Watts Peripheral Neuropathy, Raynaud’s Disease & Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS)?

Peripheral Neuropathy, Raynaud’s Disease, and Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS) are three separate neurological or vascular conditions that affect how sensation, circulation, and movement are regulated — particularly in the limbs. They are grouped together here because they frequently overlap in symptoms, affect similar parts of the body, and often flare-up in response to similar triggers such as temperature changes, nerve compression, or autonomic dysfunction.

Peripheral Neuropathy refers to damage or dysfunction in the peripheral nerves — the nerves outside the brain and spinal cord — which can result in pain, tingling, numbness, or weakness, most commonly in the hands and feet.

Raynaud’s Disease is a vascular condition where blood vessels in the fingers and toes spasm in response to cold or stress, reducing blood flow and leading to colour changes, numbness, and pain.

RLS is a neurological condition that causes uncomfortable sensations in the legs and an irresistible urge to move them, especially during rest or at night. It can severely disrupt sleep and is often associated with other conditions that affect nerve function or circulation.

While each condition has a different underlying mechanism, their combined effect can significantly impair physical function, mobility, and comfort — especially when symptoms flare-up at the same time.

🤕 Watts The Symptoms?

Each of these conditions affects the body in different ways — but given I experience all of them together, they create a persistent cycle of discomfort, pain, and sensory disruption that impacts sleep, mobility, and daily function.

Peripheral Neuropathy causes a range of nerve-related symptoms, especially in the hands and feet. These include:

• Burning, stabbing, or shooting pain
• Tingling or pins-and-needles sensations
• Numbness, especially in the toes or fingers
• Hypersensitivity to touch (even light fabric can feel painful)
• Muscle weakness or cramping in the affected areas
• Loss of coordination or fine motor control

In my case, symptoms are present most of the time and tend to worsen at night, or after cold exposure or during flare-ups of one, or many of my other diagnosed conditions.

Raynaud’s Disease causes an exaggerated vascular response to cold temperatures or stress. It typically affects the fingers and toes, which may:

• Turn white or purple during cold exposure or emotional stress
• Feel numb, tingly, or painful during and after attacks
• Take a long time to return to normal temperature and colour
• Be easily triggered by small temperature drops (air conditioning, supermarket freezer aisle, cool wind)

Raynaud’s flare-ups limit function, making activities like typing, writing, pegging out washing or even holding items like cutlery or cups difficult – and also make even mild winter days, or tackling the frozen food section in a supermarket a challenge.

RLS typically flares at night or during periods of rest. It causes:

• An irresistible urge to move the legs (sometimes arms too)
• Creeping, crawling, or buzzing sensations deep in the limbs
• Difficulty getting to sleep or staying asleep
• Worsening symptoms after sitting for long periods (e.g. car trips, flights)

RLS makes it difficult to stay still — whether I’m trying to sleep, sit through a movie, focus on writing, or travel for any length of time. The constant need to move contributes to poor sleep, physical agitation, and worsens the fatigue and pain already caused by my other conditions.

⚡ Watts The Triggers?

Peripheral Neuropathy flares tend to worsen with:

• Prolonged standing or walking
• Nerve compression (e.g. from poor posture or prolonged sitting)
• Cold exposure
• Fatigue or overexertion
• Flare-ups of other systemic conditions, especially those involving inflammation or autonomic instability

Raynaud’s Disease is highly sensitive to:

• Cold air, wind, or sudden temperature changes
• Air conditioning or refrigerated environments (hello, supermarket freezer aisle)
• Emotional stress or anxiety
• Vibration or pressure (e.g. holding tools, typing for long periods)

RLS often ramps up in response to:

• Long periods of rest or inactivity (especially at night)
• Sitting for extended stretches (car trips, planes, desk work)
• Fatigue, sleep disruption, or illness
• Hormonal fluctuations and some medications
• Iron deficiency or disrupted dopamine regulation (both still under ongoing investigation in my case)

Even on a good day, small triggers can build up — and when multiple systems flare together, it becomes difficult to tell which fire started first. I’ve learned to anticipate patterns, but avoiding every trigger isn’t always realistic, especially when daily life needs to be lived.

🩺 Watts The Management Team?

These conditions don’t fall neatly under a single medical specialty, so management is spread across a multi-disciplinary team — often depending on which symptoms are flaring most at the time.

In my case, the team includes:

• Neurologist – for monitoring neuropathic symptoms, managing nerve pain, and overseeing neurological involvement in RLS
• Rheumatologist – for systemic involvement and connective tissue-related pain or inflammation
• Immunologist – for inflammatory and autoimmune contributors, particularly related to neuropathy
• Dermatologist – for skin complications linked to Raynaud’s flare-ups and peripheral nerve involvement
• Pain Specialist – for pharmacological oversight and strategies to manage persistent sensory pain
• GP – for ongoing symptom tracking, medication coordination, and referrals
• Physiotherapist and Exercise Physiologist – for mobility support, pacing strategies, and maintaining circulation through movement

As with many of my other conditions, the aim is to reduce flare-up frequency and intensity, support daily function, and maintain some stability.

🧩 Related Conditions

Many of the other conditions I’ve been diagnosed with overlap significantly with Peripheral Neuropathy, Raynaud’s Disease, or RLS — either in how they behave, how they flare together, or how they complicate the daily balancing act. If you’re curious how it all fits together (or just want to see how deep the rabbit hole goes), you can explore:

• Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS) & Chronic Refractory Pain
• Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS)
• Eosinophilic Esophagitis (EoE)
• Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS), Hereditary Alpha Tryptasemia (HaT) & Allergies
• Migraine & Headaches
• Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS)
• Sphincter Of Oddi Dysfunction (SOD) & Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)
• Tinnitus

…you can also head over to my blog — where I share what it’s like to live with nerves that zap, fingers that freeze, and legs that riot just because I dared to sit down. Sparkle. Swear. Smile. Survive..

You can also visit the Helpful Links page for resources and organisations I’ve found useful along the way.

Disclaimer:
I’m not a doctor — just someone with a lot of medical letters on my file and a few too many hospital wristbands. Everything shared on this site comes from my personal experience living with complex chronic conditions. It’s not medical advice, and it shouldn’t replace professional guidance. Always speak to your healthcare team before making any treatment decisions (especially if it involves sparkles, spreadsheets, or ice cream therapy).