Poor circulation" (vague term) - Megathread

Chris Thomas94 said:What's your weight look like, and what's your diet like? Have you had any recent blood work done?

Are you dealing with any anxiety or issues right now? Like, tons of stress or something keeping you up at night... Or maybe you just have "white coat syndrome" when you see a doctor?

I'm about 175 pounds and 6'2". So yeah, pretty skinny. Stress isn't really an issue for me—honestly, I could sleep all day and night if I could😉 my blood work comes back perfect every time. It’s actually the numbness in my fingers that's killing me more than my blood pressure. Since it only happens during the winter, I'm thinking it's just the cold. Problem is, I can't wear gloves because of my job. Should I try starting some Ginkgo Biloba for circulation??

I don't know, man, based on what you just laid out, it sounds like your health is taking a serious hit. Still, before you go making any big moves, you really need to go see a doctor and get a professional opinion... You can't rule out psychosomatic stuff either (like how your hands get ice cold and your heart starts racing like crazy right before a huge final exam)

Raymond Hernandez8, I am unclear on what you specifically mean by "chills."
If your fingers turn white first and then blue at lower temperatures, you are likely dealing with Raynaud phenomenon.
While this condition can stem from pressure on the blood vessels in the cervical spine area—due to things like spondylosis or a cervical rib, for instance—that typically affects middle-aged or older individuals. In younger people, this syndrome is most often triggered by an autoimmune disorder; in fact, it can serve as an early warning sign that appears years before other symptoms manifest. Similar issues can also arise from Buerger disease (are you perhaps a smoker?), though in that case, the discomfort would affect your feet just as much.
Regardless, you ought to consult a physician more seriously.

So, I just got back from my doctor. She told me it’s just poor circulation in my limbs (not even all 🙂) and suggested some circulation tests, but I skipped them because she gave me the wrong address...
As for those chilblains, she just handed me some cream. Honestly, those things only last a week or two before they clear up anyway. I'm pretty sure it's happening because my hands are always freezing, and I absolutely wreck them at work. I'm constantly bumping them into stuff or lifting heavy loads...

I’ve been messing around all day trying to make this bracelet, but I just can't get the fit right. I really want it to be snug, but it keeps ending up way too loose.

I'm worried that if I tighten it enough to feel secure, it might cut off my circulation or something. Does anyone know if doing that could cause any long-term issues?

Thanks!

Look, it’s really not that big of a deal:
your hand is going to go numb,
then it'll turn ghostly white,
followed by the tissue starting to die off after a little while,
then those nerve endings will start throbbing like crazy,
and finally, some lovely doctor is just going to amputate the whole hand.
😬

Honestly, lady, you aren't planning on wearing that bracelet for the rest of your life, are you? It won't kill you to take it off every once in a while. But seriously, don't overdo it.

Still a guy, if you must know.😬

Anyway, I’m planning on wearing it for a while.

Do you think it would actually help if I took it off while I sleep?🤔

man, seriously, the health threads on here have been absolutely wild over the last few days 🤣 🤣 🤣

Lawrence Reed5 said:man, seriously, the health threads on here have been absolutely wild over the last few days 🤣 🤣 🤣

😬

I'm being serious, though.

Any tips for fixing poor circulation?
What about GlaxoSmithKline supplements?
And can I take those alongside my other medications—just because they're herbal doesn't necessarily mean they won't interact, right?

It might actually increase the risk of bleeding—though, honestly, I’m just speculating here, so you really ought to check with your doctor or a pharmacist first—but it probably isn't something you should touch if you have any blood clotting issues (especially leading up to surgery) or if you're already taking medications with anticoagulant effects. Then again, I can't be entirely certain... perhaps it's perfectly fine if the dosages remain sufficiently low? One of the tricky things about herbal supplements is that determining the precise, correct dose can sometimes feel like a bit of a guessing game.
As for pregnancy or breastfeeding, it isn't exactly recommended due to some reported toxic effects on the baby; however, that isn't an absolute certainty either. I recall hearing that somewhere a while back, but who knows if there are newer studies confirming it now? The whole pregnancy aspect is quite controversial, so maybe do a quick Google search on it. Regardless—even if there isn't a toxic effect—one shouldn't overlook the bleeding concerns, particularly when approaching childbirth.
I wouldn't put too much faith in the product data printed right on the packaging, either. People tend to assume herbal supplements are inherently harmless, but that's a misconception; many "natural" products are actually quite potent and come with significant contraindications. Besides, study results in this field are often contradictory, or frankly, they aren't even conducted properly to begin with.

For massage purposes, rosemary essential oil is simply wonderful.

Jesse Palmer6 said:Any tips for fixing poor circulation?
What about GlaxoSmithKline supplements?
And can I take those alongside my other medications—just because they're herbal doesn't necessarily mean they won't interact, right?

It depends on what kind of circulation you mean—venous or arterial? Ginkgo is usually used for more serious arterial issues. If the problem isn't that severe, tea or extracts from grape leaf (black grape) and grape seed (proanthocyanidins) should do the trick. Rosemary cineole is also great for local application.
With Ginkgo, the key is sticking strictly to registered herbal medicines like those from GlaxoSmithKline or Bayer.
For venous insufficiency, look for Melilotus officinalis, horse chestnut, or Ruscus aculeatus. Standardized extracts of chestnut and ruscus are your best bet.
Additionally, rutin, hesperidin, proanthocyanidins, bioflavonoids, and Vitamin C help strengthen vein walls and improve blood flow.
Pfizer makes a registered medication based on diosmin and hesperidin.

So, over this past year, I’ve been dealing with this super weird thing where my circulation just completely cuts out in my arm during the night. It usually happens when I fall asleep in one of those awkward half-side positions—you know, one arm tucked underneath me and the other draped over the pillow? Honestly, it is the most disgusting sensation ever! It’s like I can’t feel my hand at all. When I wake up, I’m pulling my arm out from under me like it isn't even mine, almost like it's dead! It feels ice-cold to the touch, too. I have to pull it on top of my chest and rub it vigorously until it finally "wakes up" and the blood starts flowing again. You can actually feel this wave of warmth traveling from your shoulder all the way down. This can happen as many as two times in a single night! I mean, is it really just because I'm putting pressure on it and cutting off the flow, or could there be something deeper going on? Because this never used to happen to me before.

I’ve been scouring the web, but I can't find anything on this "issue" (putting that in quotes because it's mostly an aesthetic thing, though I am curious from a health perspective).

The deal is, whenever my feet get even slightly chilly, my legs turn all blotchy with this purple, web-like pattern. I've noticed it seems to happen to women way more often. I know it's basically just a circulation thing, and honestly, I'm pretty used to dealing with the cold (like when I'm out walking around). It clears up as soon as I warm up or get some exercise in, but that's not really a permanent fix.

Other than that, I don't have any health issues and I don't smoke.

So, is there any way to actually fix this... let's call it "phenomenon"?

Does anyone here have actual experience using Pfizer film-coated tablets? I need some insight into how they actually work—specifically regarding their effectiveness. Dealing with poor circulation issues... thanks.

So, I’ve been taking 400 mg Trental tablets for circulation on my doctor's orders. My circulation gets absolutely trashed during the winter—I deal with some pretty severe issues with my fingers, and we're talking high-level stuff here🙄(and this is while living in San Francisco, where the weather is actually decent). As long as I stick to the prescribed dose of twice a day, things improve significantly. My fingers aren't swollen anymore and they don't look like they've been scorched, though they still have that reddish tint (which looks way better than the alternative, at least)😁...The only catch is they’re pricey. They run me about $50 per box, and the whole thing only lasts for 10 days...

Alright, so I see rosemary essential oil is supposedly great for massage, so I’m thinking about picking some up... Is the stuff from CVS actually any good, or should I be heading to a specialized apothecary instead?

Nah... "poor circulation" is just one of those vague terms grandmas use at the local farmers market or when they're chatting near the clinic here in San Francisco, and honestly, it doesn't really tell us much. It could mean a million different things, so if anyone wants actual help, you really need to be way more specific in your opening post.

Scott Allen10 said:Nah... "poor circulation" is just one of those vague terms grandmas use at the local farmers market or when they're chatting near the clinic here in San Francisco, and honestly, it doesn't really tell us much. It could mean a million different things, so if anyone wants actual help, you really need to be way more specific in your opening post.

Could you maybe dive into that a bit deeper? See, I just got back from an eye exam where the specialist mentioned my circulation was poor. Looking at the symptoms online, it seems to fit my situation perfectly. Up until now, all my lab work and tests have come back totally normal—neither I nor my doctor ever linked my issues to circulation (probably because I only go in for specific complaints, so she never really saw the big picture).
Which specific tests should I be looking into? And honestly, I'm more curious about how to actually fix it. Everything I find online is just advice about getting more exercise or taking supplements. I want to know how a doctor can actually help me, and if there's a single underlying cause for poor circulation.

It’s getting more crowded and unpredictable by the day. I guess I'm wondering how to deal with it—are there specific foods or vitamins that actually help? Also, could poor circulation be the reason my legs feel so heavy, like when I struggle to climb a flight of stairs or find it nearly impossible to stand back up after crouching? Maybe that's just something I have to live with.