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purple spots on arms?

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Posted 11/5/2007 3:26 PM (GMT 0)
Hi,

I was wondering if anyone has experienced small purple spots on their arms. The look like small bruises, but are not the result of pressure on the skin.  They range in size from a pea to a dime.  They start purple...then turn more reddish and eventually dissapear.  I typicall only have two or three at a time.

DOes this sound familiar to anyone with Lupus??

 

Thanks!

Posted 11/5/2007 4:11 PM (GMT 0)

Hi there,

The fact they disappear is a good sign.  I would question you Dr. on your next appointment.

Sharon

Posted 11/5/2007 11:46 PM (GMT 0)
How strange. Ive never really thought much about it but yes! Purplish spots on the back of my forearm that look like bruises but arent. Then they go away after a week or two. I wonder if it is lupus related??
Posted 11/5/2007 11:53 PM (GMT 0)
Are the spots sometimes really tiny, like pin pricks?  I'm thinking petechiae.  Look it up on google and see if the pictures look like what you have.  Sometimes they're small, other times they're big.  They are a sign of vascular issues.  Definitely important to show your doctor.  Take pictures of them too.

 

Ginny

Posted 11/6/2007 12:11 AM (GMT 0)
No. Mine arent like petechiae. I usually only have two purple bruise-like spots. The pictures on google looks like there is a lot of spots
Posted 11/6/2007 12:27 AM (GMT 0)
JD19,

I looked up Petechiae and it did not look the same either. It is so strange though only 2 or three at a time, no pain...just more concerning looking....hmm...
Posted 11/6/2007 2:10 AM (GMT 0)
Hi pooh yep but I get them on my hands not my arms. I wass told by one rheumy he thought it was CREST syndrome. I actually look like I got attacked by a redish purple pin. I have 4 on one hand and 5 on the other. Do you have Raynauds? Pred. can actually leave funny discoloration on your skin too. I would take pictures for the next time you visit your rheumy. That's always the best bet>
let us know
hugs
carol
Posted 11/6/2007 3:21 AM (GMT 0)
Hi pooh--
Liver disease can cause problems like that sometimes, tiny red or purplish ones are usually broken capillaries (the tiny blood vessels that connect veins to arteries) and that is a normal part of aging and they dont usually go away. sometimes they occur with spidering as part of liver disease (portal hypertension--blood backs up in the top half of your body because it can get through the liver fast enough) and prednisone also causes this. People with advanced liver disease often have many large and small purplish spots on their arms, some people get brown "liver spots". I also believe there are immune system problems that cause these spots. My son had one and it went away. Kaposi's sarcoma has been the only time I've seen purplish spots on anyone's arms and they were all over and the person was very sick with AIDS. Then I've seen them on elderly people with bad liver disease. The fact they go away is a good sign. My son never found out what his was, it was about the size of a pencil eraser and kind of looked like a wine stain or hicky. With all the meds we take, it's likely something to do with our meds, but you can always check with the rheumie like carol said, or see a dermatologist if it really concerns you. I found seeing a dermatologist has been helpful to me with several oddities in my skin! And you know, I do get bruises for no reason that come and go.
Posted 6/8/2008 10:27 PM (GMT 0)
has anyone determined with any certainty what causes these small purple spots spots?  I get them either individually or on small patterns that merge into one lighter spot in a few days, then disappear.  I've had this "condition" for the past year; all my liver tests are normal.
Posted 6/9/2008 5:27 AM (GMT 0)
I get these quite frequently, and not just on my arms or hands or just 2 or 3 but all over my body and in huge quantities at times. I also get petichiae, which is different, so I know that this is not petichiae. I have been told that in my case this condition is due to a slow clotting time and 'bleeding under the skin'. My bloodwork has recently shown that I am VitK deficient and I am attempting to correct that dietarily before adding injections. I am B12 deficient, even with injections. I've noticed that these spots show up more when I am due for another B12 shot. I do not know if this is common in lupus, but i had intended to ask at my next appointment, as I had been told I had vasculitis years ago and it occurred to me only after i had left the office to ask if that was what this was related to.
Posted 10/20/2010 7:48 PM (GMT 0)
I have Lupus....and i get these spots on my hands and arms.....mine can get as big as a quarter......getting concerned about them.....they look like skin cancer....but then go away.....i am also severely anemic....so not sure.....took pictures of them....and am going to see dermatologist.....problem is....by the time i get in....they will be gone....happens frequently tho.
Posted 10/20/2010 9:45 PM (GMT 0)
Suggestion - take a couple of photos. I took my digital camera with photos of my rash to the dermatologist once
and she was so happy! Take care.
Posted 12/9/2011 2:14 AM (GMT 0)
I have the same thing Kristen....I just noticed them....they remind me of "old age spots" that older people get later in

life.  I am 62 but not old enough for these spots.  There are like two or three at a time that are purplish/reddish in

color and then slowly disappear.  But then others pop up...they are on either arm.  I am unsure of what they are

also and haven't found a good explanation online so far.

Posted 12/29/2011 7:39 AM (GMT 0)
I have had the same experiences for the last several years. Mine show up on the upper arms both by the biceps and up. They last for about a week or so. Next time I am for sure going to take a pic and show my doctor. When I find out I will report back on the message board.
I will get all the blood work done as well. I'm going to get my liver tested.
Posted 2/19/2012 12:08 PM (GMT 0)
Hello,

    My daughter has been having issues for a while, shes 23. I noticed yesterday exactly what you described. It was spotches about 3 inches by six inches on her inner arm. They looked like alot of finger prints. It was not raised just reddish-purple. Within an hour they disappeared. We had been walking in the sun about 25 minutes. I'm concerned. I think she has Lupus. They doctors are also following her signs and symp

toms. Good luck.

Posted 3/17/2012 1:45 PM (GMT 0)
Hi , Poohbear and other members .
I've been experiencing these strange purplish spots on my arm as well .
I kept thinking I'd pinched myself in the night because I only seem to get them after I've been asleep .
They start to disappear the very next day , but stay about 4-5 days [ I haven't been paying attention ! ] .
Well , yesterday afternoon I lay on the settee as I have to take these extra strong pain killers after a spinal operation last April didn't quite cure a long standing problem [ disc erosion ] , and lo and behold there were 2 new spots on my right arm quite close to the wrist on the top of the arm . I already had a small one on my left arm .
I shall take a photo and show them to my Doctor next week and she what she comes up with .
I have to take pills for high blood pressure , pain killers [ remedeine forte which is Dihydrocodeine ] Gabapentin for nerve damage , diclofenac for arthritis .
Posted 4/4/2015 4:57 PM (GMT 0)
I get purple redish blotches on my forearms whenever I eat a half gallon of ice cream in a day. It also happens whenever I eat too much candy or sweets. They disappear in about 4 or 5 days after I correct my diet.
Posted 4/23/2015 4:32 AM (GMT 0)
I have skin discoloration on both lower legs. It look like peebles.Is this a lupus symptoms?
Posted 6/10/2016 2:14 AM (GMT 0)
THIS IS AN OLDER POST BUT I WAS WONDERING IF ANYONE ACTUALLY WENT AND GOT A DOCTOR'S DIAGNOSIS FOR THE SMALL ( RECURRING ) PURPLISH/REDISH SPOTS ? THANK YOU, ROBERT
Posted 6/10/2016 9:29 PM (GMT 0)
Hi BobbyGene. If there are many red spots about the size of a pencil lead it may be petechiae. These spots usually cover a large area and can cover almost the entire body. Petechiae can be an indication that your platelet count is low. Platelets are cells in your blood that helps your blood clot. A platelet count is part of the Complete Blood Count (CBC) which is an inexpensive blood test that measures several blood parameters.

On the other hand, ever since I've had Lupus I have bruised very easily and had large areas with petechiae and once had it all over my body, yet my platelets are always normal. I have had two bruises from IVs in my arm that were so bad they left permanent dark spots on my arm about the size of a half dollar. Doc said this occurs with severe trauma and yes, those bruises went way beyond anything I had ever seen working in hospitals. I hope this helps answer your question (instead of causing more). Love, Butterflake
Posted 6/10/2016 11:07 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks for replying, Butterflake ... where'd you get the name ? I don't know much about Lubpus but I hope all is well with you.

I was hoping that someone who was here who had one, two, three eraser sized purple/reddish spots that come and go, would come back to this site. A few of those people indicated that they would go see a doctor. So ... what were the doctors opinions? That's what I'd like to get from them.

I did mention these spots ( appearing and disappearing ) with my doctor ( Gerontologist and Family Med.) Her reply was " if they go away, don't worry" ...

thing is ... they come back now and then
Posted 5/9/2017 11:17 PM (GMT 0)
VIEW IMAGE

I am not sure if you are referring similar to this. I woke up this morning with this and i don't know where i got this. It's like someone sneaked in my room last night and put some tracking device, i feel like I'm a mutant now.

But seriously, it hurts like you are being stung by two small pins leaving 1 small pin hole and 1 blue spot.

Any other have experienced this? I uploaded the image above to see.
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