http://www.straightdope.com/columns/060721.html
Hello from one of the .01 percent of the United States that suffers from chilblains. I had them every winter for the last seven years. My toes would swell and I developed angry red blisters on the sides. A visit to the podiatrist the first year I experienced it did no good. His idea was niacin pills. Last year, I went to a rhumatologist. She prescribed Diltiazem. This is normally used for hypertension. My blood pressure is 90/60. But I took 30mg twice daily for only a few months and then was able to discontinue altogether.
The symptoms have almost completely disappeared. If I do get a touch of it, I just take the Diltiazem for a few days and I am back to normal.
I don’t know if it is just an old wive’s tale or not, but I’ve read that going out into the snow barefoot can actually help chillblains. Something about it causing the feet to flush, bringing back the needed bloodflow? It seemed to make sense to me, but I am unsure of all the causes of chillblains beyond poor blood circulation in the feet so maybe not?
It’s odd. I saw the word Chilblains for the first time (that I know of) in this thread, and saw it again the same day in Little Warrior by P. G. Wodehouse.
It sounds bad. I’ve got a bit of peripheral neuropathy, and that’s bad enough for me.