Susan's Place Transgender Resources

Does anyone else have Raynauds Disease? and if so, has estradiol exasperated your cold attacks?

I do not have Reynaud's and really very few people do. About 4% of the population may have some symptoms. Reynaud's disease is a constriction of the blood vessels in the hands and toes which causes a feeling of cold and numbness. Reynaud's is considered to be idiopathic, that is no known cause. I am sure you know this, but other readers may not.

The most common factor associated with Reynaud's disease is smoking.  For everyone who does have symptoms of Reynaud's, they need to stop or never start smoking tobacco. This will just make the constriction in the blood vessels much worse. Again, this is not a definite cause, but very strong association.

Other factors are caffeine, certain medicines and estrogens. However a New England Journal of Medicine article in August 2016 says that there is not any solid evidence that these should be avoided.

The simplest treatment is to avoid cold temperatures. If the condition persists, your doctor can prescribe certain medications that will lessen or prevent future attacks of vascular constriction.

I have Raynaud's and take estrogen.  I cannot say if the estrogen made symptoms any worse, but it certainly did not seem to help any.

Quote from: Phlox1 on October 22, 2018, 04:54:09 PM
I have Raynaud's and take estrogen.  I cannot say if the estrogen made symptoms any worse, but it certainly did not seem to help any.

Ah! Thank you for replying, I was starting to feel like I was the only TF with Raynauds. Thus far that has been my experience too but I have omly been on hormones for 10 weeks. How far along are you if I may aak?

I've been on HRT now for about 2 1/2 years.  Raynaud's is really only a problem during the winter months, but it can even show up during the summer if I handle cold items in the grocery store, for example. 

Quote from: Phlox1 on October 23, 2018, 11:33:20 AM
I've been on HRT now for about 2 1/2 years.  Raynaud's is really only a problem during the winter months, but it can even show up during the summer if I handle cold items in the grocery store, for example.

Ah bless you. I knkw it's not good to have Raybauds, but I'm glad I'm not alone,  I wear a jaxket and gloves i. The grocery even in Summer

I've been suffering from Raynaud's since I was a kid. It does get worse with age. I can't say for sure that E has made it worse. I feel the cold more but blood stopping to flow in me feet or hands, even in summer, is no different

Quote from: JoanneB on October 26, 2018, 09:46:04 AM
I've been suffering from Raynaud's since I was a kid. It does get worse with age. I can't say for sure that E has made it worse. I feel the cold more but blood stopping to flow in me feet or hands, even in summer, is no different

I had a flat tire tonight and had to stand in the cold rain! Was sooo cold. Maybe because muscle mass decreases on estrogen then it makes it e en worse

I don't know anything about Raynaud's but I definitely became more sensitive to temperature after starting estradiol.  All those years I noticed women immediately adjust a car's dashboard vents and... then I found myself doing the same. 

Individuals have a range of responses to HRT, but I found estradiol amped up all my senses.