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Beta Blockers & Severe Pain When Fingers Are Cold

If a person experiences severe pain when his fingers get cold this can be a sign that he is suffering from Raynaud’s disorder. In addition to the severe pain, the fingers will turn white. Treatment for cold fingers and severe pain involves the use of beta blockers, which dilate blood vessels and promote good circulation.

  1. Beta Blockers

    • According to the Mayo Clinic, beta blockers are used to treat Raynaud's disorder. Beta blockers are drugs that are used to treat heart disease and high blood pressure. An example of a beta blocker is Inderal. Beta blockers are also called beta adrenergic blocking agents because they block adrenaline and norepinephrine from binding to beta receptors on your nerves.

    Raynaud's

    • When suffering from Raynaud’s disorder, your skin will typically turn from white to blue to red although not everyone experiences blue skin. When blood restriction from Raynaud’s is not connected to another underlining medical condition, it is classified as primary. When the blood constriction is the result of an underlying condition it is called secondary, notes Healthblurbs.com. Raynaud's disease causes tingling and numbness in your fingers and feet in response to cold temperatures, as well as in response to stress. When you have this condition, the arteries in your body constrict far too much and this cuts off blood flow to the vessels. After you manage to warm up your fingers or toes you may experience swelling, throbbing and redness as the circulation improves.

    Types

    • Beta blockers block different beta receptors depending on which kind you are prescribed. Labetalol, for example, targets blood vessel dilation. Some beta blockers can increase heart rate and blood pressure. Selective beta blockers primarily affect the heart by blocking B1 receptors and don’t have an impact on your air passages. Non-selective beta blockers, such as Inderal, block B1 and B2 receptors, which affect blood vessels, air passages and the heart.

    Expert Insight

    • If you are suffering from Raynaud’s, you may respond well to calcium channel blockers that open up small vessels in your feet and hand as well as relax the vessels, per the Mayo Clinic. Alpha blockers counteract the effects of the hormone norepinephrine, which constricts blood vessels.

    Another Consideration

    • Vasodilators can also be effective. These are drugs that relax blood vessels. An example is nitroglycerine cream. Other examples of vasodilators are high blood pressure drugs, Viagra, prostaglandins as well as Prozac, which is an antidepressant.

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