redness in hands and feet

i am a 28 year old female and over the lst 3 years i have been having a problem. I have been having redness and burning in my hands and feet. It seems that the more activity that i do the more red they get. If i put them over my head the color goes away. I was told by my doctor that i have raynauds syndrome. However the only relief I get is when i put them in cold water or if I lay down. It does not sound like raynauds. I even consulted the raynauds society and asked them if these symptoms are current with raynauds and they told me it does not sound like I have this. I have been researching for so long over the internet for answers to this question for so long. Not yet have I found an answer that is what brought me here the hope that someone else may have this who can help direct me in the right place to go for help. I have never had any attacks of blue or purple in my fingers hands or toes. They only become red and they will feel very hot, sweaty, and burn. Once the temperature drops i am fine, and the less active I am the better. Stress I noticed will also bring this on. If anyone has any idea what this is I would appreciate any feed back that way I can see the right doctor to get help. Thank you for your time.

[CCF-Neuro-M.D.-PW]

Raynauds is diagnosed by the classic triad of blue-white-red color changes in the fingers. Yours seem to be just red, hence raynauds is unlikely

Its possible that you have primary or secondary hyperhidrosis, of the palmar, plantar type. Primary means that the problem rests in teh weat glands themselves. Secondary means that another disorder is at play such as hyperthyroidism, phaoechromocytoma, autonomic nervous system dysfunction, or medications with cholinergic side effects or the oral contraceptive pill.

The hormone related causes can be tested for by blood and urine tests (above). Sweat testing can be performed in specialized centers to investigate for autonomic function - this can be performd at the Cleveland Clinic Autonomic lab if you so wish. These tests include QSART, and powder testing.

Treatment can be with local antiperspirants, anti-cholinergic medications or at times Botox injections, or rarely and if severe, cervical sympathectomy.

Good luck

[honky]

Hi your problem sounds just like mine and I have been diagnosed with peripheral neuropathy.  I am 46 years old and have had this problem for 5 years or so.  I also have joint pain and feel slightly "under the weather" but its the burning and prickling in the hands and feet and somewhat in the lower legs that are terrible.  I used to be really active and go to the gym most days, now any exercise or hot weather brings the burning on.  Do you notice it also gets worse at night?  Some nights I literally sleep with my feet in a bucket for cold water.  I would ask for a referral to a neurologist if I were you as sometimes a cause can be found before it goes too far.
Love Pauline

[ameena]

Thank you for your reply. It is terrible I use to be active as well I love to excersise now oh forget it. It comes and goes. I noticed this after i had an ectopic pregnancy and they had to do a c-section. It;s very odd I never had it before. My father has it and my grand mother as well. I dont get numb but I burn when it comes on. At night I swell up in my hands and they feel like cotton and then they start to burn. It comes on more right before my menstral cycle. Well I will take your advice. Thank you for sharing your story with me and I am glad in a way to see that I am not alone with this even though I wish we didnt have to feel this way. You take care as well..god bless

[Luv-My-Ladybug]

Hi
I have the same Redness in my feet which spread up to my knees & my hands also. A Rheumatoligst I went to ran many blood tests,
ANA blood test came back positive. Dr. said I had Sclerderma,
Raynodes Phenomn. and C.R.E.S.T.  but with-out the C in C.R.E.S.T  Dr. put me on a blood preasure medication
Norvasc 5mg and increased it to 2 per day.
* Which cause my redness & burning to become severe, Internall heat also,SO THIRSTY, I was drinking a gallon of ice water.

I went to see a Dr. who treated me in the past, he sent me to the Mayo Clinic, with-in 3 weeks.
Like you, I just could not believe I had Raynodes, as I was so *Red & Burning*....it just didn't add up.
I spent 2 1/2 weeks at Mayo, My test for Sclerderma came back negitive. I do not have the Raynodes Phenomn, nor R.E.S.T
with out the C. part. The kind of blood preasure medication this Dr. had given me agravated my problems, it increased more blood to my extremitives.
What Mayo did find , was that I have,
1. Small Fiber Neuropathy (Alot of this, mainly lower limbs)
2. Complex Regional Pain Syndrome/RSD
3. Fibromyalgia
4. Eeythromelalgia
All are very painful conditions, the CRPS can cause redness also.  I fell 2 years ago(Very Bad Fall) and I have believe this is why I have developed CRPS. I can only be on my feet for 10-15 min,and the pain is un-bearable. The pain is cause my blood presure to be very high.  My doctor is working on the diagnoses, from Mayo Clinic.
I am so glad I got a second opnion.  This was a very serious disease, the  1st Rheumatoligest diagnosed me with having.
Scarry that this can happen. If I can help you with any other questions, just post, and I will get back to you.
Luv-My-Ladybug

[ameena]

i am taking birth control pills now. and ya know what funny enough it seems to have brought the problem down..humm? Strange. this redness and burning in my hands and feet is only centered around my toes and the bottoms and the knucles down on my hands. my daughter i notice is also having some redness only in her feet. usually this odd thing is brought on alot by stressful situations which we have alot. i have also noticed that the more constipated i may get the worse it is and then when i am relieved it is better as well. I know embarrasing to admit but true. I feel as well alot of this is due to my surgery, the c-section to remove the ectopic pregnancy i had 3 years ago. Sometimes my stomache will go numb if i work out alot. I still do not agree this is raynauds blood pressure meds do not help all though i have alot less water retention lol. that was the only benifit..well i appreciate your comments and that you took the time to tell me about your situation.I have thought of erythermalgia before as well but there is not too much info on net about this condition. I know my granmother has lived with this for years and years and years with out a diagnosis. well god willing , we will find a cure for this seeing as how now i have a little one getting it.
thank you and god bless

[honky]

Hi I hope you dont mind me asking a couple of questions.  I also have small fibre neuropathy and am having terrible trouble trying to get any help for it.  Did yours start in feet and then progress to legs and hands?  Has anyone told you when and if it will stop progressing and do you take any medicaitons for it?  I live in London and although I know we are not exactly a third world country! I am considering coming over to the States as it seems you are more ahead with treating this condition and it is literally running my life at the moment.
Thanks Pauline

[gran1]

ive been having redness and severe burningin feet and hands it came on very sudden. went to dr. hes says i have erythromelalgia does any one else out there have this and what can you do to help . ive read some things about it and its scary there does not seem to be a cure and not to much you can do to help it . i would love to talk to any one else with this problem and see if there is any thing i can do to relieve the pain and burning thank you

[gran1]

read your letter what did they tell you to do. did they give you somthing you could do for this. my dr. only has me takng aspirin right now it does not seem to help. is there anything we can do to help this problem. i really would love to talk to someone who has this problem

[worry1]

there is a rare chance you can have fabrys it has them classic symtoms (symptoms)...

[horselady]

Hello: Last night I had an attack of somekind that appears to be Reynaud's in that my hands and feet turned red, swelled up and burned. The burning was unbelievable. I have a condition of the blood known as HAE or hereditary angio edema - the absence of C-1 esterase in the blood. C-1 works to eliminate swelling from the friction of blinking, swollowing, breathing and physical excercise. C-1 also acts as a trigger for all other enzymes, so without it, C-2,3,4 etc., are not triggered in a cascade effect to perform their duties. As you may know, C-3 is the enzyme connected to Lupus. I would just chalk this episode up to HAE, but I also had unbelievable itching and hives everywhere: legs, arms, hands, stomach etc.. Has anyone had hives and itching with Reynaud's? By the way, it took me ten years to get a proper diagnosis.
Take Care, Horselady

[horselady]

Hello: Last night I had an attack of somekind that appears to be Reynaud's in that my hands and feet turned red, swelled up and burned. The burning was unbelievable. I have a condition of the blood known as HAE or hereditary angio edema - the absence of C-1 esterase in the blood. C-1 works to eliminate swelling from the friction of blinking, swollowing, breathing and physical excercise. C-1 also acts as a trigger for all other enzymes, so without it, C-2,3,4 etc., are not triggered in a cascade effect to perform their duties. As you may know, C-3 is the enzyme connected to Lupus. I would just chalk this episode up to HAE, but I also had unbelievable itching and hives everywhere: legs, arms, hands, stomach etc.. Has anyone had hives and itching with Reynaud's? By the way, it took me ten years to get a proper diagnosis.
Take Care, Horselady

[renierenie]

A related discussion, red tingling burning hands and feet was started.

[dogwalker4]

A related discussion, Do your feet and hands change colours in extreme temperatures (cold or hot)? was started.

[avguerrero]

I woke up in the middle of the night and felt the itching in my hands. It was excruciating . And as I was scratching, I felt the burning becoming  intense. My hands also were tightening as I would open and close...So I tried sleeping it off. Didn't really help. So when got in the morning, it was the same. I have this also in my feet. It happens while in in the shower. I notice that my feet are red and somewhat swollen looking. Like fat feet. I never thought to much about. So now that its in my hands, im just very curious. And in just very confused because I've never had this before and in only 20. When I went to sleep the night before everything was okay. So now I'm on the internet searching what could be the cause even though this is the first time that this has happened,  it still shocks reading the comments above kind of worries me...