http://www.nhlbi.nih...topics/raynaud/
The above web link is one of many on Raynaud's disease. Hope it comes up OK. If not you can google it.
I have been having this problem of chilled fingers since the early 1990's and my doctor mentioned Raynaud's., she did not run any test.
I was not diagnosed with cml until 2005. However as I mentioned before I went to a Senior Class on Arthritis, after my DX of CML. When it was question / answer time, "I asked about the white chilled fingers", and the Doctor mentioned that was a sign of an autoimmune disease, I don't know how he could have known that I had CML which is an autoimmune disease, but then again I am sure there are many other autoimmune disease, so I am not sure the chilled fingers are connected to CML.
Then sometime ago I read an article about chilled fingers and toes and it had nothing to do with the blood flow to the fingers like Raynaulds, but was caused from an autoimmune disease that actually chills the blood like Jello and has to be slowly thawed in tepid water, warm not hot, and slowly thawed. Having said the chilled fingers have been an early sign of CML, I don't know? Is it bad blood flow or chilled blood, I don't know?
I remember (2005 & 2006) when I flew to MD ANDERSON Cancer Center, Houston Tx, the doctor said that CML had at least been working on me, for several years. That was very interesting when he said that because when I ask other doctors when I got CML, they would say oh maybe a few months or a year before Diagnoses, but I know that is false. My primary doctor keep saying we caught it early, but I truly believe that is false, she just does not want to admit she missed it! After I was Diagnosed in July of 2005. I decided to go back to my primary doctor and ask for the previous CBC before I was diagnosed, which was three years earlier in 2002. My white cells were in normal range, but they were never very high when diagnosed. CBC 2002 my platelets were slightly high at 579 . BAnd Neutrophil low at 1 and Basophil high at 4. Funny I remember that CBC in 2002 because the doctor was upset about my cholesterol being 222 and my triglycerides being 242, but never said a word about the Platelets, Band Neutrophil or Basophils being off. I trusted her completely!! I went to this same primary doctor every year (since 2000 and presently) for an annual check up, she never ran another CBC for 3 years which was July 2005 when my platelets were at a Million and two weeks later 2 million and my neutrophil , eosinophil, basophil and whatever else was off, she was only worried about the Platelets. Later I learned from the cancer doctors that even though my white cells were in normal range or slightly high count when, your granulytes are off, such as your eneutrophils and basophil's etc, that means that certain white cells are abnormal even if they are in normal range. Strange the primary doctor never mentioned that in 2002 or did a follow up CBC. Perhaps she didn't do another CBC because the Insurance only allowed a CBC every 3 years unless there is a reason, but CBC don't cost that much and the 2003 report did kick out high and lows.
The lesson I learned here is make sure you get a copy of your labs.
I remember when mom had her stroke in 2002 that landed her in the hospital for 6 weeks. I had just taken her to the doctor 2 weeks prior and had her labs. I did a follow up call a week later and they assured me her labs were good. Well when she had her stroke there was no way her labs could have been Ok, as her electrolytes were off the chart. I was so busy helping to take care and look after her in the hospital I didn't think at the time to go get those reports.
MAKE SURE YOU GET A COPY OF YOUR LABS!! MANY TIME DOCTORS ARE SO BUSY THEY MISS THINGS OR YOU DON'T HAVE TIME TO THINK ABOUT IT OR ASK QUESTIONS!!