Mystery Bruises

[ima_bleeder]

I've always had low iron. Not low enough to generally need supplements, but always hovering around the bottom of normal. And mystery bruises are normal for me.

Of course I also have really thin skin, and bleed really easily. So normally at the end of a ride I'll be bleeding from somewhere on my legs ... usually the result of brushing up against something while I'm riding (branch, blackberry bush, nettle, ... whatever). And sporting some new bruise.

So clearly, I'm a mess! I get mystery bruises pretty often and don't give them a second thought. Since these bruises are unusual enough to be worrying you it seems unlikely to me that you've had a long-term low Iron issue. Maybe it's a recent nutritional deficiency? Or as Beth suggests a blood sugar issue? (I've been tested for that too, but always somewhere within normal).

Let us know what you find out!

[gnat23]

Stephanie, I'm starting to think more along the low iron hypothesis. I've always been right on the edge of being able to donate blood with my hemocrit, and since I've recently upped my mileage, I suppose I could make a borderline situation worse.

Here's how it looked yesterday evening:


The one right on the crease has gotten darker, and there's a smaller/lighter one that just appeared on the inner part of my thigh today. Again, I beat up myself on a pretty regular basis, especially with rockclimbing, but those injuries are usually on the *front* of my legs, and I can remember bonking them. These, absolutely no recollection of anything hitting there except for, you know, office chairs and couches. And why only the one leg? Weird.

Doc appointment is for Monday morning, so I'll see if he has any advice. In the meantime, I've been reading up all about anemia, so I find it funny that the internets recommend everything from eating liver to getting EPO. No thanks.

-- gnat!

[TahoeDirtGirl]

Funny you have this on here, I keep getting one right below the patella on my knee and I can't figure out WHERE I am hitting it. Furniture? Who knows...

I know from a friend that was taking meds where they bruised easily that the bruises from that don't feel like bruises, they don't hurt. Do they hurt? Mine does below my knee, therefore I know I'm hitting it somewhere.

They are pretty nasty looking though. You said rock climbing tho, if it is bruising, that would be my first guess?

Hope it's nothing!but just bruises.

[emily_in_nc]

I'm glad you called the doc -- more than one bruise "out of nowhere" (I'm forever getting a bruise I don't remember how I got, but just one) doesn't seem normal. Hope it's something simple and innocuous! Do keep us posted.

By the way, you have nice legs (bruises and all).

Emily

[gnat23]

Doc says:

My iron was fine. My overall blood count was borderline low due to timing with a heavy period. Sheesh. All other blood numbers looked good.

The Mystery Bruises raised an eyebrow, but he said not to worry unless they keep appearing or don't ever seem to go away. They will just have to go into the chronicles as "of unknown origin".

I am cleared for play! There was a part of me that wanted an official Rx for steak tho.

-- gnat!

[TahoeDirtGirl]

Good deal gnat!

I was thinking about you the other day when I got a huge bruise after mountain biking. But it was somewhere I wouldn't be taking a pic of haha..

[Tokie]

Have you been taking more aspirin or ibuprofen than usual? Sometimes my friends realize it's time to scale back on the anti imflammatories when they start to bruise unexpectedly. Better a bruise than a GI bleed! (which has also happened to a friend using too much aspirin for aches and pains) Tokie