Do I have poor circulation?

[lisa990]

I am a 30 year old female and I suffer from anxiety.  Other than anxiety and panic attacks, I have no other medical conditions.  There is one thing that bothers me and I was hoping to get some opinions.  Sometimes when my feet are cold and I cross my legs (at the knee) or sit on my legs, my toes turn slightly blue!  It's mostly noticeable on my big toenail, but occasionally the skin around all of my toenails also turns blue.  If my feet are warm and I cross my legs, they remain a normal color.  It only seems to happen when they are cold, but since I live in an area where the weather is cold for 8 months out of the year, this has been worrying me.  The floors in my home are always freezing cold, no matter what the temperature is outside.  I'm wondering if maybe this is why my feet get cold? I never had this problem until we moved into this house. I read that you can check for your pulse in your feet and ankles, which is a good indicator of circulation.  I can feel the pulse in both spots on both feet, although it's not a strong pulse like you get on your carotid artery, but definitely there and easy enough to find.  I was wondering if this is a problem.  My husband and I are planning on having another baby, but I don't want to start trying until I find out if this is normal.    I know it's not Raynaud's - I don't have any pain or whiteness.  I've been to the cardiologist 3 times and been in the hospital once (all because of panic attacks and a fast heart rate) and everybody says that my heart and bloodwork are perfect. I seem to be dealing much better with my anxiety over the past few months, but this one issue has really been bothering me. Knowing all of this, do you think I have poor circulation?  Or could this have something to do with my anxiety?

[Dr. Kokil Mathur]

Hi
Thanks for writing to the forum!
There are a few possibilities like hypothyroidism, peripheral neuropathy like in diabetes, peripheral vascular disease, Reynaud’s phenomenon and very cold external temperatures. You do say you live in very cold climate. So keep your legs warm. The other possibility is peripheral vascular disease. You would need angiogram or color dopplar for this.
Hope this helps. I think you should discuss these possibilities with your doctor. It is difficult to comment beyond this without examining. A comprehensive investigation is required keeping all the points in mind. Please let me know if there is any thing else and do keep me posted. Take care!

[lisa990]

Oh...I forgot to add....I'm not diabetic (have been tested thoroughly by an endocrinologist because I had gestational diabetes) and my thyroid is normal.