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Okay -- explanation on the bruising thing?

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Crohn's Disease
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Posted 8/22/2007 12:53 AM (GMT -6)
I've heard over and over that if you start noticing strange bruising or start bruising more easily than normal, while you are on Remicade or Imuran (etc), you are supposed to notify your doctor.

What does this strange or easy bruising mean?

How do I know if I'm bruising strangely or more easily? I bruise at the drop of a hat, and I constantly have bruises that I can't account for. I always have. I have a long history of hemophilia in my family, so I figured that always accounted for it.

So anyway -- what does that bruising indicate, and how can I tell? I've heard this for the last five years while I've been taking various meds for CD, and I've never had a decent explanation.
Posted 8/22/2007 3:48 AM (GMT -6)
maybe some sort of platlet damage? hmmm?
Posted 8/22/2007 4:22 AM (GMT -6)
then what does the platelet damage indicate?
Posted 8/22/2007 7:41 AM (GMT -6)
Hi, you should bring it to your doctor's attention right away. If it is your platelets, then you are more at risk of hemmorage since your blood does not coagulates as quickly as it should. When you bruise, it is blood that is leaking under your skin. When you bruise yourself doing something, it bleeds under the skin but then coagulates and stops leaving you with a bruise. I am sure that you are familiar with this since hemophilia runs in your family. I am sure you know that hemophilia is a desease that affects men only (something to do with the Y chromosone). However you could be a carier and transmit it to your son. Anyhow, anything that is making you question if it's worth a phone call to the doctor, usally is and after the doctor checks you out and gives you an explanation, you feel much better and your stress level go way down which that in itself makes a huge difference on your quality of life. So you don't get all upset every time you see a new bruise. Talk to your doctor soon and let us know.

I am sure everything is going to be okay and that the doctor will have a good explanation for it.

Take care!

Sad Mom!
Posted 8/22/2007 9:18 AM (GMT -6)
Gardenlady
I bruise as well with out noticing most of them or remembering how I got them .........

I did go to doc and have platelet count done but there are some other blood work ups he did as well ( sorry I cannot remember ,......in a fog)

There is Hemophilia in our family as well and it use to flip me out when Mom got her B12 shot and would end up with black eyes or eyes ...I asked her doc and basically he just blew me off

You can ask your doc for a " bleeding time " test.......it shows how fast ot slow blood coagulates

Let us know how you make out hun and I might get some answers too

** BTW Sad MOm ....My aunty is a hemophilliac and has to take very many seriuos precautinos.......**
Randy.......I think ya got it .......AGAIN.........
Posted 8/22/2007 9:26 AM (GMT -6)
I have ITP (idiopathic thrombocytopenia purpura), and so does my grandmother, mother, sister and brother. That is pretty much when your body has a platelet antibody and the normal platelets are continuously destroyed by the antibodies. Normal platelet counts run from 150-400. Mine is usually in the 60s. Steroids are used to treat ITP so when I am on prednisone, my count goes up to like 105! woo hoo!

Usually the biggest sign of low platelets (thrombocytopenia) is what you mentioned- not knowing how you got a bruise. So, I would definitely mention it to my Dr. Perhaps you have had it all along? Usually the low platelet count is picked up during routine CBCs, though.

Good Luck!
Posted 8/22/2007 2:30 PM (GMT -6)
Hemophilia carriers do exhibit some symptoms of hemophilia as a general thing (did a bunch of homework on it a while back), and I exhibit a good many of them. Female hemophiliacs, much like spontaneous hemophiliacs, are RARE, but not unheard of. One thing medicine teaches you is that there is no such thing as "never."

My platelet counts when I was getting CBCs done for imuran use were fine. In fact, up until I had my first flare, my platelet counts were always on the high side of normal for a female. Then, with the flare it went into the toilet, along with a lot of other stuff. Since recovering though, counts haven't been an issue.

I've just always been curious about this, because it seems to be a really common side effect for Crohn's meds. I know that bruising can indicate platelet trouble, but what that is indicative of, in turn, has always left me wondering. And, after a while, I get sick of not knowing and I just kinda snap. Unfortunately, with the end of my AmeriCorps contract looming in the next few days, I've had more time to sit and think on these things than I have in the past.
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