Red.spots under skin

[MamaBeagle]

This past couple of days these red under the skin spots of various shapes have arrived on my legs. Any ideas as to what they are? Not sore. Not itchy

[piglette]

They are called purpura or Petechiae if very small. They seem to be caused by the steroids. I used to look as if I had been attacked by a wild animal at some points. It does improve as you reduce. Mine disappeared in around a couple of weeks usually.

[MamaBeagle in reply to piglette]

Cheers piglets. Didn't get them last time around when I started on 40mg. This time started 12.5 now on 9.5

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to MamaBeagle]

Happen with age too ...

[piglette in reply to MamaBeagle]

Anno Domini has an effect too!

[Bennijax in reply to MamaBeagle]

I started to get these when I had a flare and upped the preds to 15mg. Since dropping to 9mg I seem to have many fewer, but the new thing that just started is that a raised tiny one will appear and start to bleed and the first I know of it is blood spots on my shirt or sweater. I'm wondering what these are.

[PMRpro Ambassador]

Petechiae - if they were bigger they would be purpurae. They are due to pred weakening the capillaries in the skin and they leak blood, causing the marks. They are more likely if you scrape the surface of the skin somehow but can be with no apparent force. They will fade and leave a brown mark like a freckle.

They have been discussed quite a lot in the past.

[piglette in reply to PMRpro]

You describe them so much better than I do. Equivalent of being attacked by a wild animal does not have the same ring as your sensible description!!

[MamaBeagle in reply to piglette]

Ah! But attacked by a wild animal is very dramatic 🙄

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to piglette]

True - but maybe a bit less scary?

[MamaBeagle in reply to PMRpro]

👍

[MamaBeagle in reply to PMRpro]

Thanks. I probably didn't look at the discussion.as I wasn't then affected. I am now! Both legs!

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to MamaBeagle]

Ah well, most things will catch up with you at some point ...

[Thiago1396 in reply to PMRpro]

I have started having these over recent weeks. I was wondering what they were. I also had a blood sample taken some 4 weeks ago, one of many I have every couple of months, they sometimes cause a small bruise that clears up after a day or two, this time the small bruise took 3 weeks to clear up. I assume this is a steroid issue also!

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Thiago1396]

Probably, the effect does tend to grow over time.

[Countrykitten]

My skin looks like that if I scratch it, which I try not to do but it gets very itchy so I often wake up with red spots all over my arms wher I scratch in my sleep!. They soon fade. The bigger bruises where I knock against something take longer to fade. It's a steroid side effect, not pretty but temporary.

[Pr0jection]

I have these from time to time, almost always after doing some gardening so I originally thought that I might have brushed against an agarve plant or some other succulent. Maybe not though. They disappear in about two weeks. I treat them with aloe vera gel.

[Claremont2023 in reply to Pr0jection]

How strange! I thought it was just something peculiar to me. It is so helpful to come on here for advice. Thank you everyone!

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer in reply to Claremont2023]

Not just you - see this -

cortisone-info.com/en/side-...

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Claremont2023]

Really very unusual for someone to be the only one dealing with something!

[Tiggy70]

I seem to be getting them a lot more frequently now (3 years on Pred). They’re so unsightly and I hate them. My shoulder bag slipped down on my forearm last week and left me with a really big one. I’ve just purchased a pair of Kevlar arm protectors off the internet so that I can do some pruning in the garden without looking like I’ve been attacked. 🐅🐅🐯

[AyJayBass in reply to Tiggy70]

I use welder's arm protectors, chamois leather from wrist to elbows, with elastic cuffs at each end. Very fragile thin skin is so easily pierced and these protect very well. Also need gardening gloves to protect the backs of the hands which is where I constantly have large purpurae.

[507Trail]

Hi, the red spots are an indicator of a PMR flare. I had been in remission for about a year & due to being under a lot of stress, developed a PMR flare…fever, aching joints, sleeping a lot, depression and a rash just like yours) in various spots. Surprisingly, it all seems to be subsiding, thanks be to God.

Side note…I forgot to say that mine itches & I had them on my face cheeks; rib cage, back & a few on my arm.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to 507Trail]

"Hi, the red spots are an indicator of a PMR flare."

Not really - they are due to fragile blood vessels leaking, pred-related not PMR-related.

[MamaBeagle]

Like you I was a year free. Started again april/May this year. On pred again since June. No signs of any flare. Completely pain free, not tired.but then it's never affected me in that way.