Blue Purple Toes (Page 1)

I am suffering from the exact same thing. My toes tend to be purple after a hot shower or if they are not elevated. They also have episodes where they swell have itchy red places, and ocassionally small blisters. I am also suffering extreme muscle, bone, and joint pain. Like you, my ANA and other blood work as well as catscans and multiple other tests came back normal. The many doctors I have seen have called the purple-lacy discoloration on my arms and legs Livido (sp?). I just returned from the Mayo Clinic in FL this week with nothing more than a possible diagnosis of Fibromyalgia. I do not believe that is correct due to the fact the onset was too quick and multiple other reasons. We are waiting on several biopsies to come back and should know something in a couple of weeks. One of the many doctors who saw me at Mayo mentioned something called purple toe syndrome. It's worth looking into. Good luck to you. If you are anything like me at this point you are probably aggrivated out of your mind. Keep me posted if you find anything out.

I have also had raynaud's disease but something new is going on with me. I too have had negative blood work when it comes to ANA and sed rate. I have interstitia nephritis and am in stage 2 kidney disease. I also have epilepsy, and arthristis, I hurt so bad in my joints and muscles and I have extreme fatigue. The raynauds is getting so bad lately that my feet and toes are turning purple and staying purple. They look like they have been beaten with a bat. They look like they are net getting circulation. The bad thing is that I am in so much pain when I walk that I don't want to go to the Dr. about it. i'm an RN and I know how serious this is. My Dr.'s have always thought I had a vascular disease (which Raynaud is) and I have a rheumatology appointment on Thursday, so i will show them then. My question is, does this sound like a severe case of raynauds? My foot and toes are a purplish color and it extends to the top of my foot where the small bones are. I have it bad on the right foot and mildly on the left foot. It is very painful. I have had it for about a month now. Thanks everyone for listening...

Have you looked up Ehlers Danlos Syndrome? I get purple toes after a hot shower and they swell have itchy red places too. I also have extreme muscle, bone, and joint pain. The pains I get are from Ehlers Danlos and the purple/ red toes I get from SYSTEMIC mastocytosis (caused by my Ehlers Danlos).

I thought I had gotten frost bite last winter on three toes it took so long to heal but the redness never went away well now with winter back I have the frost bite like symptons again, blisters, dark red / purple toes, now it is on most toes on my left foot and yesterday started on my right foot. its paifull they fell somewhat numb, when I get out of the cold its a bit better hot shower hurts they turn purple. during the summer it mostly went away. have not been to doctor yet.

I've had blisters on my right hand/fingers and right foot and it took me 3 years and 3 doctors of research to figure it out. I got diagnosed with Vasculitis due to a Nickel Allergy. It only happens from october to april and it goes away in the summertime. I also get purple fingers and toes and knees while having a hot shower it's all part of the process of vasculitis, and it's not fun. I went on 1/2 tablet of 50mg of Prednisone for 10 days and it clears up the blisters and swelling. I've also been on a low nickel diet for a month and I haven't had any flare ups since then. Go get a referral from your GP for a Dermatologist. And google Nickel Allergy+Hand Dermatitis it can happen on your feet too... I hope this helps!

Hey - so a lot of nothing has come of this entire ordeal. I continued to have symptoms of this bizarre auto immune / endocrine like disorder that didn't fit any specific format. I had SO many tests done - all in which were either negative or just led doctors in another direction. I wanted to ask you 2 (above) where you are at now with these symptoms and maybe we can exchange emails to talk more in depth about this. I am bad with keeping up with this site and would love to re address some of my current issues and compare with you guys!
let me know!

I have almost the same exact thing. I've had joint pain in my legs for about 3-4 years, but the discoloration started about 2 years ago. A couple of my toes are usually purple or blue throughout the year and during the winter my toes become swollen, red, and itchy. After a shower my legs are red and splotchy. Or after excersising for a period of time, standing, or just walking around my legs, hands, face, and arms start to turn a red and splotchy. My feet are always cold, too. My doctor diagnosed me with Raynauds Phenomenon, too, but I don't think that's what it is. I've had multiple blood tests that suggest things like hypoglycemia, but the second round of blood tests always come back negative for it. I think it might be a circulation issue of some sort. Maybe gout?

anyone take birth control pills or prescribed adderall ? ?

a lot of my onset was during the time I went off yasmin (after being on for 4 years) lasted a solid 4-6 months... kinda tapered down in the summer.... and picked back up again in the winter of 09/currently.... interestingly enough a lot of my circulatory (the blister like look to the toes, the itching red at night, purple during day etc.) began surfacing again when I went back on birth control.

feedback??

AG4687- Interesting i wud say.. i was on yasmin for 3months then went off for a few months and picked up again this month(jan)... i hav bin havin these itchy toes almost every night. in d beginnin it didnt itch enuf 2 interrupt my slp, but recently it the itchiness wake me up at night..its soo itchy,, n my feet get rly cold icy n blister-like lookin.
Did yu find a soln to yours? pls lemme kno. ryt nw its 5am in morn n cudnt sleep cus of d itchy toes
Thnx

You all sound like you have the same thing I am trying to find out about. I have always had cold feet and cool hands during the winter months,but right before Christmas we had severe cold weather (below 0) for about a week. My 2nd toe by my big toe started swelling up and turning purple. I finally saw my GP and he said it looked like frostbite but sent me to a Rheumatologist. He put me on Amlodipine (5 mg) to open up the vessels and sent me for a ABI test (ankle brachial) to check for peripheral vascular disease. I don't have any symptoms of leg pain etc associated with PVD. I am now waiting for the test results from last week, but while waiting I soak my feet every night and the swelling goes down and toes almost look normal in the morning, but after I soak they start weeping clear fluid from the one toe that is real bad. Well, this morning after my shower I was walking in my kitchen and felt something on that toe and the 4th toe on my left foot and they had started weeping blood (just a little). I freaked out and then it started the clear fluid again. Called doctor and he said he hadn't got tests back yet but just put triple antibiotic creme on the toes tonight and "they should be okay". Still don't get what this is.

Hey AG4687 it sounds like you and I are having alot of the same symptoms. The problem i'm having is that I can say exactly when this started happening becasue its been goingon for years now. I was on Yasmine for 4 or 5 years and the purple blotchy skin discoloration probably started about 2 years into it. I have now been off BC for over a year but almost feel as of lately my hands are getting worse. They are ususally purple and cold or bright red and hot. I was told a few years back that I had a very extreme case of Raynauds but that was only based on my doctor friend looking at my hands. In the past year I have started noticing my legs and feet are becoming more and more blotchy and I am starting to get this weird, almost arthritis like pain in my hands and cannot use them for very long without feeling tired. As for my feet, I havent really had any symptoms except them being cold and I have these bumps on the tops of my toes but I think thats just from wearing bad shoes and high heels all the time.
I am starting to think it either has something to do with taking yasmine all those years and/or just bad circulation. I unfortunantly do not have health insurance and have not been to the doctor in over 5 years so have not had the ability to get any type of blood work or tests done.

Cant believe you guys have no public health cover its just crazy !! I would be in deep poop without it ! but on the downside we dont have general dental cover here (australia ) and dental is EXTREMELY expensive as a result my teeth a dropping out one by one lol not really but they are rotten and I have had to have several pulled after being on a waiting list for 13 years!! yes 13 year wait and that is only to go on IF you have an emergency such as impacted wisdom tooth needless to say that tooth I applied to have fixed fell out one week before I got a call ! my daughter has similar symptons as most people on here has for long time but has never been on the pill shes about to have blood test today!Good luck folks.

I applied for basic health through the state but due to budget cuts they are no longer accepting applications at this time and I am already massivly in debt becasue I had to get my appendix out w/out health insurance and am basically afraid to go to the doctor because of costs.
I also was on adderall for about 3 months but that was over 5 years ago so dont really think its related but I am a smoker and I know that can casue Raynauds to become worse but I think this goes beyond Raynauds

Hi All,
I probably can't really help too much, but I'm in medical school and maybe I can look somewhere in the right direction. I have a few questions, if you don't mind (there are others that might be pertinent, but potentially personal)

1. Do any parts other than your limbs become blue?
2. What is your diet like, including fluid intake and caffeine usage
3. Do you exercise and if so, how much
4. Does your occupation leave you standing/sitting all day?

Thanks,
June

AG4687...why did you ask about adderall and birth control?
I am on dextroamphetamine and I was on birth control pills, but I stopped those 2 or 3 weeks ago.

I was reading everyone's posts because I have had similar symptoms. My toes get really cold and are a purple/blue color, especially in the morning. However, I don't tend to look at my feet in the middle of the day, so who knows what they look like then. But, anyways, my toes, both knees, and my fingers have been turning bright red and feel hot (best way to describe it is a burning feeling). The redness has been happening mostly at night. What happens is I can feel my knees start burning, then I look at them and they're bright red, then my fingers do the same thing. My feet are kind of random with the warmth and redness. For example; right now, my right foot is cold and a little blueish, but not bad, and my left foot is hot, burning and red, and my left knee is beginning to feel hot/burning. Usually it happens to both feet, both knees, or both hands at the same time, so just my left leg having symptoms is a first. It seems to happen out of nowhere, not like my knees or feet or hands are gradually getting warm, more like all the sudden they're super red and hot. It's the weirdest thing. My feet usually are cold, so I never thought too much about it. Once the knee and finger thing happened, I started to realize it's probably all related. Also, the last few days I've had minor cramping in both of my calves. Thought maybe it was just low potassium, so I had a few bananas. It's a little better, but still there. Pretty sure it's not a clot, they're not red or swollen. Just feel like the beginning of a charlie horse.

Hey LigamentousLaxity thanks for your interest. In response to your questions, Yes other parts of me do turn blue. I think its almost worse in my hands than in my feet. They will either be really cold and purple or bright red and hot but I have also noticed it happenening in my knees and elbows more lately. I have a very pale complextion but my skin always seems to look purple and blotchy no matter how warm or cold it is.
My diet is pretty normal and I drink a good amount of water on a daily basis. I dont drink alot of soda and very rarely drink coffee. I do smoke ciggaretts and have a couple drinks a week. I dont exercise as much as I should but I am very active and constantly on the move. I work as an operations manager at a salon and also serve tables on the weekend so I am on my feet alot of the time but also spend a fair amount sitting in front of a computer. I havent been to the doctor in years but as far as I know I am in good health. I am 27 years old, 5'2" and weigh between 120-127 llbs. Hopefully this info will help. Let me knowif you have any other questions

Hi everyone,

WOW, I think this is where I should be. I started having my toes turn blue/purple about 3 weeks ago. At the same time, I started having chest pressure, and feelings of my heart racing. I went to GP. He did an echo of my heart, EKG and Holter monitor. I have stayed in persistant sinus tachycardia w/average HR 120. I am a diabetic (untreated HBG A1C 5.3 and fasting blood sugars less than 120 but dx due to 1 time blood sugar 201 w/glucose tolerance test.) My mother and father both diabetic. My mother does have Psoratic Arthritis. General health panel good. Now having pain and numbness in one of my feet and both feet turning blue/purple not just toes any more. I am tired all the time. GP I saw did not want to send me to cardio MD or rhumo MD. He put me on Toprol to lower my HR and said my feet were caused by wearing shoes that were too tight. I saw another GP today and getting CT angio done to rule out blockages to legs. He said if that is not what is causing it then is is some "weird" autoimmune vascular disorder. I do have PVD but very mild. I am 33 years old and very scared. I do not smoke or use caffine. I do not take birth controll. I do have complicated migraines.

hmm scary I would be getting another opinion myself ! Found yours interesting as my daughter was born with SVT (spontaneous ventricular tachcycardia) shes now 14 and only has bouts now and then which can give her some mild chest pain and nausea but she also has very blue feet and Im quiet worried about it ,its only been noticed in the past year though she reckons its been on and off longer, she does zero exercise, is tall and thin for her age I have asked doc in the past if this blueness is because of her heart but he says no her circulation seems fine ...yet her heart is soooo irregular ALL the time you would think it wasnt so Im not really sure what to beleive!! time to contact my brothers father inlaw (hes a cardiologist! )see what he has to say ! Good luck stay well !

Raynaud''s disease, as you may know, is a potential precursor to thromboangiitis obliterans (Buerger''s disease) caused by vasculitis (inflammation of the blood vessels). I am a smoker and know how it can be difficult to put your lighter away...but it must be done. Buerger''s disease once progressed is NASTY. I am 22, have smoked for 3 years, and have to say - it''s time for me to quit.

I''m wondering if anyone can help me - I''ve been having very purple/dark gray toes now for a year or so. I don''t ever have any pain in them, nor do they feel cold. The rest of my skin is normal - no blotches or red spots anywhere - although sometimes the palms of my hands are very red. I''m 17 and very active, eat healthily, and have never had any problems with dizziness, I just have very weird colored toes and get comments on them almost every day. They are typically purple all day, not more so at any particular time. Any advice?

diabetic ?

I have Purple toes for several years with blisters that form in the winter & cold hands and just found out from doctor that a test came back positive for vasculitis. Also, when I cross my legs for too long, my toes get numb & I have to wiggle them to get the feeling back into them.

Going to a Rheumatologist in two weeks. Also noticed (but not sure if this has anything to do with it) that I have back pains but not sure if the pain is where my kidneys are. Going to ask the doctor and will keep you informed.

Hey all, this is exactly what's been happening to me swollen bright red toes that are soo itchy. My legs go red and purple after showers ect. pretty much everything everyone has said has happened to me. But I'm not on any birth control, and I dont smoke or drink as I'm only 15 years old. I have chronic fatigue syndrome but these symdomes don't come as part of that so i'm kind of freaking out. They've only been like this for about a week but they are getting worse ( the red itchy swollen toes) any help would be fantastic. Thanks!

Saw a program on Discovery health channel yesterday, about a man whose face, hands, then heels turned purple. After many doctors and tests, the problem was found in his spleen, where a worm infection 30 years before left a cyst. I can't remember details, now, but the spleen had become as big as a football and was filled with lymphoma. It was of a type not fatal after removal. But it had interfered with his blood particles leading to a cold disorder like Reynauds. Hope this helps you guys.

Saw a program on Discovery health channel yesterday, about a man whose face, hands, then heels turned purple. After many doctors and tests, the problem was found in his spleen, where a worm infection 30 years before left a cyst. I can't remember details, now, but the spleen had become as big as a football and was filled with lymphoma. It was of a type not fatal after removal. But it had interfered with his blood particles leading to a cold disorder like Reynauds. Hope this helps you guys.

The palms of my hands and tops of my fingers (including fingernails) are constantly red and burning. My toes, soles and sides of feet range between white, red and a very deep purple. They also range between hot and freezing. I have been diagnosed with erythromelalgia (heat) and raynauds (cold). Lol both are pretty much opposites. Anyway I am having a lot of muscle and joint ache and pains everywhere which doesnt seem to fit the diagnosis and off to see a specialist again.
Anyway just thought I would mention the erythromelalgia as no-one seems to have brought that up
Annie