In order to better understand some health issues my daughter is having, I ended up revisiting Reynaud's Syndrome (RS).
The mechanism for RS is associated with peripheral vasoconstriction (PV). There are various causes of PV, some quite normal.
Another condition that hikers get is "hyponatremia." I get severe hyponatremia when I hike in hot weather (lots of sweat) and drink straight water. My body over-responds to a slight imbalance in salt content, and rejects water. The best symptom to look for is urinating clear fluid all day, for me around 15 minutes after I drink water. The result is dehydration despite drinking plenty of water. I do not suffer from Reynaud's Syndrome. The cure for my hyponatremia during hiking is full-strength Gatorade or a similar water additive. Make sure the stuff you add to your water has real sugar, not one of the artificial sweeteners.
If you suffer from both Reynaud's syndrome AND hyponatremia, you should get a work-up from an endocrinologist to determine whether your body is secreting enough vasopressin. Vasopressin affects both PV and the excretion of "solute-free water." When you urinate clear fluid soon after drinking, your body may be over-excreting solute-free water due to a shortage of vasopressin.
I am not a doctor. Any corrections or additions are welcome.
Between every two pines is a doorway to the new world. - John Muir
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Between every two pines is a doorway to the new world. - John Muir
In my ongoing research of Raynauds syndrome I came across references that people are getting relief being treated with Sildenafil (better known as Viagra).
You can probably guess where I'm going with this...
I was serious, people with severe cases of Raynaud's are being prescribed viagra. But one reference did say that if your fingers are still immobile after 12 hours you should see your doctor.
I was serious, people with severe cases of Raynaud's are being prescribed viagra. But one reference did say that if your fingers are still immobile after 12 hours you should see your doctor.
Nifedipine works very well against Raynaud's Syndrome!
I have recently changed my medication against high blood pressure. I have had Candesartan (Atacand) for many years for that. But I have also had severe problems with Raynauds. See example: https://www.dropbox.com/s/spa2a1t7fmf5755/Vita%20fingrar%20efter%20surf%202016-08-09.jpg?dl=0
Only a few months ago I was informed by my brother that there is another medication against high blood pressure, Adalat, that is also advised against Raynaud's Syndrome.
I asked my doctor why she never advised me of that since she knew I had problems with Raynaud? No good answer, except that Adalat is considered old.
Since Adalat was currently out of stock, she prescribed me Amlodipin instead as a test, since it is claimed to be similar to Adalat. Amlodipin appeared to be effective against Raynaud, but I am not 100% certain, and I suspected some not so nice side effects. I really wanted to try out Adalat, so prescription was changed to Adalat.
Since (close to) three weeks I have taken Adalat, whose active substance is Nifedipine.
My experience is that it appears VERY effective against Raynaud (and good enough for high blood pressure). I take 20 mg in the morning each day. Usually, people are prescribed to take it (10 or 20 mg) two times a day against high blood pressure, but we tried only once a day since for Raynaud it is not important during night.
I have not once had a white finger since starting with Adalat! That is astonishing I think!
Fingers might still be a bit cold, but I have had several outdoor activities and I was astonished I could do several things even without mittens!
Here are some links for information:
Nifedipine: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NifedipineUser Reviews for Nifedipine against Raynaud's Syndrome: https://www.drugs.com/comments/nifedipine/for-raynaud-s-syndrome.html
You might want to compare with user reviews for Amlodipine, which are not as convincing:
User Reviews for Amlodipine against Raynaud's Syndrome: https://www.drugs.com/comments/amlodipine/for-raynaud-s-syndrome.html
You may also want to check out Medications for Raynaud's Syndrome:
https://www.drugs.com/condition/raynaud-s-syndrome.html
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