For a few years now I’ve been told that Raynaud’s is responsible for at least some of my issues with cold. My rheumatologist gave me Viagra to try as a vasodilator in the hope that it might help. It didn’t help the SFN pain and gave me awful nose bleeds and headaches.

Finally, earlier this year, I was given a nailfold capilliary test which excluded secondary Raynaud’s. I don’t get the white or blue colour changes normally associated unless I get in a hot bath when my toes go bright white. However I do get some white and redening so the vascular doctor explained that this is mild Raynaud’s secondary to quite an advanced SFN. I also get Livedo Riticularis although I tested negative for APS. There was a description from the vascular doctor of a bridge between the damaged tiny nerve fibres and the tiny blood vessels - so they are very closely connected - but I didn’t take this in properly. Can anyone here offer an explanation for me in layman’s terms?

What I’m also wondering is whether this means they the awful cold which seems to take hold of me is neuropathic? I find that only a really hot bath can reboot- is this part of the SFN or is it autonomic dysfunction? I used to need cool baths to cool down the burning pain - now it’s the other way round?!

I no longer suffer from the excruciating burning pain - just this icy cold numbness all the way up my legs and arms and in my face. I get vasovagal spasms when I breathe in cold air. I think the reason that only a hot bath helps is due to the fact that my core becomes so chilled.

But I would like to know is whether the cold weather is triggering the SFN to worsen, which in turn has led to worsening numbness proprioception issues - or is the SFN causing this extreme oversensitivity to the cold? I do get this cold sensation even in summer months but I’m in Scotland so it’s not that hot very often!

I also seem to have vibrating in the sole of my right foot - which at first I attributed to our under floor heating, until I realised that it wasn’t affecting my other foot?!