Bruises

[taz sharratt]

are celiacs prone to bruiseing easily? i have a massive bruise on my breast and i dont remember hitting my boob, its a little tender but its still coming out, ive noticed that since ive been on the diet ibe black and blue a lot of the time, is it me or am i lacking something in my diet ( nutrients ) that would make it easier for me to bruise. it starts from my aerioli right past my cup of my bra so its quite large. im probably beingparanoid but ive got to konw. anyone else as wierd as me?

[queenofhearts]

Yes I think there is a correlation-- I seem to remember my GI mentioning that. Probably from a deficiency, which nutrient I don't know.

I bruise easily & often don't remember what caused the bruise-- though that may be partly the brain fog!

Leah

p.s. Just curious-- do you have the dark undereye circles? I've always wondered if that & the bruising are related. My dark circles seem to be fading just a bit after a month on the diet. Sometimes when I'm short on sleep they get so dark I look quite ghoulish!

[jerseyangel]

I had lots of brusing before my diagnosis. Often, I wouldn't know how I got them! Some were regular-looking (black and blue), and some were small and brownish. I was also severly anemic. I know that a lack of iron and/or a lack of vitamin K can cause bruising. After 6 months on the gluten-free diet, my iron levels returned to normal, and the bruising stopped. Have you had blood testing for anemia? This is a common symptom of Celiac.

[queenofhearts]

I had lots of brusing before my diagnosis. Often, I wouldn't know how I got them! Some were regular-looking (black and blue), and some were small and brownish. I was also severly anemic. I know that a lack of iron and/or a lack of vitamin K can cause bruising. After 6 months on the gluten-free diet, my iron levels returned to normal, and the bruising stopped. Have you had blood testing for anemia? This is a common symptom of Celiac.

Yeah, I'm definitely anemic. That was one of the factors in my diagnosis-- iron tablets made no improvement at all.

Leah

[BRUMI1968]

Lack of vitamin C can also cause easy bruising. Frankly, my whole family bruises easily, so maybe there's some genes to it too, who knows.

Good luck.

Also, if you have bleeding gums and bruises elsewhere, or little tiny red dots on your feet or where you seatbelt hits you or where your pants are tight - go get a CBC done - you could have low platelets. When I did, I didn't even notice I had bruised myself about three inches from my elbows on either side from resting my head on my hands at work. Anyway, just a precaution. Low platelets can be life threatening - so it's important to check if you think you might have this.

[rinne]

Ursula was saying that Green Tea is high in Vitamin K which is one of the things Celiacs are low on and is connected to bruising easily. I know I bruise often without knowing how I did it.

[queenofhearts]

Lack of vitamin C can also cause easy bruising. Frankly, my whole family bruises easily, so maybe there's some genes to it too, who knows.

Good luck.

Also, if you have bleeding gums and bruises elsewhere, or little tiny red dots on your feet or where you seatbelt hits you or where your pants are tight - go get a CBC done - you could have low platelets. When I did, I didn't even notice I had bruised myself about three inches from my elbows on either side from resting my head on my hands at work. Anyway, just a precaution. Low platelets can be life threatening - so it's important to check if you think you might have this.

Yikes, I've had those red dots at the waistband-- but I've had such loads of bloodwork done this year, surely that would have turned up?

Leah

[jerseyangel]

Yeah, I'm definitely anemic. That was one of the factors in my diagnosis-- iron tablets made no improvement at all.

Leah

Not only did iron suppliments not help, I had a surgical procedure to reduce my heavy monthly bleeding a year before my diagnosis, and even that didn't put a dent in my anemia.

[BRUMI1968]

The red dots are really quite tiny, and are called petichiai. They are tiny blood dots under the skin, because the blood is too thin to stay put. You would get these dots wherever pressure was applied - the tops of the feet from shoes, where your seatbelt hits you, where your pants are tight, where your bra band is tight (if you are lucky enough to need a bra), etc. There would be LOTS of them - so it is not like those little red spots I keep getting more of as I get older.

Your platelets should be at least 150,000. If you can access your blood work on l ine (my mom can, which I think is super cool), then you could check.

Other symptoms are: heavier than usual periods, extra periods, bleeding gums that won't stop...anything involving thin blood.

It is not common - so it is not likely that's what you're looking at. I just wanted to mention it since I went through an autoimmune disease with low platelet count - and it can be quite serioius. I ended up calling the hospital because my gums literally would not stop bleeding, and I mean really really bleeding. SHe told me to go see my PCP the next day which I did, and my platelets were at 12,000 or something. I ended up on prednisone which fixed the problem, but has itself a whole set of drama. I then went off that, but then got the low platelets again, which determined my problem was chronic instead of acute. I was put back on. Then eventually I went off and was fine, until I got another illness that really put my immune system into high gear. That time I ended up with 4,000 platelets and was put in the hospital to get IV's of immunoglobulin. Fun. I did get back off prednisone with the help of a naturopathic doc and seem to be perfectly fine now. Anyway, with low enough plaetelets, you can bleed into your spine or brain and die. Few people die this way, however...most figure out what's going on.

Take care. Hope I didn't scare you. As long as CBC's have been drawn on you, it's probably not this thing (called Idiopathic Thrombocytopenia Purpura, by the way), though it can be an acute response to viral illness as well.

[queenofhearts]

The red dots are really quite tiny, and are called petichiai. They are tiny blood dots under the skin, because the blood is too thin to stay put. You would get these dots wherever pressure was applied - the tops of the feet from shoes, where your seatbelt hits you, where your pants are tight, where your bra band is tight (if you are lucky enough to need a bra), etc. There would be LOTS of them - so it is not like those little red spots I keep getting more of as I get older.

Your platelets should be at least 150,000. If you can access your blood work on l ine (my mom can, which I think is super cool), then you could check.

Other symptoms are: heavier than usual periods, extra periods, bleeding gums that won't stop...anything involving thin blood.

It is not common - so it is not likely that's what you're looking at. I just wanted to mention it since I went through an autoimmune disease with low platelet count - and it can be quite serioius. I ended up calling the hospital because my gums literally would not stop bleeding, and I mean really really bleeding. SHe told me to go see my PCP the next day which I did, and my platelets were at 12,000 or something. I ended up on prednisone which fixed the problem, but has itself a whole set of drama. I then went off that, but then got the low platelets again, which determined my problem was chronic instead of acute. I was put back on. Then eventually I went off and was fine, until I got another illness that really put my immune system into high gear. That time I ended up with 4,000 platelets and was put in the hospital to get IV's of immunoglobulin. Fun. I did get back off prednisone with the help of a naturopathic doc and seem to be perfectly fine now. Anyway, with low enough plaetelets, you can bleed into your spine or brain and die. Few people die this way, however...most figure out what's going on.

Take care. Hope I didn't scare you. As long as CBC's have been drawn on you, it's probably not this thing (called Idiopathic Thrombocytopenia Purpura, by the way), though it can be an acute response to viral illness as well.

Hmmm, that actually sounds kind of like what they look like, I've had them under bra band too, & I do have unusually frequent periods.... I do think I'll check with my doctor to make sure this platelet count was among the many tests. I've lost track of what all they tested. Thanks for the heads-up.

I wish all my test results were easy to access like your mom's! I think it's crazy they don't even give us a printout, we have to ask specific questions to get any info. I think the least they could do for the bucks I've shelled out is to give me the specs!

Leah

[tarnalberry]

I bruise fairly easily as well, despite no vitamin/mineral deficiency (tested), nor having inherited the vonWillebrands (a clotting disorder) that can run in the family. Some people do bruise more easily than others, but if you're anemic, that's definitely a contributing factor, and I hope that you're able to get that remedied quickly.

[CarlaB]

I had so much bruising before going gluten-free that sometimes it looked like I was in an automobile accident. Now I usually only have two or three at a time, but I never remember where they're from. It's gotten somewhat better.

[taz sharratt]

Yes I think there is a correlation-- I seem to remember my GI mentioning that. Probably from a deficiency, which nutrient I don't know.

I bruise easily & often don't remember what caused the bruise-- though that may be partly the brain fog!

Leah

p.s. Just curious-- do you have the dark undereye circles? I've always wondered if that & the bruising are related. My dark circles seem to be fading just a bit after a month on the diet. Sometimes when I'm short on sleep they get so dark I look quite ghoulish!

yes i do have really bad dark circles under eyes. mine are bad at mo so i wear my glasses mostly to cover them.

I had so much bruising before going gluten-free that sometimes it looked like I was in an automobile accident. Now I usually only have two or three at a time, but I never remember where they're from. It's gotten somewhat better.

without being RUDE my hubby is a boob man so thts the only thin i can think of, but he isnt ruff with me, but it looks like i was man handled, for want of a better term. ive got the same prob as you sounds like tho, it worries me tho cos people talk and my mum was in n abusive relatonship so every time i have a briuse she is naturally suspoiusios but if you met my hubby you would laf at it. catch22

[frenchiemama]

Before I went gluten-free I was nothing but bruises. Once I counted 40, and they weren't little. They were big and dark. My doctor asked me if I was being beaten at home, then tested me for everything from leukemia to AIDS. After being gluten-free, I bruise about like a normal person would. I think that I still might be a little easier, but not bad.

[queenofhearts]

yes i do have really bad dark circles under eyes. mine are bad at mo so i wear my glasses mostly to cover them.

without being RUDE my hubby is a boob man so thts the only thin i can think of, but he isnt ruff with me, but it looks like i was man handled, for want of a better term. ive got the same prob as you sounds like tho, it worries me tho cos people talk and my mum was in n abusive relatonship so every time i have a briuse she is naturally suspoiusios but if you met my hubby you would laf at it. catch22

Oh, that is so funny-- I have the same sort of problem-- my DH likes to grab my arms sometimes (for leverage!?) & though he's really not rough, every time he leaves these big black & blue marks-- looks like we're into S&M! My mom was all concerned about it too! (I guess I'd ask too if it were my child, but it was a little embarrassing!)

Leah

[taz sharratt]

I bruise fairly easily as well, despite no vitamin/mineral deficiency (tested), nor having inherited the vonWillebrands (a clotting disorder) that can run in the family. Some people do bruise more easily than others, but if you're anemic, that's definitely a contributing factor, and I hope that you're able to get that remedied quickly.

i never thought about the anemia, that amkes sense, i am anemic and have been for 10 years.

[gfp]

I guess Im just weird but I almost never bruise, I can fall down stairs and not show a bruise ...?

Ive been like this forever ... and even when I break bones the bruising is so minimal Dr's just dismiss it and i have to play along just to get xray'd ...

If anyone has an explanation I'm open to any suggestions?

[JodiC]

The liver can also cause unexplained bruising. There is a correlation between Celiac and how well the liver deals with the toxins it produces. Sometimes the liver enzymes will be elevated and can explain extra bruising. Try a liver detox to see if it helps. 2 tbs real lemon (can be juice), 1 tbs pure maple syrup, 1/10th tsp cayenne pepper added to 8oz of water. These 3 ingredients are our livers best friends and will help to push the toxins out. I have been doing it and feel great. I drink about 5 glasses a day. You may get a headache and feel fatigued, but that just means the toxins are moving out. This subsides within 3 days. Hope this helps.