Finger

[Chris3875]

Almost 12 months since being diagnosed with ET - currently on 3 Hydrea tablets per day and platelets down to 960 from the original 2000 - no particular side effects. However a couple of days ago I suddenly got a very swollen and painful middle finger - it was very tight and looked blue/black. I'm pretty sure it was not an insect bite or sting as it happened while playing bridge !! Could it have been bleeding into the joint I wonder. Has anyone else had similar - will ask my Haem. next time I see her in a few weeks. It is now back to normal with just a little bruising visible.

[Kelly2]

Hi that’s what scares me to start it!

[Chris3875 in reply to Kelly2]

Hi Kelly2 - don't be frightened of the Hydrea - it is a well recognised first line of attack with this weird disease. I really think it was bleeding into the joint of the finger, but will be interested to hear what my Dr has to say.

[Jellybean129 in reply to Chris3875]

Hi Chris

I don’t know if it is the same but I have had that a few times in my fingers and also a couple of times on my leg - a sharp pain then bulging of the vein in the area and then bleeding under the skin which results in a bruise. All very painful. When I spoke to my haem he just said it was probably due to weak veins and not to worry.

Hope you get some answers.

Gill x

[Chris3875 in reply to Jellybean129]

Thanks JB - my first thought was bleeding into the finger joint due to the ET, but maybe we tend to blame everything unusual occurrence on it.

[Jellybean129 in reply to Chris3875]

It seems only natural to blame our ET when weird things happen. Do let us know what your haem says - it’ll be interesting to see if they are of the same opinion.Gill x

[mhos61 in reply to Jellybean129]

I have had what you describe too Gill. It’s happened only in the fingers though (about three/four times) and a long time ago .....before ET diagnosis?

[Jellybean129 in reply to mhos61]

Yes - my first ones were before diagnosis - just the fingers then. I had the leg ones after diagnosis but, as we all suspect, probably not ET related.

[Kelly2 in reply to Chris3875]

Hi I am not sure what are the differences between ET and PV?

[Tinkerbell13 in reply to Chris3875]

Find what you say v interesting, as have had so much pain in middle finger of right hand, coming and going over years, and can be excruciating at times and keep me awake, throbbing away. Been checked for carpel tunnel, etc and haematologist thinks it is tied up with ET (my platelets anything between 500 to 900 and the pain doesnt' seem to bear any significance to those. Only thing can see is dark mark under finger nail. But the pain is pretty horrific, and certainly brought on when cold, but other times without apparent cause. Hope you get some help from your haematologist. Mine most sympathetic but says doesn't really understand the cause, 'could be tiny blood vessels'....Best regards, Tinkerbell

[Kelly2 in reply to Chris3875]

Thank you Chris! I hate starting it I’ve spent 14 carefree years without it.

[Rachelthepotter]

Hi

Before I was diagnosed I had a similar blue black toe that came and went: I also had black lines under my finger nails ( splinter heams. ) from time to time. I was told probably blockages in tiny blood vessels.

But apart ftom that I hope you had a good hand.

[Chris3875 in reply to Rachelthepotter]

LOL - took me a few minutes to "get" that.

[lucieboo]

Hi Chris, almost certainly bleeding into the joint, I don't know if this is the disease or Hydrea, but suspect it is the disease. I often get bruises for no apparent reason, I have a black eye now which 'came out of the blue', but these go away and I find Hydrea (2 a day) suits me well, very few side-effects, mouth ulcers the most common, and it keeps my blood levels well controlled. I have PV, 8 years, am 75.

[forwardocho]

Hello Chris

It could be one of the side effects of the chemo, swollen and painful joints. I didn't have bruising but my knuckles would lock and I would have to click them to release them. It also felt like I had been punching someone. It didn't last long.