How workouts can Dr Rosemary

QIHAVE Raynaud’s syndrome. My doctor prescribed nifedipine and co- codamol which are of little help. I know there is no cure but is there anything else I can do to relieve the pain?

AINRaynaud’s, the blood vessels in the extremities are oversensitive to a drop in the temperature which makes them go into spasm, leading to pain. The fingers and toes are usually worst affected but the ears, nose and nipples may suffer too.

Although it is usually worse in the winter it can also occur in the summer when the temperature changes a little or when swimming in cool water.

In most cases the cause isn’t known but occasionally it is linked to other conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis or lupus. So if you have other symptoms such as joint pain it is worth having tests for these.

Nifedipine helps by widening blood vessels and comes in varying doses, so it may be that you just need to take a slightly higher one. However this should be discussed with your doctor as it can also lower blood pressure.

Anyone taking nifedipine should avoid grapefruit and its juice as the combination can make you unwell. Caffeine can make Raynaud’s worse so try cutting this out. But if you are used to drinking a lot of it do this slowly to avoid withdrawal headaches. Very importantly, you should not smoke.

However taking regular exercise can help boost the circulation and it can help prevent Raynaud’s attacks. QI

AM 73 and have over the past few years occasionally seen zig- zag or wavy lines starting from the corners of my eyes. What could be causing this?

AWAVYlines can be a sign of a problem in the retina which is the light- sensitive membrane at the back of the eye.

However if this was the case the lines would be occurring most of the time. The fact that they are only happening occasionally suggests that this could be what is known as “ocular migraine”.

This is thought to be caused by a change in the blood flow to the eye and in many people there is no headache. It may be triggered by stress, exercise, dehydration ( especially with excessive heat) but in many sufferers there is no obvious reason why the attacks occur.

However you should see your optician to have your eyes checked.

There is no specific treatment for ocular migraine but aspirin may help attacks that are triggered by exercise.

QIHAD a triple heart bypass in December 2014. After some time I got back on my feet and started to walk for exercise.

However I find that after about 100 yards my left leg starts to go numb and the muscle above the knee becomes painful. This is the leg that the vein was taken from for the surgery.

Could the loss of this vein be causing my leg to go numb? When I rest for a short while the feeling comes back.

ATHEvein used for coronary artery bypass surgery comes from the inside of the leg and its removal should not cause any problems to either the nerves or circulation in the leg.

I doubt the pain you are getting is linked to your previous surgery. It may be caused by either pressure on the nerves in your back or by a problem with the blood supply to the muscles in your thigh.

I suggest you go and see your GP who can help sort out the underlying cause and arrange treatment. As you have had heart surgery it is very important that you continue to take regular exercise so you need to get this sorted properly.