ITP - white

Hi

I have noticed somehting strange; sometimes a toe or a finger gets white. It is a bit numb, but I can move it just fine. I can clearly see the line between white and red at my hand. First I tought it only happend when I was really cold (I often (almost always) have cold hands and feet) - but it can also happen even when I'm not. When a toe or a finger is not white, it sometimes have a grey color.
Another thing - often one hand is warm, and the other cold... and same with my feet - both of those at the same time.

I first noticed this two years ago, and since then it has got worse. To get a normal color, I have to move the toe/finger a lot, and warm it up with my fingers.

My question is; Can this be related to my ITP (condition to explain it?) ? What can this mean ?

For me it's very important to find out why I have ITP - and not just treat the symptomes. But it's difficult...

(Sorry for my english - it's not my language )

Hello Froken. Your English is understandable! You did good!
The symptoms you describe don't sound ITP related to me. I'm no expert at this silly ITP thing, but those just don't sound like anything I've heard of or experienced in the little over a year I've been dealing with it! And you say moving your toes/fingers around make them feel "warmer" and better. That sounds to me like a circulation thing. I surely am no doctor, so my only advice to you is to ask one! Soon!

There is an autoimmune disorder called Raynauds that has symptoms like that. It's not connected to ITP at all except that if a person has one autoimmune disorder, they are more prone to have another one.

Read this:

www.medicinenet.com/raynauds_phenomenon/article.htm

Froken, your English is great. I have Raynaud's phenomenon. It can be secondary to an autoimmune disorder, or can be primary, meaning there is no other disorder present. (I don't have ITP; my teen does, and she does not have Raynaud's.) Mine hasn't been so bad the last couple years, but when it first happened, it freaked me out. It was bad for a couple years, mostly when my fingers were cold. It would happen when I went swimming in cold water or reached into a refrigerator or cooler, or touched something cold. It also happened when I had a fright or shock, such as a near-miss with other cars in traffic. I could "windmill" my arm (whirling at the shoulder) and force blood back into the fingertips by centrifugal force, but, of course, would only do that in private, for fear of looking like a crazy person. I learned to keep gloves in my purse to wear when grocery shopping (reaching into freezers) or in cold weather. Hand warmer packets, as used by hunters and snow skiers, are also helpful to keep on hand. I kept them in my car. These can be placed in gloves or in shoes. (My toes started blanching as well. That was at times painful.) This is vasoconstriction, and prolonged severe cases can result in damage over years. If you smoke, you MUST stop, as that also makes it worse. (A surgeon told me a thermograph of a smoker's hand changes from red to blue as they inhale nicotine.) Abuse of caffeine, and taking decongestant medicines or other vasoconstricting agents can make it worse. If your Raynaud's is accompanied by other strange symptoms, go to your doctor, as it can also be a sign of vascular or nervous system problems. I saw a rheumatologist, as I also had joint problems, but they are believed unrelated in my case. I think most cases are simply Raynaud's with nothing more. With me, it is a bit of an oddity, but does not really cause any problems, even when it was at its worst for a couple years. For one winter, I did take nifedipine - may be misspelling it - a vasodilator used for heart patients, to improve circulation to fingers and toes. My fingers and toes were warmer than they'd ever been. I think I am just a bit chilly and slow of circulation. The next winter, I never needed the medication and didn't take it. There are some tips on the web about "retraining" your fingers and toes not to blanch, and I had decided to try them if it got worse. It never did, and actually improved on its own. The techniques involve standing outside in cold weather, but with the feet or hands in warm water, so as to retrain the reflexes. They are interesting articles, so you may try "googling" that. Good luck.
Norma

Thank you very much for answering ! I'm going to contact my docter