[shr7]

I am going to defer to the judgment of those more intelligent than I, but I am interested to know, were you prescribed just triamterene, or was it Dyazide, which is Hydrochlorothiazide and triamterene. Your bottle might say HCTZ and triamterene, and it will have two doses on it with a slash in the middle? Also, do you take any OTC or herbal medications? These can have an effect on the Raynaud's.

The most that I am qualified to say is that I am aware of overlap between many autoimmune diseases. While the pathophysiology is not completely understood, I believe immune components (whether from an allergen or pathogen) are being tossed around as possible causes. For example, it is not uncommon when you see your lupus patient, that they have other ailments such as Raynaud's, Sjogren's and rheumatoid arthritis.

It is the same way that some people will be allergic to everything. Aspirin, penicillin, green peppers, even pollen and dust mites. If your body's immune system is hypersensitive to one thing, it tends to overreact to other things as well.

Do you know if you were diagnosed with Raynaud's Syndrome, or Raynaud's Phenomenon, which means it is secondary to another condition?

As I said before, I am interested to hear what the practicing clinicians say about this. Is this "connection" just something they teach us in school, or is it a common occurrence in your practice?