Deep purple bruise on inside of upper left arm out of nowhere?

woodstock99
woodstock99 Member Posts: 338
edited September 2017 in Lymphedema

hi all - usually a lurker and follow the threads and posts as no LE diagnosis after 20 months but out of nowhere when I got undressed last night I saw a large (quarter size) bruise of the inside of my upper left arm. I had no idea how this could have happened. Went for a walk earlier in the evening and DH thought maybe bug bite but normally that would turn red. Doesn't hurt. No fever. No new meds. Nothing out of the ordinary but a stressful week due to 89 year old mom in assisted living in Florida affected by Irma and a dear friend who passed away after long bout with stomach cancer. I had my 18 month check with BS end of July and saw my internist 2 weeks ago and labs perfect. Only lifestyle change was going plant based diet 3 months ago. Anyone have any ideas? Can post photo in the morning. Slightly freaked out. Thanks

· Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Comments

  • runor
    runor Member Posts: 1,798
    edited September 2017

    I had something similar. Only I had sudden and severe pain.

    I am very careful with the left arm because I don't want to bash it or injure it and end up with massive swelling as a result, don't want to anger those lymphs! Out of the blue one night I got a pain in my wrist. A deep, intense, extreme ache. It hurt! I rubbed it and tried to think what I had done. It almost felt like an extreme case of tennis elbow (although not on my elbow) or a sprained wrist.

    Woke in morning with a bruise, red and purple and angry looking, from where my hand joins my wrist extending about 5 inches toward the inside of the elbow. The red/purple colour obliterated all the veins on the inside of my wrist. By next day the bruise had pushed through to the other side of my wrist too. So from inside the wrist to the backside, purple red colour. And hurt! Oh my lord. It kept me awake a few nights, didn't matter where that arm was, it was hurting.

    I had all sorts of whacky thoughts. First was, gee, I'm on tamoxifen, is this a blood clot? I have no clue what a blood clot looks like or feels like! I wondered if this was lymphedema, maybe my tissue was not happy with an infiltration of foreign fluid? It took almost 8 days for the discoloration to fade and even now there is some tenderness.

    So weird random bruises? Used to be I never worried about this stuff. Now I do. Hope you get some answers.

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • ksusan
    ksusan Member Posts: 4,505
    edited September 2017

    I now bruise more easily, but at least in my case, my LE specialist attributes this to estrogen suppression/menopause, not to LE.

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • woodstock99
    woodstock99 Member Posts: 338
    edited September 2017

    This was Friday night.

    image

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • woodstock99
    woodstock99 Member Posts: 338
    edited September 2017

    This was yesterday.

    image

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • woodstock99
    woodstock99 Member Posts: 338
    edited September 2017

    This was this morning. The first 2 were in a different room so skin tone etc looks different due to light.

    image

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • hugz4u
    hugz4u Member Posts: 2,781
    edited September 2017

    Hi I've never heard of lymphedema presenting as a bruise. Maybe outline it in pen and see if it grows but it already looks like it's healing. I do bruise often and have no idea how I did it


    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • woodstock99
    woodstock99 Member Posts: 338
    edited September 2017

    Thanks my DH and I think it is getting less colorful. I will continue to take photos daily to keep a visual record. Thanks.

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • sbelizabeth
    sbelizabeth Member Posts: 2,889
    edited September 2017

    Balthus, I'm not offering you a diagnosis, just an opinion. This looks like a little bruise from bumping your arm against something, perhaps even unconsciously. It doesn't look like lymphedema or cancer. Just a little bruise.

    Do you take aspirin, motrin, aleve, fish oil, vitamin E? There are lots of meds that will make your skin bruise more easily.

    Again--no diagnosis, and I'm not a doctor--don't even play one on TV--but this looks like an innocent bruise.

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • marijen
    marijen Member Posts: 3,731
    edited September 2017

    Balthus have you had a CBC test lately, it looks like your platelets are low that would cause easy bruising. It's always a good idea to get copies of all lab tests and reports to keep at home to refer to

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • woodstock99
    woodstock99 Member Posts: 338
    edited September 2017

    occasional aspirin/Aleve none of the others and did have complete labs including CBC about 6 weeks ago. I will check with my internist this week. It really looks like a bruise or as if I was pinched but can't think of how or what could have happened.

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Binney4
    Binney4 Member Posts: 8,609
    edited September 2017

    Balthus, how are you doing? Hoping you've gotten some satisfaction by now and are no longer needing to worry.

    Be well!
    Binney

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • woodstock99
    woodstock99 Member Posts: 338
    edited January 2018

    thanks for checking. I ran by to see my pcp yesterday and she was not concerned and said it was a bruise. It is starting to change color so looks like it is going away. I have always been a slow healer. Appreciate everyone!

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Categories