HiI was diagnosed stage 3b ckd in July, age 64. After following a low salt diet and cutting out nsaids, my egfr was 48, last tested in August.
My question is, excessive bruising.
Is this normal with ckd.
I've lately, past few years, had a lot of bad bruising on my hands, the slightest knock and a red mark appears, but this last week, after a visit to the dentists, a big bruise has appeared on my face!
All blood tests appear to be normal, apart from urea and electrolytes, so I wondered if anyone else with ckd had noticed this happening to them.
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Blackcat122
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Hi, Bruising is not common to CKD, especially stage 3. Things to look for are other medications and believe it or not, teas. Aspirin, fish oil and other supplements can cause thinning of the blood. One tea I know of, Camomile tea, will also thin the blood and cause bruising. Even herbs and here is a list I found :
Some herbs and spices that contain salicylates (a natural blood thinner) include cayenne pepper, cinnamon, curry powder, dill, ginger, licorice, oregano, paprika, peppermint, thyme and turmeric.
This is not something you want to ignore so talk to your doctor about it soon.
This may be a condition called purpura, often age related. My husband, who lost his kidneys and now has a transplant, noticed mysterious and bruising on his arms and hands, often after touching or brushing up against something. (In your case, the dentist pressing on our face may have triggered it.) So the nephrologists at his center took a good look at it and announced it was actinic purpura (or senile purpura). It happens to some during the aging process - the skin thins and blood vessels become more fragile. It's benign. One "senior" nephrologist said, in a resigned tone, she had it too and there is nothing she can do about it - she had gone to lots of dermatologists. However, I'm not a medical professional, so recommend you see a doctor for your very own diagnosis. Simply throwing this out there to consider.
I have a lot of bruising too. I'm almost 80 so attribute it to aging although I've always bruised easily. I used reusable bags for groceries and carry them on my arm with elbows bent (this is the best way to carry them due to shoulder issues) and when I'm home I get bruises all up and down my arm. I notice now that it's gotten colder and i wear a heavy coat they are not as bad. The best advise is to talk to your doctor about it. It might be something or it might not be something.
Lol! That's exactly how my hubby's symptoms surfaced - bringing in the groceries as usual only to find ugly bruising on the top of his hands and inside his arms immediately afterwards.
Thanks for all your comments. After an appointment today at the dentists, I mentioned the facial bruising and she said sometimes the numbing injections can upset a blood vessel, hence the bruising. I've also noticed a visible thinning of the skin in my hands lately, this would account for the easy bruising I suppose. I will mention it to my gp next visit, and see if he wants to investigate.Thanks again everyone for your help
Ugh...life is an odyssey. While my hubby has purpura, I now get painful bruising when I get blood tests done, etc. Apparently blood vessels also tend to "roll", no longer secured as well by surrounding muscles during the aging process. So, there I was - complaining about the techs when it was really about my body letting me down. Anyway, it's onward and forward. Sometimes it's aging, sometimes it's something else. It's always good to check it out with the medical professionals.
You need to have liver function tests done . If they are normal then proceed to a Hemotoligest who specializes in Bleeding Disorders and have some Genetic tests run for a bleeding disorder.
Thanks seabreezegirl.My liver function tests I've had recently were all within normal range. Thanks for your advice. I'll certainly mention it to my gp
I had bruising about 5 years ago, but it was due to a nutrient deficiency and my eGFR was about 20, so I changed my diet.
Before you take advice from others online about supplements, remember it is much easier to get nutrient toxicity on supplements than by eating real food with the same nutrients. Talk with your nephrologist before you pick a dosage. They may realize that a vitamin/supplement you want to take affects a medication you are taking.
For instance, my nephrologist knew that if you change insulins, your potassium level may plummet, depending on which diuretics you are taking. My endocrinologist didn't know that.
Thanks Baby Tee for your reply. Unfortunately I'm based in the UK, stage 3a, so don't have access to a nephrologist. It's a bit of a make it up as you go along scenario, trying advice from places like this forum and trusted kidney websites. I've bought a month's supply of better you d3 with K2 oral spray. I'll try for a month of it doesn't work, I'll stop.
Apart from the ckd I don't have any other health issues that I'm aware of, but at my next appointment I'll ask for a full blood count in case anything has changed
it could be just advancing age as your skin actually thins out and bruising becomes easier but i would check with doctor just to be safe. happy new year.
Yes it's probably just thinning skin, as I've noticed the skin on my hands is very wrinkly and transparent. Oh the joys of getting older!! Happy New Year to everyone.
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