Bruising

[Kmegood]

I get alot of bruising, mostly on my arms hands and sometimes on my stomach they go away after a few weeks and then they come back some weeks later. I have been on Imbruvica for just over three years so I think that is a side effect of the pills but my blood levels are OK according to my haematologist so I guess this is the price I pay for taking the pills is to live with the bruising. . I posted this sometime ago and I got a reply, saying to use this product called Arnicare. it has done nothing for me so I don’t use it anymore. I just wait for the bruises to go away sometimes three weeks or four weeks they disappear with no trace of having been there and then maybe a month or so later I get bruises again coming out.

I don’t know if there’s any solution for the bruising.

[lindalou5]

have you thought of switching to Calquence?

[Kmegood in reply to lindalou5]

my hematologist sais since my imbruvica is giving me good blood results I shouldn't switch now

[AussieNeil Partner Administrator in reply to Kmegood]

Your haematologist's response is the usual one, but if you do find the bruising too concerning, this comparison illustration shows a comparison between the two approved BTKi drugs that have an improved Adverse Event profile to that of ibrutinib.

Neil

Acalabrutinib vs zanubrutinib all grade risk comparison on left; grade 3 or worse on right

[Kmegood in reply to AussieNeil]

Thanks for your reply. Can you send me another comparison chart because this one is too blurred.

[AussieNeil Partner Administrator in reply to Kmegood]

Have you tried another display? It's readable to me as published. I suspect that a higher resolution image might be automatically reduced in resolution by the HU site to improve loading time.

Neil

[Kmegood in reply to AussieNeil]

I will try that later on my computer instead of my mobile

[Kmegood in reply to AussieNeil]

I just opened it up on my computer and I am able to expand it a bit so I can see it well now. Thanks

[Nucleusman]

I get the same thing. My haematologist feels it is a combination of blood thinners and Calquence. He has now lowered the latter drug to one a day. Obvious side effect mentioned on drug leaflet. At least it shows it is working

[deesil]

I have been on Imbruvica for about 5 years and have the same problem with bruising especially on my arms. I find that putting lotion on my arms every day ehlps the bruises disappear but like you, they do come back.

[Kmegood in reply to deesil]

Thank you I will try putting more lotions

[hhk50]

Yes, indeed. Five years on Imbruvica next month and I can't even remember a day where my arms, legs, or torso didn't have a collection of bruises. Small price to pay for waking up every morning with overall great health.

[Kmegood in reply to hhk50]

You are so right. small price to pay and being able to wake up every morning feeling alive and well so the bruising is a cosmetic situation and you could always use cover-up here and there to cover them if you want to.

[Moma64 in reply to Kmegood]

I have the same issue....the bruises on my arms are usually not too significant, but some of them on my torso are quite something to behold but they don't hurt and do eventually disappear completely. I've been on Imbruvica for 5 yrs and added blood thinners for A-Fib in February. My blood results are good and as you said, the bruising is a small price to pay and I'm feeling well so I'm not too concerned.

[Kmegood in reply to Moma64]

Yes we have similar experience with bruises. However I am on Imbruvica fir 3 years 3 months . I am not on any blood thinners. So the bruises must be from the Imbruvica .

[Moma64 in reply to Kmegood]

When I started blood thinners in Feb, my oncologist reduced my Imbruvica from 3 pills to 2. And yes, I had bruising when on Imbruvica only, too.

[lankisterguy Volunteer]

Hi Kmegood,

-

I share your side effect. I've been on acalabrutinib / Calquence for 1.5 years, and 6 years of venetoclax / Venclexta prior to that.

My wife often discovers the bruises or bleeding before I do, and she asks me where did I get that one. I usually have no idea.

I've joked that just walking near a furniture corner or working within 3 feet of a rose bush is enough to cause a bruise or bleed.

My CLL expert doctor had me stop all supplements, especially Fish Oil, and NSAIDs (aspirin, Advil etc.). I also suspect cholesterol statins and some of the ED drugs like Cialis / tadafil may add to bruising.

-

Len

[Gisygirl]

I had that when I was on Imbruvica. Also red blood blisters in mouth and brittle nails. Now on Venclexta, all that has disappeared. And my nails grown lke crazy!

[Kmegood in reply to Gisygirl]

my Hematologist told me that if I would change from imbruvica to other pills it would be calquence . Since my condition is going well my doctor told me I should keep on my imbruvica. I will discuss this issue again at ky next appointment.

[Gisygirl in reply to Kmegood]

The only reason I was changed was because the imbruvica was not working so good after 6 years. I have been on venclexta for over 12 months but he wants me to stay on it. Monthly labs look ok .

[Kmegood in reply to Gisygirl]

every person is different so if one medication doesn’t work, then another one may work better

[22011]

I don't know if it will work on these bruises, but an old remedy for black and blue marks is caster oil. Believe it or not it makes them disappear very quickly. I'd like to mention also that while I was on imbruvica I had a lot of redness in my lower legs. Doctor never looked there but I happened to get a massage and the practitioner pointed out they were broken capillaries such as diabetics get in their legs. She recommended compression hose. With the OK of my doctor I started wearing compression socks and in a few months my legs looked much better. They are basically back to normal now a year later. A wonderful side effect of wearing the compression hose was the disappearance of nightly leg cramps. It was like a miracle. I still wear them daily to keep the cramps at bay.

[Kmegood in reply to 22011]

Thank you I will try that

[AussieNeil Partner Administrator in reply to 22011]

Interesting to hear of your experience with castor oil, because I've not heard of using it for faster bruise recovery. Castor oil packs have been recommended for reducing the pain from swollen nodes, but I'm not sure if it's the heat or whether castor oil skin penetration is behind that. Castor oil has a long history of medicinal use as covered here: healthline.com/health/casto... Of note, some can experience skin allergies from castor oil.

With respect to your observation about cramping reduction, I wonder if this correlation is coincidental rather than causative. Cramping is a commonly reported symptom with CLL and I don't know why this is the case. The most effective remedy seems to be either taking magnesium tablets or using a magnesium cream on the affected muscle. Towards the end of my time in watch and wait, I used to get severe, jump out of bed calf cramps up to several times a week until I started taking magnesium tablets. I couldn't take them during treatment, but the trial nurse recommended a magnesium cream and I found that worked within minutes. A few months into treatment, the leg cramps stopped and I only rarely get them now, two and a half years after finishing treatment.

Neil

[Kmegood in reply to AussieNeil]

I never said I took castor oil. It was another person on the forum. It is first I heard of taking it for bruising .

[AussieNeil Partner Administrator in reply to Kmegood]

I agree with you;22011 's reply is the first mention of castor oil being used for bruising that I recall too. That's why I replied to them.

Arnica cream also has a reputation for speeding recovery from bruising, but good evidence is ambiguous. healthline.com/health/arnic...

Neil

[22011 in reply to Kmegood]

No no you don’t take it internally you rub it on the black and blue marks. It’s an old remedy that works for that. Im only suggesting it might also help with bruises.

[Kmegood in reply to 22011]

I didnt think you take castor oil internally.

[22011 in reply to Kmegood]

LOL you said "take it" so I misunderstood.

[22011 in reply to AussieNeil]

My leg cramps predate my CLL. I’ve suffered them for 30 years. Yes magnesium finally got them manageable so I could jump up and walk them out. Before that they could be so painful I’d be lying on the floor screaming. But I didn’t say castor oil helped with cramps. It was the compression socks that made them go away.

[AussieNeil Partner Administrator in reply to 22011]

Cramping pain can certainly be brutal, so how great you finally got your cramping manageable. You haven't shared how many years you have had CLL that I could see, but it seems unlikely your cramping pain was an early indication that you were developing CLL. That also indicates that it's indeed the compression stockings that were probably responsible. I've corrected my earlier reply, where I mistakenly thought castor oil had helped with the cramping.

Neil

[22011]

Yes nothing else changed in my life except for starting to wear the compression socks and it was like a miracle. I've been telling all my health care providers to at least suggest it to their patients because no one has anything to offer other than magnesium and potassium.

[Palmetto]

Husbands arms look like that all it takes is a small bump into something. He is not on treatment’s or blood thinners. Dermatologist mentioned over the counter pill called Purpurex. . I ordered it for him but he never took it. Don’t know if it would work or not but he said it worked for his wife. My problem is now I’m on some kind of auto order and he won’t take it so I’m having trouble canceling the automatic order. The ingredients seem very good and are mainly antioxidants. You could research it and find out what the ingredients are, and make your own decision.