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Is this a normal non ME/CFS thing or not?

taniaaust1

Senior Member
Messages
13,054
Location
Sth Australia
Late last year my knees developed brown patches of discolouraton on and next to to them which isnt going away. Is this a normal non ME/CFS thing or is this abnormal? (the dark patch which I had across a foot top and going to the bottom on the top of my leg and also over one ankle a bit which lasted for about a year, has thou disappeared and instead Ive now got this). Could this be venous stasis? http://skincare.lovetoknow.com/Skin_Discoloration Is this normal? or should I be trying to go and see a dermotologist?

Worldsugliestknees_zps9d9e0314.jpg
 

Butydoc

Senior Member
Messages
790
Late last year my knees developed brown patches of discolouraton on and next to to them which isnt going away. Is this a normal non ME/CFS thing or is this abnormal? (the dark patch which I had across a foot top and going to the bottom on the top of my leg and also over one ankle a bit which lasted for about a year, has thou disappeared and instead Ive now got this). Could this be venous stasis? http://skincare.lovetoknow.com/Skin_Discoloration Is this normal? or should I be trying to go and see a dermotologist?

Worldsugliestknees_zps9d9e0314.jpg
This is not venous stasis dermatitis. That condition starts at the ankles with obvious skin changes and almost never reaches the knees.

Gary
 

Sea

Senior Member
Messages
1,286
Location
NSW Australia
The label for it is hyperpigmentation if you wanted to search for info. All sorts of causes including medication side effects, adrenal issues, autoimmune illness
 
Messages
2,565
Location
US
I had dark discoloration on the tops of my feet that didn't go away for, well I can't remember. One side faded in less than and year and one took a year and a half? I know when mine happened, it was from a lot of pressure on the areas, so mine were bruises I guess you would say. They were not from being hit and didn't act like a normal bruise.
 

taniaaust1

Senior Member
Messages
13,054
Location
Sth Australia
I had dark discoloration on the tops of my feet that didn't go away for, well I can't remember. One side faded in less than and year and one took a year and a half? I know when mine happened, it was from a lot of pressure on the areas, so mine were bruises I guess you would say. They were not from being hit and didn't act like a normal bruise.

Like this? Thou it was over top of that foot too its cleared up mostly from there in this photo thou still faint there.

This is the hyperpigmentation that I had for a year on my foot (in this photo it was taken when it was starting to improve).. it always got a lot darker then this after a shower. One doctor told me bruises can last for a year :eek: (I'd have to thou think why would a bruise do that!!) when i asked him, while 2 other doctors when I showed them said they didnt know why I had the hyperpigmentation (and didnt do any tests or refer me on). ive read thou that those who have Addisons disease can get things like this (I had abnormally low cortisol.. 2 abnormal 24 hr cortisol tests.. once again something doctors ignored thou I'd tried supplementation for my low cortisol many years ago). Actually that discolouration i had last year.. looks different to the one I have now.. it was more reddy coloured (thou would go a light blackish colour after shower.. current hyperpigmentation on knees thou is brown).

hyperpigmentationonmyleg-footcrease.jpg
 
Messages
2,565
Location
US
It looks like what I had. After months I was thinking it would never go away. I think mine were from many hours of pressure, in a spread out area (a few inches), instead of the usual bruise being from some quick impact. It seems like a deeper bruise to me, where you have to wait until many more layers are replaced.
 

justy

Donate Advocate Demonstrate
Messages
5,524
Location
U.K
Hi Tania - i have had the exact same discolouration, on the tops of my feet and on my knees, and just below the knee. I have had this off and on for years to varying degrees - never asked anyone what it was.

Last summer i also developed, very quickly after being in the sun, hperpigmentation patches on my lower arms, near the wrist (very brown, not the reddy type) also on my chest and a mole on my face has spread into a big chocolate looking stain - as if all the colour in it has slid down my face! (weird) The hyperpigmentation on the arms took about 9 months to clear - the spalatted mole seems to be permanent.

One thing that cam eot mind is wether the foot knee thing is fingal - mine was not itchy, but was ever so slightly raised, whilst the hperpigmentation on my arms was completely flat. Another starnge thing about the arm hyperpigmentation is that where it met a mole (i am covered in them) it created a white circle around the mole.

Would be nice to hear anyone elses thoughts on this.
 

taniaaust1

Senior Member
Messages
13,054
Location
Sth Australia
One thing that cam eot mind is wether the foot knee thing is fingal - mine was not itchy, but was ever so slightly raised, whilst the hperpigmentation on my arms was completely flat. Another starnge thing about the arm hyperpigmentation is that where it met a mole (i am covered in them) it created a white circle around the mole.

Would be nice to hear anyone elses thoughts on this.

My hyperpigmentation hasnt been raised at all nor is it itchy (thou I have had raised strange rash in past but looked completely different to what I have now...the rash I had in past which was itchy.. on my arm, I strongly believe was a darier sign which would indicate a mast cell problem.. once again doctors didnt know what it was and didnt biopsy it and I only found out about darier sign years later).

A doctor did say the thing on my foot could be fungal and gave me cortisone cream for it (but which didnt seem to help thou I wasnt putting it on as often as I was supposed to do.. hard to put creams on things when one is wearing compression stockings in the area.
 

Mya Symons

Mya Symons
Messages
1,029
Location
Washington
My husband has this going on. He also has CFS & FMS. It doesn't bother him, however. Maybe something abnormal is going on with Collagen production?
 

taniaaust1

Senior Member
Messages
13,054
Location
Sth Australia
My husband has this going on. He also has CFS & FMS. It doesn't bother him, however. Maybe something abnormal is going on with Collagen production?

Hi.. yeah it doesnt really bother me as these discolourations arent itchy or causing discomfort.. except I do wonder on the whys Im getting them as hyperpigmentation can be a sign of some very serious diseases eg Addisons Disease or even cancer.