enlarged veins

[Retren]

does anyone have veins like tram lines all over? my cardiologist says it's due to thin skin ,but they are getting worse.I take plavix aspirin and calcium .Retren

[Careful1]

This is happening to me suddenly as well. It started middle of last year and I have yet to find an answer and I have seen a lot of drs. Most of them look at me like I am crazy truth be told but last year the only place on my body where I had visibly veins and even then it was really hard to see them was my wrist area. They have now came through all over my body, feet, legs, thighs, arms, neck, chest, hands, just everywhere. I even started taking weekly photos of my body to prove that something wasn't right.

I have no idea what's going but I would be lying if I didn't say its scaring me. I have also developed tons of thread veins all over my face, palmer erythema in both palms, spider angiomas and I am prone to petechiae and I have livedo reticularis. I have a lot of vascular issues going on skin wise. I have also developed dizzy/lightheaded spells. Actually, mostly all of these things started around the same time except for the livedo reticularis.

A couple of the drs I saw thought I had liver disease but my liver checked out mostly okay.

I do not buy the thin skin answer, in my case anyways. I am 36 years old and have never been able to see my veins and then suddenly out of no where they show up everywhere and it's like everyday there are more.

[Foggyme in reply to Careful1]

Hi. Careful1.

Just a thought....Livedo reticularis can be caused by a number of autoimmune conditions...as can your other symptoms, including the vascualr ones.

Here's more information about livedo reticularis and there are also links to information about vasculitis and other autoimmune conditions within the linked document. Plus a link to recommended investigations (some for GP - most for a rheumatologist):

pcds.org.uk/clinical-guidan...

Has you GP screened you for autoantibodies? This blood test won't diagnose a specific autoimmune condition but it the results are positive, then referral to a rheumatologist is required for further (more specific) blood tests and investigations. Also ask them to check for inflammatory markers if not done (ESR and CRP). Again, if results are raised it indicates that some sort of inflammatory process is at work and further investigations are required to identify the cause.

Worth noting that an underlying autoimmune condition is more likely (but not certain) if anyone else in your family has an autoimmune condition.

Think if I was you I'd be persistent and push you doctor to carry on and investigate your symptoms until a cause is found - because there must be one. Also worth making a note of any and all symptoms you've had...for as long back as you can can recall. There might be things that you've 'had' in the past that are significant but that you've never connected to your current health (often the case with autoimmune conditions - it happened to me).

Not suggesting that you definitely have an autoimmune condition - just that it's something that should be rule out (or in), especially as you have as yet unexplained symptoms, which may or may not be indicative of an underlying autoimmune condition.

Hope you find some answers soon.

Good luck 👍

[Careful1 in reply to Foggyme]

Hello and thank you for the suggestions. I have seen a rheumatologist back in May who took around 27 tubes of blood and tested me for a lot of different conditions but every test except for the TB test (I have latent TB) came back normal. The CRP he ran came back at a 7 and according to the lab range anything under 8 is considered normal range and so he didn't want to discuss that further.. I had my CRP again tested on 7/10 by a different dr and it came back at 20, still it was blown off.

I recently saw an endocrinologist because my GYN ran some tests and my DHEA came back low 82. Endocrinologist ordered some labs and urine testing that I had done a tad over a week ago and I am waiting for results. I have seen to date... Primary, Cardiologist, Nuerologist, 3 Dermatologist, Rheumatologist, Endocrinologist, Vascular surgeon (who spent 2 mins with me and then said he only deals with blockages), Heptatologist, Hemotolgist and Gastro... They all say something is going on but they don't know what 😔

I am 36 years old and have 3 children the youngest is only 4 years old and I now live in fear that no one will figure out what's going on with me until its too late. I have become depressed and anxious and this only makes things worse. I will be seeing Electrophysiology on Tuesday due to the dizzness/lightheaded spells and some sort of AV block that was seen on my last cardiac monitor and I am seeing a Genetic dr on September 13th due to a history of sudden death on my fathers side. I never met my father or anyone in his family and even though I do have contact with 2 of my half sisters but they claim they don't know exact cause of death for my father or his father but they both died suddenly at 50 and 51.

ANCA VASCULITIDES

HISTONE ANTIBODIES

CARDIOLIPIN AB (IGG,IGM)

C3, C4, COMPLEMENT CH50

CYCLIC CITRULLINATED PEPTIDE (CCP) AB (IGG)

SCL-70 ANTIBODY

SM AND SM/RNP ANTIBODIES

SJOGREN'S ANTIBODIES (SS-A,SS-B)

RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS DIAGNOSTIC IDENTRA® PANEL 2

HLA-B27 ANTIGEN

MYELOPEROXIDASE ANTIBODY

DNA (DS) ANTIBODY

JO-1 ANTIBODY

ANGIOTENSIN-1-CONVERTING ENZYME

These are the tests the Rheumatologist ran. I don't know if you know what they are but if you do, is there something off the top of your head that should have been tested that wasn't? He did run CRP which was 7 and sed rate was 2. The CRP I had 2 months later on 7/10 was 20.

[Foggyme in reply to Careful1]

Hi Careful1. I'm so sorry that you're having such a tough time trying to get to the bottom of what's going on.

Surprised that they ignored CRP of 20 - and underlying autoimmune conditions can still be present even with a 'normal' CPR (SLE's a prime candidate). -depending on current disease action/flares etc. And some can be what's called 'sero-negative' (i.e. present without raised antibodies). Unfortunately, too many rheumatologists (or doctors of any description) diagnose on tests only and pay little attention to clinical symptoms and the person sat in front of them.

Like you, I was shunted around the health system seeing multiple 'ologies' -some of them several times - all agreed that something was going - but not their 'department'. It wasn’t antibody results (ANA and C-ANCA) shot right to the top of the scale and I was acutely ill that I was eventually diagnosed with an autoimmune condition - which had been present for many years (though not saying that that’s what’s happening to you).

It's so difficult when doctors admit that something is going on but aren’t able to come up with answers. Think it's also the case that the way the NHS is organised does us no favours - splitting the body functions into different systems ('ologies') and failing to see (or treat) us as whole connected multi-system beings is counterproductive - and allows doctors to 'pass-the-buck' when there are no easy answers.

I'm so sorry that you've become depressed and anxious and hope that your GP is helping with you with this. And being fearful is very understandable given all you're going through - and even more difficult when there's a young family to care for and worry about.

Sincerely hope that someone finds some answers for you soon and that things start to go in the right direction.

Be brave, keep looking for answers, and take very good care xx

[Careful1 in reply to Foggyme]

I just edited my post to include the tests the Rheumatologist ran. I got your response before I was finished editing, if you could take a look I would be greatful 😁

[Foggyme in reply to Careful1]

Hi Careful1. Best thing to do is to compare the tests done to the those listed in the investigations section in the document in the link I've left above - and see if any are missed out. That's what I'd do but time's limited right now 😉.

You'll also need to look at what the actual results were and, more importantly, where the result sits in the reference range (reference range is the two numbers - usually in brackets - that appears after the result).

Often, where the result sits in the reference range can be significant - for instance, if the result is right at the top or bottom (depending on what the test is and what you're looking for). For autoimmune activity, look for results that are sitting towards or at the top.of the defence range (sometimes ignored by doctors because they're within the range - just - but can be significant if actual symptoms are present too.

Also - antobody results and rise and fall depending on disease activity (if there is any 😉). In my case, things were missed because by the time appointments came through, disease flare - and antibodies - had settled and dropped, respectively.

Might be worth asking you GP to check antibody levels (routine screen) and CRP / ESR if there are times when you feel particularly ill, because things can change - if there's anything autoimmune going on.

👍

[Careful1 in reply to Foggyme]

Oh okay, didnt have a chance to look through the link yet so didnt know it had that info but I am deff going to take your advice and sit down and look through it now with my results..

Thank you so much for taking the time to explain all this, its much appreciated... Have a great day 🤗

[Careful1 in reply to Foggyme]

The gastro is the one who ran the 2nd CRP and when I asked my primary about it, I was told it was non specific and can be elevated for many reasons... I probably should ask them to repeat that test.

[Foggyme in reply to Careful1]

Yes...it is non-specific and can be elevated for many reasons...CRP is a kind of non-specific 'pointer' to something going on in the inflammatory department (infections, underlying condition etc.) so trick if it’s raised is to further investigate and find out why it's elevated. They should want to find out why...especially because you have symptoms and are clearly unwell.

Think if I was you I'd ask them to repeat the CRP and then investigate further to find out the cause if it's still raised. Though goodness - you shoudn't have to ask that - basic doctoring stuff 🙄.

👍

[Rosei in reply to Careful1]

I have very prominent veins and thin skin, the smallest of my great grandchildren love to sit with me and make tram lines, I don't worry about it.

[Sphygmogirl90]

I have very prominent and protruding veins in my arms. As a female bodybuilder bulging veins are very common. When I went to give blood the technician told me that I had beautiful veins. A blood pressure cuff was used as a tourniquet on everyone but me. A yellow rubber tourniquet was used on me