Blood clots and bruises

[Grendall]

Hi,

just wanted to know if anyone can shed any light on the above. I have always had pronounced veins in the back of my knees as such (not varicose level) But I am starting to wonder regarding bruising around there for no reason and exceptional increased veins again but only on one leg/knee.

I have woken today to find this on the back of my knee and a deep bruise which won’t let me upload…

As it happens I am at the GP tomorrow on an appointment but with them having little or any knowledge on MPN’s I was just trying to gain any advise of you lovely people x

[Wyebird]

that’s the problem with MPN. You never know if signs and symptoms of things are related or not.

I’d mention it to your GP. Then at least it gives you licence to contact your consultant if need be.

[Grendall in reply to Wyebird]

thanks for that I appreciate it, minefield this isn’t it? 😁

[Wyebird in reply to Grendall]

yes I constantly seem to be analysing every symptom I have and believe me the older you get the more numerous they become 🤣

I had a few large bruises at one time and was advised to stop taking Tumeric

[AndyKay in reply to Wyebird]

This is good to know. I take Turmeric everyday.

[Wyebird in reply to AndyKay]

I’m under an MPN specialist.

It’s worth mentioning . Keep me informed

[Grendall in reply to Wyebird]

I am back hospital in couple weeks so will be mentioning it to him

[azaelea]

I have really pronounced veins on hands,arms legs and I’m never without bruising somewhere on my body. I only have to brush against something lightly and a bruise appears. ET JAK2+ on Hydroxy.

[EPguy in reply to azaelea]

My Dad, age 94, gets bad dark bruises just as you describe, a light bump. He's not MPN, but a good example of the aging condition.

[AndyKay]

I too have veins like yours, easily bruise and when I have a cut or sore, it takes a long time to heal. I've never mentioned to my doctor but maybe I should. Thank you for discussing this.

[Grendall]

just an update for Doc at GP surgery, she assures me all is ok and nothing to worry about…👍

[hunter5582]

What you are describing is actual pretty common with thrombocytosis. Thrombocytosis increases risk for both thrombosis (clots) and hemorrhage (bleeding/bruising). The higher your platelet levels go, the more risk there is for hemorrhage. Aspirin, or any other blood thinner, can exacerbate the risk of hemorrhage (but does protect against thrombosis).

The reasons for the increased hemorrhage risk are a bit complex and have to do with the underlying biochemistry of how platelets function. If you are experiencing unexplained bruising it is something to let your care team know about. You may also notice that minor wounds take longer to stop bleeding than normal. Within boundaries, the increased level of hemorrhage is more of an annoyance then a serious medical issue. At a certain level, this is just something we have to deal with when managing a MPN.

Hope you get answers to your question,

[Grendall in reply to hunter5582]

thanks Hunter

As I said seeing my local GP was just for a precautionary measure but will definitely be letting my Heam doc know, I have taken pictures for reference too

[Fluffylittle]

I bruise horrifically. This was about 2 weeks after my routine lab draws. My doc is aware of it and just wants to continue to monitor my levels. I just do my best to be careful.

Photo of a forearm with two significant bruises

[Grendall in reply to Fluffylittle]

wow…. Is this just random bruises you get then not the area where you have bloods taken? And you haven’t knocked yourself either?

Thank you for sharing, it is. the ‘blackness’ of the bruises that bothers me they are very unsightly aren’t they? Hope you are ok? X

[Fluffylittle in reply to Grendall]

They were very nasty looking. That spot is where I usually get labs drawn from and I've never bruise that bad.