Has anyone noticed significant changes in their collagen? ( Vascular, Skin, Joints )

[Jwarrior77]

Ever since getting sick my collagen seemed to change rapidly but most notably my veins. My whole entire life I've considered myself to have healthy, normal veins. However after getting sick my veins changed dramatically. They began showing up way more all over my body. They became much more prominent in my chest, arms, hands, thighs and legs.

They also seemed to start changing what type of collagen they were made of. They began acting extremely stretchy, thin, and weak. It's to the point now where they don't even seem to constrict or hold blood properly now. There's actually some research on this. There have been many papers showing that mold, viruses, and Lyme bacteria either release or trigger MMPS to be released in the body causing collagen breakdown. Have you guys noticed any change in your body whether it be vascular, skin changes, or any other type? Thanks.

 

[sb4]

This thread should interest you.

@Hip Has brought this issue up several times. I just had a quick look to find some of his threads but couldn't.

 

[Jwarrior77]

Thanks for the thread. Just casted my vote. I'll read more into it.

 

[ljimbo423]

Have you guys noticed any change in your body whether it be vascular, skin changes, or any other type?

I have very loose joints that I think developed over time with ME/CFS. My shoulders slip out of place, then slide back in very easily and often. My hips sometimes do the same thing. My knees also seem loose.

I've been wondering for quite a while now why my muscles get "pulled" and injured so easily, even by doing gentle stretches. So I googled "the role of collagen in muscles" and found this-

Collagen is the most abundant protein in your body.

It is the major component of connective tissues that make up several body parts, including tendons, ligaments, skin, and muscles (1Trusted Source).

Collagen has many important functions, including providing your skin with structure and strengthening your bones (1Trusted Source).

Source

I didn't know it also strengthens veins but I found references to that too. I think some studies on ME/CFS have found that collagen gets broken down much faster than it should.

I wonder if a collagen supplement would help with this or just get broken down into amino acids in the digestive tract?

 

[Rufous McKinney]

I wonder if a collagen supplement would help with this or just get broken down into amino acids in the digestive tract?

Consuming bone broths helped me, but it was alot of work and I have not been doing it recently. It helped with the IBS-d, and it reduced some of the leaky gut, which I believe occurred due to some improvement in collagen.

But so much has been broken down for so long..decades in my case. Preventing further decline is likely more feasible than reversing- past damage.

 

[ljimbo423]

Consuming bone broths helped me, but it was alot of work and I have not been doing it recently. It helped with the IBS-d, and it reduced some of the leaky gut, which I believe occurred due to some improvement in collagen.

I'm wondering if that might be one of the reasons it's so hard for me to fix my gut.....a lack of enough collagen for it to repair. They sell both collagen and collagen peptides.

I think the peptides are suppose to work better. I might just invest in some collagen and see if it helps. Say over a month or so. Making bone broth is just too much work for me.

 

[Booble]

I started getting a ton more petichiae and pupura (red blood spots tiny, small and medium size) all over during and after (including now 5 months later) my bad virus. They are the kind that don't ever go away so it's a little frightening to see so many.

 

[Zebra]

I started getting a ton more petichiae and pupura (red blood spots tiny, small and medium size) all over during and after (including now 5 months later) my bad virus. They are the kind that don't ever go away so it's a little frightening to see so many.

Hi, Booble

You are the first person I've come across who has also experienced such a swift dermatological change. A few months into my illness I noticed my entire body was covered with tiny red dots.

My dermatologist, who I see annualy for a skin cancer check, agreed that the sudden onset of HUNDREDS of "atypical cherry angiomas," was strange, but she was not curious enough to try and figure out WHY this happened to me.

May I ask you if you were able to identify the exact pathogen that triggered your ME/CFS?

Thanks in advance!
Zebra

 

[Wolfcub]

I admit I am a bit ignorant about the collagen connection with internal body mechanisms, and need to study up on that, but have noticed a lot of "missing something" just underneath my skin, all over my body.

It doesn't seem quite like a loss of body fat (though it might be) and the muscles seem okay-ish as I always was pretty wiry and never really did have much body fat, but there is more wrinkling to my skin. I thought it was just an age thing. It's noticeable on my arms, and happened over the last 2 years (the extent of my ME/CFS.

My lower gut can act up a bit sometimes too. Not quite sure if that's something to do with coronavirus and recovery, or a thing separate as similar did happen, 2 years ago in the 4th week of the illness which eventually led to ME/CFS. Some mild-ish IBS-like effects, remitting and relapsing. It was only the other day I read something which mentioned collagen connected with those symptoms.

 

[Booble]

Hi, Booble

You are the first person I've come across who has also experienced such a swift dermatological change. A few months into my illness I noticed my entire body was covered with tiny r ed dots.

My dermatologist, who I see annualy for a skin cancer check, agreed that the sudden onset of HUNDREDS of "atypical cherry angiomas," was strange, but she was not curious enough to try and figure out WHY this happened to me.

May I ask you if you were able to identify the exact pathogen that triggered your ME/CFS?

Thanks in advance!
Zebra

I think I read that getting these petichiae and cherry angiomas may be related to the immune system response. I'll see if I can find the article again.

I don't think dermatologists, in general, understand these things since it's more about capillary breakage under the skin than things they are used to dealing with.

As far as triggers for my ME/CFS....I'm one of those ones who seems to have had difficulty with fatigue and ME/CFS-like symptoms all my life so I don't really know.... for all I know my really bad case of chicken pox at 6 months with pox head to toe and in my mouth and up by private parts....or even my mum being very sick with a virus right before and after I was born....so I think I've always had something off.

But to bring your question back to the virus related red blood spots...I'm not sure. I've had a small number of them since my early 20s that would increase with aspirin (and Vitamin C come to think of it). But they were pretty much stable except for occasional new ones. Then in the beginning of last December I got very sick with an unusual virus that was located primarily (initially) in my vocal cord-ish area. I had bad cough due to the inflammation as well as getting conjunctivitis (pink eye) about 5 days into the symptoms. About 3-4 weeks in I started getting gastro intestinal symptoms and lost my appetite completely and heavy, heavy fatigue. I think the red spots on my skin started coming around the 3rd or 4th week as well. Maybe sooner and I hadn't noticed them. I'm not sure. They scared the crap out of me because I thought it might mean I had meningitis.

I'm now about 5 months post the initial symptoms of that virus and am finally beginning to feel at my normal level. The new petichiae and angioma seem to be coming less though I'm afraid to say that and jinx it.

What was your situaton, Zebra, when your cherry angioma started coming? And are they the kind like mine that don't go away?

 

[Tammy]

I admit I am a bit ignorant about the collagen connection with internal body mechanisms, and need to study up on that, but have noticed a lot of "missing something" just underneath my skin, all over my body.

I know what you are trying to describe. I't's like there is padding missing...........although the padding isn't necessarily fat. I feel like there's not much between my skin and bone. If I happen to bump my arm or other parts against something.............I feel it much more keenly than others because it feels like there is no "substance" to protect the blow. Hard to describe. My skin elasticity has also been affected............to the max.

 

[Tammy]

May I ask you if you were able to identify the exact pathogen that triggered your ME/CFS?

I know your question wasn't addressed to me.................but just thought I'd share. I was diagnosed with CFS due to EBV. Cherry angiomas were just one of a hundred other things that occurred after getting this virus.

 

[Wolfcub]

My skin elasticity has also been affected............to the max.

Same here. I've noticed if I gently stretch the skin with my fingers (on my arms) they begin to look like they did 2 years ago. And I have noticed that my neighbour who is 3 years older than me, and slim, doesn't have the same saggy wrinkliness on her arms.
For vanity reasons I will now only wear tank tops if I have no chance of seeing anyone! I am getting a bit of a vanity complex about it! I mostly wear long sleeves, or at least sleeves rolled up to the elbow (can just get away with that!) My arms look like an 80 year old not a 66 year old.

 

[Tammy]

For vanity reasons I will now only wear tank tops if I have no chance of seeing anyone! I am getting a bit of a vanity complex about it! I mostly wear long sleeves, or at least sleeves rolled up to the elbow (can just get away with that!) My arms look like an 80 year old not a 66 year old.

Same! Also............just in the past year my lower legs have been affected. Below the knees to ankles.................so now I don't even want to wear short pants (can't think of what they call them...........geesh)

 

[Booble]

Hmmm......I just thought the lack of "meat" below the skin was just from aging. Now I'm re-thinking...

 

[Booble]

I know your question wasn't addressed to me.................but just thought I'd share. I was diagnosed with CFS due to EBV. Cherry angiomas were just one of a hundred other things that occurred after getting this virus.

That is comforting to hear...though I'm sorry you have them as well!

 

[Seadragon]

However after getting sick my veins changed dramatically. They began showing up way more all over my body. They became much more prominent in my chest, arms, hands, thighs and legs.

They also seemed to start changing what type of collagen they were made of. They began acting extremely stretchy, thin, and weak. It's to the point now where they don't even seem to constrict or hold blood properly now.

@Jwarrior77 I've just posted on your swollen lymph node thread. You also should mention and describe in full this vein issue to your doctor.

Some, if not most of your symptoms could be due to another potentially treatable illness, such as a vascular or autoimmune disorder, the diagnosis of which may have been missed so far.

 

[Rufous McKinney]

Same!

SAME DITTO!

And I didn't know these red spots were- All that! Darn they are proliferating as well.

 

[satori]

Good white tea will reduce collagenase if you can handle the caffeine. There was a small study which demonstrated that 100 mg of GABA a day can help do the same on a smaller scale.

 

[Art Vandelay]

I started getting a ton more petichiae and pupura (red blood spots tiny, small and medium size) all over during and after (including now 5 months later) my bad virus. They are the kind that don't ever go away so it's a little frightening to see so many.

Same. They came up across my torso and back when I got EBV. I had a reactivation of EBV last year and more came up (even on my legs).