Have you ever dealt w/ discolored skin areas on arms?
large, blistery round, raised & red? - 0.0% - 0 votes
mixed sizes purple and red on upper & forearms? - 100.0% - 1 votes
large, blackish just under the skin...no raise or rash - 0.0% - 0 votes
extremely dry arms w/ large dark, ashy patches that itched? - 0.0% - 0 votes
Posted 1/31/2013 6:35 AM (GMT 0)
Hi! New here. Have a 75 yr old male friend who is concerned by large bruised (but darker) areas on this forearms and upper arms. He is out of shape, but working on his diet and has done nothing to damage these arms. He says he has them all the time...they come and go.
They look a bit like the spots my parents, who are alcoholics, get under their skin way too often...but he doesn't drink and there is just a different look about it. They are not raised, broken out or scabbed. They are in areas of this arms that he is already suffering from very dry skin and it appears "ashy" over the dark spots. He scratches a lot & the dr prescribed some OTC lotion to help. No one seems concerned about finding what these spots are or what may be causing them. He really wants to know. He had his wife with him until a little over a year ago and now he has no one to reinforce him or encourage him to speak out to the doctor.
If anyone has had any experience like this, please let me know so I can at least share some information with him. He is very embarrassed by the spots even though they don't bother me cosmetically. I just want to be sure he is okay physically. Thanks again folks for all your help!
JGriffin
Regular Member
Joined : Jan 2006
Posts : 104
Posted 1/31/2013 2:49 PM (GMT 0)
My father had these for years before he passed away at age 90. He had heart problems and was on aspirin and at one time also plavix. Both were blood thinners. The doctor told him it was bleeding under the skin where he bumped himself. He also had it under his watch where there was pressure on his skin. It was an indication that his blood was too thin so his medication had to be adjusted by the doctor. He also had a reaction to another med he was taking. He was NOT a diabetic. This bleeding under the skin can happen to anyone who is reacting to a medication or thinning their blood too much. (Your parents who were alcoholics probably were thinning their blood also since alcohol will do that.)
But your friend needs to see his doctor so they can check out which meds are causing the problem or if there is another physical disease. I can only speak for what was causing my father's problems.
Lanie G
Forum Moderator
Joined : Nov 2006
Posts : 7019
Posted 1/31/2013 3:29 PM (GMT 0)
Hello and welcome to HealingWell. I agree that he needs to have a doctor examine the areas. I think he needs a second opinion. The dark areas could almost be anything, from nothing to something more serious that needs attention. I'm sorry I can't help more.
Posted 1/31/2013 4:10 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks JGriffin and LanieG! His spots are different...VERY dark. He is on no blood thinning agents and his doctors have told him it is nothing to worry about...but he does. I know what areas look like from blood that is too thin, and this doesn't appear as such. I will encourage him to get another opinion. Thanks again for your replies.
Sherrine
Forum Moderator
Joined : Apr 2005
Posts : 18467
Posted 2/2/2013 8:55 PM (GMT 0)
I would see a dermatologist for something like this. If it isn't from thinning blood a dermatologist would be my next step. I take a lot of ibuprofen and get dark blotches but again that is thinning blood.
Sherrine
scooby59
New Member
Joined : Apr 2013
Posts : 2
Posted 4/25/2013 5:42 PM (GMT 0)
Hi I have been diabetic for 38 years - it sounds to me like he is describing necrobiosis lipoidica. You can google them and see what they look like. There is not a cure for them and most people seem to have them on their arms or legs. The skin is purplish and feels like scar tissue - they really don't know that cause of them. But sure hurt if you scrape them.... I have several all below my knees. Hope this helps good luck.
scooby59
New Member
Joined : Apr 2013
Posts : 2
Posted 4/25/2013 5:59 PM (GMT 0)
the spots are not bruises, but he needs to check with an endocrinologist about them.