Red Blotches

[discoballs]

I've had this before! Red bruise blotches on my arms. They are varying sizes from pinprick to a quarter of an inch.

I'm stuck on 10mg of Pred

I get them when I'm subjected to stressful situations such as loud people.

Yesterday I went for a stroll in the woods and an hour later the bloody things started appearing

I have been avoiding sunbathing which is tough on me :/

Does anyone have a "special cream" they use?

I have have ankle pain and am just about to get a fusion. Could that pain kick off the bruising? Yesterday was a walk on rough terrain.

I hope you are all well and living the dream

David

[PMRpro Ambassador]

They are purpurae (the larger ones) and petechiae (the tiny ones). They are caused by blood leaking from the capillaries in the skin (the small blood vessels):

mountsinai.org/health-libra....

medicalnewstoday.com/articl...

There is no real "cure" - prevention is better - and I don't think the sun makes them any worse. They will fade in time.

[discoballs in reply to PMRpro]

Thank you. I've been getting them for a few years now but they are particularly bad now! Thanks for the links PMRpro

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to discoballs]

More likely when on long term steroids - although one of those links mentions steroids to help which surprised me.

[discoballs]

I have asked that question before and thanks to you all I know it must be steroid induced. Anytime my peaceful routine is upset I get like this with tinnitus too. I love shopping but get bothered with all the fuss. 😭

[piglette]

Mine used to be very bad but have improved as I have reduced the steroids. They don’t hurt and disappear after a couple of weeks so I just put up with them.

[Sharitone]

I have petechiae down one lower leg - not the other🤔. None of my many emollients makes the slightest bit of difference! As they don't itch, I can't be bothered to care.

[Louisa1840]

Not sure about living the dream davidcantswim but I'm very grateful for my life!!! I get these purple blotches on my arms all the time. They come and go with no seeming cause ( apart from being on prednisone) so I am interested thay you have picked up a link with stress . Mine just last for a few days and then clear up. A pharmacist told me to keep the skin on my arm moisturised which I do using creams I make myself from all natural ingredients. They are unsightly, true, but are much worse side-effects. I have gained over 15 kgs in weight in the 6 years I have been on pred and that DOES upset me........

[discoballs in reply to Louisa1840]

Hi Louisa. I am just about to taper from 10 - 9 mg after an age stuck on ten so that should be fun :/ I have been very lucky on the weight side of things and have lost 23 pounds since January and I really haven't tried too hard. Right now I'm steadying up and hoping to stay at the weight I am.

I dropped carbs a lot. I love sourdough bread and ate it like a madman! I love chips and baked potatoes and biscuits but dropped the lot and the weight fell off. I, now, into all the lovely clothes I bought in the States 12 years ago.

I do think the stress of social events really do get to me I am pretty much certain after five minutes of noise I get the bruising. And to think I was a professional DJ for almost 30 years often I had to stop touring around as the crowds were getting to me....And the noise and partying. I always just wanted to sit in a quiet room.

David

[discoballs in reply to discoballs]

By the way... Liz and I cancelled our PULP gig in Cardiff as we know what was going to happen!

[Alchemy8]

These are presumably not the marks one gets as a result of hitting the skin on the arms or legs or putting too much pressure on them; I have been told this is a result of taking steroids and the thinning of the skin.

[discoballs]

Yes :/ I am struggling with the appearance of them at the moment