I'm just wondering if anyone else with RA finds that they bruise very easily? These days I seem to only have to tap lightly against something and the next day I've got a bruise. I seem to be covered in them lately - and I know some of that is down to getting clumsier since also developing fibromyalgia - my spatial awareness has definitely got worse.
My red blood cells have been slightly below the normal level for well over a year now, and my GP says that it's likely down to anaemia of chronic disease, (another gift of RA), but she doesn't seem too worried about it or suggested any treatment.
I'm wondering if it's the anaemia causing the easy bruising. Anyone have any similar experiences/tips?
Thanks.
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mjrminor
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nope, steroids will make you bruise more easily but I haven’t had any for a long time. They stay in your system for ages like
6 months or so….. I just bruise but this was particularly epic as it came up within hours of finishing the course and so did a bad flare … I defo pushed myself too far!
I bruise very easily and some of it to do with medication ie prednisone. I have been taking it for 3 years now sometimes high doses so I know this causes it too. Worth checking with GP.
I definitely bruise easier, I only have to touch myself lightly and there’s a great big welt 😔. I get blood spots as well, they don’t look like bruises, I get them on my arms and hands. 🤷♀️
As others have rightly said it’s the Pred/steroids that thin your skin and make bruising happen more. I find they don’t take too long to fade if I put some arnica cream on them which seems to speed up the healing process.
As well as the previous comments, two other things spring to mind. Low platelets can cause the bruising, and also a stressed liver can alter blood clotting. Both are easily checked with blood draws to rule it out.
I have had RA for 46 years and had various treatments in that time but have never had problems with bruising. It would be more worrying if bruises occurred in places you hadn’t bumped or pressed. As we get older we get more bruises as the skin is thinner anyway. You don’t say if you are on any medications for other medical problems which could be causing the bruising. You said your GP checked your blood count so would know if your platelets are low. They may have also checked clotting factors and your liver function to make sure these are ok. Even things like not getting enough vitamin C in your diet can cause easy bruising.
Thanks. My GP checked for clotting, liver etc and all was normal. From what others have said, it sounds like it's likely a combination of long term steroid use (daily asthma inhaler for me) and increased clumsiness from having both RA and fibromyalgia. At least the bruising isn't from anything more sinister...
I console myself by thinking that I would rather bruise easily than clot easily!
I've recently bought some things called 'limbkeepers' (available online). They were too hot to wear in the hot weather, but now it's cooled down, I'm finding them comfortable and I've ordered some more in other colours . They are holding some dressings in place currently having managed to rip skin off both my arms with trivial encounters (one brush with a wall, the other with a protruding branch). A combination of steroid use and (for me) age related skin thinning.
hi. Isuffer with ra fibro and low iron. Basically all my meds can cause bruising too. I have millions a d no idea how they happened. And if i do hurt myself bruise straight away and hude lumps in veins.
I would definitely mention this to your GP, it could indicate a blood condition unrelated to RA eg Von Willebrands - I was only diagnosed with this due to routine pre-op blood screening but it’s had an impact on what meds I should stay away from in the treatment of my RA. Best wishes x
I have RA and take Leflunomide. I bruise very easily too and it takes an age for them to go away. I even got a large hematoma in my arm a couple of years ago from a flu shot! Other folks have recommended remedies and I hope those help you. I don’t have to wrestle with kids anymore and am retired so I do not bruise as much these days!
Hi mj. Yes I bruise with the slightest knock and have done for quite some time. My GP and Rheumatologist say it happens due to several factors. Skin thins as one gets older and the delicate blood vessels are then closer to the surface. Also the medication we take has a tendency to thin the blood a little. I have taken sulphasalazine for years but apparently it's not just sulphasalazine but also other dmards. They more or less said we just have to live with it. I hate it though and use concealer on them if I am wearing short sleeves These days I'm never free of the flipping things.
I'm also on sulfasalazine, for the last four and a half years, plus hydroxychloroquine. I take a strongish daily steroid inhaler for asthma too, so I guess that would explain the thinning of my skin. Plus since I've had fibromyalgia on top of RA I'm constantly bumping and knocking into things. I can't seem to walk through a doorway without barging into the frame... But I guess your GP and rhuemy are right in that we just have to live with it.
I get purpura on my hands. It only takes a light bump and immediately turns a deep purple. My rheumatologist says it is from the prednisone. It’s not too painful, but it is very unsightly.
It's a real pain although they don't really hurt, just unsightly. I also have a steroid inhaler (symbicort) . It seems we can't avoid it short of wearing foam arm protectors😏 but then I get the feeling that the foam would cause bruising too. At least we're not alone in this.
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