Weird bruises on calves

[Gingergrrl]

@LisaGoddard It's interesting, someone else just asked me that but when I read the medical description of EDS, it just does not match my situation. I am not flexible or loose jointed at all and am really now thinking the bruises are from the EBV virus itself (but can't prove it yet!) I do take Vit C but nothing too high dose and my ND actually thought the Vit C would help the bruises.

 

[NK17]

@Gingergrrl43 if I was you I'd wait to see the ME specialist and ask him (not sure he'll have an answer).

I always bruised easily, since my early childhood and also have relatives diagnosed with EDS type III.

I was recently found to be affected by hypermobility syndrome, erroneously still called begnign by many doctors all over the world.

I'm not flexible anymore, actually the opposite, but I was as a child. True EDS experts (Dr. Francomano, Dr. Grahame, Dr. Bravo and Dr. Castori) know that many EDSrs with time and age go from flexible to stiff and the level of pain goes through the roof.

Dr. Kogelnik is aware of the connection/overlap between ME/CFS and EDS, he is also familiar with Peter Rowe's work with CFS and EDS in children/teens at Johns Hopkins.

I don't know if you want to go down the road of EDS now. I would sort out 'everything' ME/CFS related first. One can of worms at the time my dear .

In any case there's a lot to read on and about EDS. There's a long and old thread here on PR started by @Allyson (hope I'm correct, @Sushi please help .

I've always had capillary fragility, more noticeable after I had IM Infectious Mono at 14, many many years ago.

My legs look like a roadmap.

PM me if you'd like to know what is the relevant literature on EDS and overlapping features with CFS, Fibromyalgia, Dysmenorrhea etc.

In the meantime you probably can add wild blueberries to your diet.

 

[mermaid]

@Gingergrrl43
I assume that your standard blood tests have checked your platelet levels? Bruising can be a sign of low platelets (known as thrombocytopenia). I have had low platelets in pregnancy many years ago, and my own tests seem to show a chronically low level, but not at very low levels and I don't get bruising with it.

 

[Gingergrrl]

@Gingergrrl43
I assume that your standard blood tests have checked your platelet levels? Bruising can be a sign of low platelets (known as thrombocytopenia). I have had low platelets in pregnancy many years ago, and my own tests seem to show a chronically low level, but not at very low levels and I don't get bruising with it.

@mermaid I've had the standard tests and they are either normal or just slightly off. When I had mono my blood clotting time was slow and I had bruises all over my body. My PCP at the time (who was excellent) sent me to a hematologist for follow-up. If blood clotting upper range time was like 11.2 seconds, mine was like 11.8 (so just slightly off.) She was not concerned and felt I was just slow to recover from mono (little did she know how slow LOL...) Now over two yrs later the bruises are back but literally only on the outside of my calves. My standard blood work is normal and I will be asking the CFS specialist when I see him in about a week.

@NK17 I went and re-read all the info about EDS including Allyson's links (b/c I really value you and everyone who keeps asking me about this) and it just does not match my case. I am short (5'0) and have never had hypermobility, flexibility, stretchy skin, and do not fit the profile. I think that somehow the bruises are related to EBV or I just have capillary fragility. And I have been eating blueberries as you said (and my ND told me the same thing.) I have no new bruises today so that is good!

 

[SeaShell]

@Gingergrrl43 You mentioned Leaky Gut. This may be related to your bruises. If you have been on the diet just a few weeks, maybe you need to give your body some more time to settle down. It may seem that your gut issues have resolved and that may be due to your diet, but your body may still be in its healing process.

A few years ago, I had to follow an elimination diet to check allergy issues. As part of that diet, I had to eat high gluten foods to see if they caused gut issues. I did not get any major expected gut issues from the gluten (such as bloating or diarrhoea) but I got a few bruises on my thigh. My body was probably irritated with the gluten but was reacting to it and releasing toxins via the skin (bruises) rather than through the gut.

 

[Gingergrrl]

@Gingergrrl43 You mentioned Leaky Gut. This may be related to your bruises. If you have been on the diet just a few weeks, maybe you need to give your body some more time to settle down. It may seem that your gut issues have resolved and that may be due to your diet, but your body may still be in its healing process.

A few years ago, I had to follow an elimination diet to check allergy issues. As part of that diet, I had to eat high gluten foods to see if they caused gut issues. I did not get any major expected gut issues from the gluten (such as bloating or diarrhoea) but I got a few bruises on my thigh. My body was probably irritated with the gluten but was reacting to it and releasing toxins via the skin (bruises) rather than through the gut.

@SeaShell You know I thought about Leaky Gut and my new diet being connected to the bruises but couldn't figure out how?! In my case, I had already been gluten free for six months but now due to food sensitivity testing have also eliminated all dairy, soy, corn, yeast, sugar, and pretty much only can eat meat/protein, veggies, fruit, oats, beans, legumes, and rice products. Do you think this could be related? I've been on the new diet for at least a month so I am not sure? It's a three month trial and then I think we slowly add foods back in. I've had no new bruises for two days but not doing anything differently.

 

[SeaShell]

@Gingergrrl43 For over a year now, my diet has been close to the Perfect Health Diet which is based on Paleo. I have adapted the diet to my needs. According to the diet, legumes contain toxins and so do oats. I eat oats but the gluten free type and also ferment them the previous night to be on the safe side.
More info on the diet:
http://perfecthealthdiet.com/the-diet/

 

[Gingergrrl]

@Gingergrrl43 For over a year now, my diet has been close to the Perfect Health Diet which is based on Paleo. I have adapted the diet to my needs. According to the diet, legumes contain toxins and so do oats. I eat oats but the gluten free type and also ferment them the previous night to be on the safe side.
More info on the diet:
http://perfecthealthdiet.com/the-diet/

@SeaShell I actually do not eat oats but mentioned them b/c they were on the list of what was okay from my ND (as long as they were gluten free.) I've been 100% gluten free for about six months originally for my hashimoto's diagnosis. The newer restrictions are from my ND for my leaky gut and CFS. My diet pretty much is paleo except I can eat rice and sweet potatoes and things like that. The hardest part for me has been no dairy or sugar (b/c I love cheese, ice-cream, yogurt, and pretty much all dairy products) but I have stuck to the diet religiously b/c I am so desperate to do anything to get better.

 

[SeaShell]

Maybe you will need to observe what happens over the next few weeks-months with the new diet. The body can take quite a while to get rid of toxins. I have completely forgotten the taste of cheese, ice-cream, chocolates, cakes etc and I no longer miss them.

 

[WillowJ]

Just wanted to add that my "lymphocyte percent auto" test from the ER was supposed to be in the range of 19-55 but mine was only 18.2 I know that it is just slightly below the range and probably nothing to worry about but does anyone know what this test measures and if it could relate to bruising? This test may have other names outside of the U.S.?

Just in case you still need to know this...

It measures how many lymphocytes in comparison to other white cells.

Platelets have the major role in clotting (thus bruising).

 

[Gingergrrl]

Just in case you still need to know this...

It measures how many lymphocytes in comparison to other white cells.

Platelets have the major role in clotting (thus bruising).

@WillowJ thanks and I was still a bit confused but the specialist I just saw ran the full lymphocyte panel and PT & PTT which should measure my blood clotting time to see if anything off. None of my regular drs were concerned enough to do this so I am very grateful to him.

The bruises come and go and at one point I had about 15 of them but right now only two. The CFS Dr really was not sure why I had them and did not pretend to have answers for something he was unsure of which I liked. But he took it seriously which I also liked.

 

[Smith]

Does anyone else get weird unexplained bruises? I have been getting multiple bruises on my calves without any injury causing them. My naturopath said might have "poor capillary integrity" whatever that means? Should I be concerned and can this be part of ME/CFS?

Hi there

I also have these bruises on my calves and I couldn't work it out. Then I realised what it was.....because my calves often ache I squeeze them and massage them with my hands..this happens quite subconsciously most of the time. I then noticed the bruise on my calf was exactly where my thumb would press...

Maybe it's the same for you?!

 

[Cinderella24]

I get them to

 

[Gingergrrl]

Since this thread got revived, I figured I would post an update. I have had unexplained bruises on my legs for three years since I had mono in 2012. The number of bruises at any given time has ranged from a low of three to a high of 17.

Immediately after I began taking Valcyte (less than two weeks ago) the bruises have disappeared and have not returned. It is really unbelievable to not have any bruises on my legs!

 

[Forbin]

About a year ago, I got an odd, dime-sized, circular red mark on the outside of my calf. I thought it would go away, but it grew to be a bit bigger than a quarter and looked like nothing I'd ever had before . I thought it might be ring worm, but anti-fungal cream did nothing. Finally, concerned that it might be the result of a circulation problem, I saw a dermatologist.

He actually seemed to think that it was caused by over-exposure to hot water in the shower. It seemed like this was not an uncommon cause of such a mark, but, just in case he was wrong, he prescribed a combination cortisone/anti-fungal cream. The mark cleared up after about 2-3 weeks.

According to the dermatologist, the skin on the calf is relatively thin and so I is more sensitive to injury and has more trouble healing than other parts of the skin.