This has actually been one of my first symptoms and it's gotten really bad for me over the last 6 years.
When I was 15 i started noticing my sack and shaft would shrink A LOT as if I have an icepack in my pants even in warm weather or when I haven't felt particularly cold.
It's so bad that my testicles physically hurt as they get squished in the scrotum.
This has only gotten worse since then but luckily after around 5 days of abstinence the blood flow somewhat improves.
I also regularly get shivers when not cold at all, or end up laying under 3 blankets unable to produce heat.
I always have to wear more layers in the winter than others and cannot stand having any extremities exposed as my fingers go numb very fast.
But the most worrying symptom I get is a complete lack of blood flow to my arms during sleep. Some nights I wake up 5-10 times with my arms completely numb below the elbow, fingers sensless and unmovable.
This used to happen on the side that I slept on but now it happens even when I'm sleeping on my back and in both arms.
As this symptom has gotten worse I had to cancel my gym membership as lifting weights started leading to me nearly fainting, going numb all around the body, feeling nauseous and sick to the stomach.
I also was unable to progress at the gym as the amount of weight I could lift was dictated by the amount of blood my body can pump and not my actual strength i.e. i could never go to failure but till I felt like I'm about to pass out.
ALSO when I was working construction my blood flow got so bad that throughout the day I'd get numb patches on my chest, face and other areas with less muscle tissue that would presist for hours untill the skin in that area would turn red, itch, flake and die off.
BTW I got my oxygen measured recently and got 99 which apparently is a perfect score.
Hi god.forbid
I experience something similar. I think it’s another over active nervous system response.
In this case, any sensation to a cold stimulus will trigger an ‘attack’ where the whole body tries to protect its vital organs at the expense of its extremities. It does this by restricting blood flow to limbs, and in particular, fingers and toes.
Because it’s an internal process, I cannot get warm from using extra layers of clothing or additional blankets. Wearing thick gloves or boots also doesn’t help.
During the attack, I feel like my bones inside my fingers and toes are icy cold. Rubbing my hands together will temporarily warm up my skin, however, my bones still feel frozen and won’t get warm.
Treatments for me have been:
- an indoor cardio workout or run, to get blood flowing and generally overheat to the point of sweating. If at a gym that has strong aircon I’ll need to wear a hoodie jumper or beanie and track pants to avoid another trigger.
- vitamins or supplements that promote blood flow. I’ve had ok success with my nicacinamide (B3 niacin) in varying does from 100mg to 250mg in tablet form.
Caffeine (like a coffee) might work against this - it might restrict blood vessels, so I’m considering drinking less in winter, particularly later in the day.
Info sources:
https://www.health.harvard.edu/diseases-and-conditions/cold-fingers-cold-toes-could-be-raynaudsYou might have more than this going on, so see a doctor to check if any of the above could have bad interactions with your existing conditions.
