OR how to alleviate these symptoms?

[HeavenlyBird]

Hi,

I am a 31 year old female and I have been suffering with red hands and feet for about 11 years now, and it has only gotten worse.  I sometimes have numbness in my toes, and in my thumbs when it's cold.  My hands and feet are usually cold, but can get hot as well.  My hands are also usually really dry, and I think maybe it's because I wash them a lot and don't moisturize enough.  I used to try really hard to take care of my hands, but nothing seemed to help much, so I have almost given up.  It is really embarrasing, as people are always asking me what's wrong with my hands and feet.  I have had blood tests done at the doctor's, and they all say it's got something to do with my circulation.  At first they said it may be Raynauds, but the blood tests ruled that out.  I've read a lot about this on the internet, and one thing that I found was that the redness may be a symptom of Candida, and can be alleviated by changing one's diet.  Candida is basically yeast, and is formed when the body is overly acidic.  The body needs to be a more alkaline pH.  So, apparently eating less sugar, caffiene, and carbohydrates should help.  So, do a google search for 'red hands and feet', and check out all the info that comes up.  Good luck in your search for a cure...

Sincerely,
The girl with red hands

[HeavenlyBird]

I just found this awesome information about the Anti-Candida Diet.  I hope this helps:

The ANTI-CANDIDA DIET
Diet is extremely important when dealing with Candida. A number of dietary factors appear to promote the growth of Candida. The most important factors are a high intake of sugar (table sugar, honey, molasses, maple syrup, corn syrup, candy, soft drinks, fruit (except cranberries and lemons) , milk and other dietary products, foods containing yeast such as flour products.

NO SUGAR:
Sugar is the chief food source for Candida Albicans. It is well accepted that restriction of sugar intake is an absolute necessity in the treatment of chronic candidiasis. Limitation of refined carbohydrates is also a good idea (bread, pasta, cereal, foods made with flour) since they can also feed yeast.

NO MILK AND DAIRY PRODUCTS:
There are several reasons to restrict or eliminate the intake of milk.

The high lactose content promotes the overgrowth of Candida
Milk is one the most frequent food allergens
Milk may contain trace levels of antibiotics which can further disrupt the GI bacterial flora and promote Candida Overgrowth.
NO MOLD AND YEAST- CONTAINING FOOD:
Patients with chronic candidiasis should avoid foods with a high content of yeast or mold, including alcoholic beverages, cheeses, dried fruits and peanuts.

Check for food allergies and Sensitivities:
Check for food allergies or food sensitivities since they are very common in patients with yeast syndrome. The symptoms of a food sensitivity may be so subtle that you do not know you have it. We recommend you have an IgG food allergy test done from ImmunoLabs and eliminate any food which shows up positive for 3-6 months.

Supplementation with Probiotics

Even when you are not actively dealing with Candida overgrowth, it is important to regularly supplement your diet with the "friendly" bacteria, or probiotics such as lactobacillus and bifidus for protection. You can ingest these through your diet by eating high quality yogurt and Kefir products which state the presence of "live cultures" on their labels. High quality brands include Stoneyfield Farms, Brown Cow, Tillamook, Cabot and others (just be careful to always check sugar content—some products contain a lot of sugar or corn syrup). Try combining plain yogurt with fresh berries, apples or applesauce for a more "naturally" sweetened snack.

Another easy way to regularly replenish the protective supply in your intestines is to supplement with a high quality brand, such as HLC Maintenance by Pharmax. It is particularly useful to pay attention to replenishing probiotics during and immediately after antibiotic regimens, episodes of diarrhea, and in preparation for travel abroad. Store your probiotic supplement in the refrigerator to keep live cultures fresh.

[sicktwister]

I've had the same problem for a year and a half.  I have lyme disease, so either that is causing it or it is auto-immune as a reaction to the disease or it is from the intense IV antibiotitic treatment I've had for years.  No one knows, Ive tried everything I can think of.

[Skyfrog]

*update*
Since my previous post I have been on thyroid meds for slight hypothyroidism AND avoiding dairy products. My skin color is back to normal, the tingling in my feet and hands has stopped, I have feeling in my fingers again, and the headaches are gone.
However, it is also winter here, and my symptoms were much worse in the summer. I'm going to Hawaii in March, so I will update again if my symptoms come back in the heat... but for now I'm feeling good!

[HelpMyHands]

I have these symptoms too. I'm an 18 year old male and have had symptoms for about 2 years now. Hands get red and hot, and it goes away if I raise them but comes back when I lower them again. I've been to a dermatologist and a cardiologist and they don't know what it is. I've had an ultrasound of my blood vessels and nothing showed up. It's so embarrassing. I always have to hold my hands up and I'm always looking for things to hold as an excuse to not hang my hands down. It gets me really depressed because I'm at an age when I need to be looking for women and I feel nobody will want me because of my hands.

[mama194]

I also suffer from red, hot swollen hands and feet.  The veins in my hands have become very prominent recently too - does anyone else have that problem? Heavenlybird, you suggested it could be associated with diet, which could be a strong possibility.  Out of interest, have you or anyone you know tried the Anti Candida diet and found any positive results?  I will try anything, as red hand and feet thing is a right pain in the butt!

[nsherwood1]

I am 24 year old female who has just started getting these symptoms.  I have been on a new medication for the past 3 months and it has slowly been getting worse, so I am hoping it will go away once I stop the medication.  I have been taking Benadryl which temporarily alleviates the burning and redness but not really sensitivity.  Perhaps an allergic reaction??!!  Hope that helps anyone for temporary relief!

[myexperience]

You should get an endocrineologist and make an appointment. Could be thyroid, pituitary adenoma, or other disorder. Genreal physician will almost always try Reynauds syndrom (syndrome) first but if not that should consult with a good endocrine doctor. I have same thing hands turn red like lobster, get hot, sometimes sweaty, and infrequently my hands would also tingle at times but not at others. I was dignosed with acromegaly and hyperthyroidism, graves disease. Now hopefully on the road to recovery.

[Skyfrog]

***update! update!***
I wish I could just edit earlier posts but since I can't here's a recap. I've had burning hands and feet for a couple of years, always worse in the heat. Horrible headaches too. I've had a 2hr ultrasound of the veins in my legs, MRI's, CT scans and tons of bloodwork. One dermatologist told me I had erythomaglia and aspirin would help. Aspirin did not relieve symptoms, and instead gave me an ulcer. So my family Dr told me to go on the "ulcer diet" which is all white food but NO DAIRY.  A few days later, my burning hands and feet were 80% gone! The horrible constant headaches were reduced to occasional mild ones. I began to suspect dairy so I eliminated it completely from my diet and have been doing great! I was even able to lay on the beach in the sun and did not have symptoms. Last summer I had to wear long sleeves and hats to keep my skin out of the light.
My appointment with an allergist is not until May, but I feel like this is it. I know there's  dozens of reasons for burning hands and feet but I wish in all my internet searching I had seen a post about Dairy reaction so I have to post this.
It can take DAYS for lactose to react in your intestines which is why it was so hard for me to realize I was having a reaction to my food.

[starlaika]

Hello, yes, I have red hands and feet/legs only when standing, but it is starting to happen even when sitting or in any position where my hands and feet are not ABOVE my heart, I think.  I also have very protruding veins, getting worse, they are sticking out all the way up to my chest, starting with the worst from the hands and feet.  It is worse when it is hot and it feels like I am going to have a heart attack.  Today I had a blood pressure monitor test and noticed when my arm was squeezed by the machine I got the same feeling, like my heart was beating too fast and I was going to have a heart attack. When it is hot I feel like I am going to have a heart attack.  I DO know I have low breathing, from using a peak flow test machine at home, and wonder if it is due to lack of oxygen, but my GP won't do anything for me.

Please can someone help.  I also get extreme loss of sensation and purple black fingers when it is cold, well, even when it is just mild.  I also have to wear jumpers even in the summer, a lot, as I feel like I have high blood pressure but I also feel cold. I do also have other health problems, such as an extended bowel due to long term infection (which could cause dehydration as it causes constipation), arthritis and spondilosis in my back and a few hernias.

Melissa

[talyn1978]

my two sisters and I all have this.  i'm 30 years old and have suffered from this for about 10 years now.  for me its brought on by stress, warm environments and drinking alcohol.  my fingers and thumbs become red and very warm.  whats odd is that my palms remain unaffected during an attack.  cool water and elevation seem to be about the only things that help alleviate the symptoms once they have started. no medications have helped. this happens with my toes and heels also. ...its quite the bummer. :/  

joe

[Niknak1974]

I have had this red and hands and feet just this past weekend.  I was painting with Kitchen and Bath paint in the bathroom and I felt dizzy and when I looked in the mirror my hands were blood red, and then I took off my socks and my feet were blood red as well, my sister thought my feet were bleeding.  I am alergic (allergic) to Latex and we were using latex based paint but I wasn't eating it and it wasn't all over my hands and feet.  Not sure if it was some weird alergic (allergic) reaction or something else.  However, it happened 2 days in a row, only while painting the bathroom.  I am having some tests on my liver as some bloodwork came back with some need to test my liver... not sure if that has anything to do with that.  However, with some of the symptoms that seems to be going along with this in others is the same with me... so what I want to know is how many other people are overweight.  I have been overweight for a while now and noticed that a lot of my symptoms started after I gained (approx 80 pounds).  I am currently trying to lose some of that but wonder if some or most of the symptoms I am experiencing (dizziness, headaches, breathlessness, chest pains etc), and now the red hands and feet can be contributed to the extra weight?  Anybody else?

[heckler92]

I have had the same exact problems as anyone here.  In the summer my hand are very hot and bright red (same for feet), and in the winter my feet are purplelish, cold, and numb.

Have tested for reynaud's disease but it was negative.  I do know that I have neuropathy but I'm not sure if it has anything to do with that.

I too am very embarrassed by this and would really really really appreciate if anyone could post any updates on this.

Thanks.

[jajajameis]

Male, 19, relatively fit, never been overweight, have had this for 2 or 3 years. Blood tests & ultrasound negative. Aspirin does nothing. Worst in hands, not as bad in feet.

Ruining my life, always have to stay out of the sun, and stay indoors in hot weather, and keep my hands above heart level.

[madsam04]

You definitely sound like you have Raynauds - I know as I have same condition.  The blood test they talk about sometimes is a waste of time, raynayds syndrom (syndrome) & phenomenon are more or less same thing.  Freezing cold hands & feet, sometimes nose too, then all of a sudden, they are too hot, red and drive you insane.
My problem started with pregnancy - only way I could sleep was a pack of frozen peas under each foot - people thought I was bonkers!  Apparently Aspirin works - try taking one when you feel the flare up coming on and also (on prescription only - Nifedipine).
Condition is Erythromalalgia, but go to GP and ask for blood tests or for referral to a Rheumatologist as sometimes there's an underlying reason.  I had these tests done but they couldn't tell me anything.
Good luck!

[reshy]

look hear sounds pretty close to what you may have.

http://ezinearticles.com/?Candida-and-Red-Hands-and-Feet,-What-Causes-It,-How-to-Cure-It&id=1256643

[kdlbrat]

it sounds like it could be raynaud's phenomenon. check it out.

[McNewbster]

Hey all, I think today, whilst I had this page up with many others trying to figure out (for the umpteenth time) what all my symptoms mean, that I actually found the diagnosis.  Like everyone here the back of my hands from mainly my knuckles down my fingers oscillates between red and purple with the burning sensation.  The same goes for my toes.  My cheeks also experience the same phenomenon only to a much lesser degree (seems like rosacia(sp) at first).  The one symptom I have that no one here has mentioned is muscle fatigue and tenderness.  I am pretty much a textbook case for what's called dermatomyositis.  Unfortunately, it's pretty damn serious. I am calling my doc tomorrow morning first thing to get the tests ran.

I hope this helps someone out there.

[tgyamibakura]

Hi I have pretty much the exact same problem everyone else has *go figure huh*. My hands get hot and red and so do my feet *but not as often as my hands. They do this very very randomly but I'm 80% sure it has a trigger. I think I figured a bit of a pattern. See my feet and hands always very cold, always, and when I do something that raises my body temperature suddenly, sure enough it'll flare up. Whether it's walking running, the heat suddenly coming on, eating something hot or even if i get worked up about something! My hands get hot and red and slightly swollen, or my feet or both hands and feet or one foot and one hand or just one hand or one foot. It had been steadily getting worse over the years *I'm 20 btw* and i decided it was time to see a doctor since it was becoming very noticeable. It's typically worse in the summer. They did some blood tests and no diseases showed up except that my vitamin D level was extremely low. A normal Vitamin D level is like 30 something well mine was 6...And so they put me on vitamin D pills and it didn't seem to do much for me but after a few months i started noticing it getting less frequent almost to the point of it disappearing and I was starting to find some normalcy in life again. Well after 2 months of taking it I lost my health care and couldn't go back for a check up and get a refill and it started coming back very fast. I just went to the doctor and my level was 17 *normal is 30* It's definitely not as bad now as it was before my first time getting on a Vitamin D supplement I really do notice a difference. I just hope i can maintain it. I wish you all luck and I hope I helped.

[BagmanSS]

Same type thing happening to me, but mine has just come on recently and suddenly (I'm age 41 now).  I was sitting in the office on the computer and next thing I know, my hands are turning red in the palms and feel like they are burning.  About 30 minutes later I notice the same thing is starting to happen to the soles of my feet, only not quite as bad.  This is the first time I have ever had something like this.

I go to the doctor the next day and he doesn't know what to think of it.  I have no fever at all and no other symtoms (I feel fine except for the hot red hands).  He tells me it is likely my body reacting to some sort of virus and about all we can do is let it play out.  He tells me to give it a week and if it gets worse come back and see him.

Later that evening I start to get a speckled rash on the inside of my lower arms.  By the next morning I have the speckled rash from my knees to belly button, but nowhere near my private parts.  It doesn't itch at all or feel bad in any way.  The next day the rash starts to go away and the day after that it is completely gone.  The redness in the hands and feet starts to subside.

The skin on the hands appears to have gotten damaged by the burning redness (felt a lot like I had severely sun-burned hands).  My hands start peeling just like a sunburn would a few days after that.  A few days after my hands have finished peeling, they start to turn red again, sometimes very red, sometimes not red at all, but nowhere near as bad as the initial incident.  My feet also peeled, but not as much and they do not appear to have gotten red again.

So, as of today it's been about 20 days since the initial incident and my hands still occassionally turn red and burn, but at least it goes away eventually. I think Advil might be helping.

I have not been back to the doctor again, but I think I may need to go again.  He acted like he didn't have a clue before, so I am not sure what he is going to do for me now.  Hearing others who have this problem chronically has me worried that I may have something that simply won't go away.

I have googled the internet like crazy and there seems to be a lot of things that could cause these symtoms, but they seem to always be accompanied by other symptoms, which I have none.  A lot of the possible causes seem to be related to infections that can be taken care of by anti-biotics, but I got the impression the doctor wouldn't prescribe those unless he knew exactly what he was treating.  I wish they would just put me on a round of anti-biotics just in case, since many of the infections sound like that can turn into fairly serious problems.