Raynaud's

Okay. From your answers so far, you have Raynaud's and significant heartburn (also called GERD or "gastroesophageal reflux disease"). This combination of symptoms raises the possibility of scleroderma or CREST syndrome. If you also have prominent skin thickening, these conditions become even more likely. There are other diseases, however, that can cause these symptoms, such as lupus, an overlap syndrome (in which features of lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, and scleroderma are all present together), or the symptoms could be coincidental.

Just one more question:

Do you have any of the following: skin thickening over the fingers or elsewhere multiple red spots over the fingers, face or chest that become temporarily pale when pressed tiny white flecks under the skin? Yes, I have one or more of those other problems. No, I don't have any of those other problems.

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Online Medical Reviewer: Faculty of Harvard Medical School Date Last Reviewed: 5/31/2006 Date Last Modified: 5/25/2006 Source: from Harvard Health Decision Guides, Harvard Health Publications, Copyright © 2007 by President and Fellows of Harvard College. All rights reserved. Used with permission of StayWell.

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