Ice Cold Legs - A Symptom Of Pots Or Could It Be Peripheral Artery Disease?

[lynnie22]

I've been assuming almost all of my symptoms these days relate to POTS. We all talk about cold feet. Recently I noticed that I wasn't just experiencing cold feet, but cold legs, ice cold in fact. So I looked it up. Not that POTS comes up as a cause very often on the regular sites. So I'm curious and concerned. Do any of you have ice cold legs? This is mainly at night for me while I'm sitting around. My legs are freezing. Sometimes I get pain down one, sometimes my foot goes numb. But what came up online was PAD, meaning blockage in the arteries. I thought I'd check with you all, and see if this is indeed also a symptom of our POTS.

Thanks for your feedback.

[Katybug]

I actually get ice cold in my entire body at least once a day. If my mom touches me, she can feel it. I believe mine is temperature dysregulation from dysautonomia. I usually will suddenly have a hot flash at the end of a cold episode and have to start peeling the layers off quickly.

If this is mainly in your legs, have you considered Raynaud's Syndrome? It is not uncommon for people with pots to have Raynaud's.

[looneymom]

Have you tried an electric lap blanket? This may sound odd but my son still has this trouble in the winter time and early spring. Our doctors have told us that it has something do with blood circulation and his body not being able to regulate his temperature. So it really is strange. Sometimes my son can tell when it's happening and sometimes not. I keep an electric lap blanket near his recliner that can be turned on when needed. About 5-10 minutes later, I turn it off and this seems to do the trick. When his hands get cold, he rubs them back and forth.

[E Soskis]

Ice cold legs, ice cold arms - peripheral neuropathy and Raynaud's - especially with a flare, they get even colder. I can relate to the hot flash - for some reason, my whole body will get very hot then very cold.....don't you just love the ever-changing nature of dysautonomia? - never a dull moment.......

[Psalm 23]

Hi lynnie 22,

I typically experience very cold legs, feet, hands and whole body much of the time except it's improved at present because of warmer summer temperatures. It is not limited primarily to night time but throughout the day. As we move into cooler months the problem intensifies to the point of feeling freezing much of the time which I attribute to a thermoregulation impairment. I also experience numbness, pain and discoloration in my extremities. I have a few microwaveable warming pads ( transportable ) and a heating pad that helps. Compression hose and insulated socks also help. Do you notice a discoloration to your skin as well as the coldness ? I wondered about PAD for myself at one time but I was diagnosed with Raynauds instead and that seemed to make more sense anyway especially as many others with POTS seem to have a Raynauds diagnosis. Check out some of the old threads about Raynauds and POTS. Peripheral neuropathy could be a possibility as well. Of course let your doctor know about your problem and see what he/she thinks is the reason for it. I hope it improves.

Janet

[Lethargic Smiles]

Yes, I get this too. In my case it is a lack of proper circulation. Since I have been doing diaphragmatic breathing exercises, it has gotten a bit better.