[sjink]

Hi
I banged my shin in February and as usual got the mother and father of all bruises. But instead of healing I now have a large lump with slightly darker skin which GP thinks is Haematoma. It has gone down slightly since I started Lodine (for joint pain) a couple of weeks back but still there, hurts to touch and the skin around it itches like crazy sometimes. I also fell on my knee just after that - yes I am rather clumsy That too bruised black but luckily didn't turn into a haema thnigy. However it did itch like crazy whilst it was there.
Anyone else get this reaction to bruising? Anyone else had a haematoma and if so how long did it last.
Thanks
Sara

 

[pennylp]

Hi Sara,
They can take a long time to heal... I fell down for stairs about twenty years ago and ended up in the hospital for three weeks, with a heamatoma from the top of my leg to my knee...it took twelve weeks before I could walk on it.. and then about a year for it to go away... I am sure yours is not as big as mine was... but it has to break down...
A heamatoma is a bruise... bleeding in the tiussue if I am right... and if you fell hard it could take a while to heal... I have also went to a massage therapist once when I had a very bad bruise on my leg.. she worked on it through massage and by the nextday it was half as big as the day before... I dont know if this helps you...
I hope you feel better real soon...As any kind of heamatoma big or small hurts real bad... take care of yourself and rest that leg and dont fall down anymore

Love Penny

 

[sjink]

Hi Penny
Thank you. Yes my doc said that about the bleeding in tissue. But he also said all he knew is that it would take a lot longer to heal than normal because of the lupus. I guessed it was going to take a while but glad to hear that yours went eventually. Mine is not so big - I walked into the very sharp corner of the dishwasher door which was down so the impact point was not as big as a tumble on the stairs. The brusise spread to 6 inches everyway from that point though, quite alarming. Not too keen on massage as it always leaves me feeling worse for some reason. Thanks again, Sara

 

[Flibble63]

lumps

Sara,
I get these all the time because of taking coumadin and Plavix. Mine take at least 4 months to go away and sometimes the skin stays slightly discolored like a dirty spot forever(I mean that literally). Sorry about your lumpy bruise they are very painful and ugly.
Laura

 

[LBH]

Hi Sara! I have had a few of those myself

Hi Sara! I am new here and read your posting. Sorry you have such a bad lump there and it's taking forever to heal up. I fell off a ladder many years back and got a bad lump on my knee area and it took almost a year to go away. Thought it was a broken bone but it ended up being soft tissue injury! Does not feel good having those! It will probably take some time to heal and I sure hope you get better soon.
You aren't the only one that get's clumsy! I too run into things, fall, bang up against the walls! You name it this Lupus stuff has caused me more headaches than what it's worth!:hehe: Pleasure meeting you!

 

[sjink]

Hi Laura and Penny, it's nice to know I'm not on my own. Yes Laura I suspect I am going to be left with discoloured skin. At least I can hide it with trousers. Thanks again for replying, really appreciate it. Sara

 

[confused1]

Hi Sara, just wanted to add sympathy and hope for good healing, even if it takes a long time.

I always itch like crazy when I get a bruise. Sometimes, my veins itch even without an injury or bruise, just start itching like crazy. Usually in my hands or feet. I haven't found much that helps with that, but I usually put cortisone cream on it. Or sometimes I break off an aloe branch and rub it in. That seems to help most if it's a definite bruise. I actually treat all my bruises with fresh aloe. Maybe it's my imagination, but I think it helps speed healling.

As for being clumsy, don't even bring it up. My husband watches me like a hawk if I'm going down stairs and he's around (since that stupid fall on Christmas day -- the bruising on my face took almost two months to go completely away.) I have been known to fall from a dead stand still. And if my feet are moving, just look out.

Hugs,
Sunny

 

[Clare.T]

Ouch!

I would try arnica cream applied lightly and perahps warm compresses. It is very unusual to do massage on a bruise as it is one of the many local conditions where it is advised against. Get better soon !

Clare

 

[cmfinnis]

Hi
how bizarre - I actually have exactly the same thing at the moment on my shin - from falling over some weeks ago and still a mark and it's all lumpy. ..

I'm on warfarin as well so I don't know if that makes it worse . .. ..

The worse thing is that whenever I wear a dress/skirt someone always exclaim 'OMG, what have you done to your leg!'. Arrggghhhh . . .

Hope it heals up soon

love CAthy x

 

[sjink]

Hi Sunny, thanks for replying.

The doc gave me cortisone cream which helps. I should have thought of Aloe as we have a lovely plant here. I use it for burns. A friend keeps trying to convince me that drinking an aloe prep that she sells might heal me but all those things are too expensive when you aren't working. And I long ago stopped buying the idea that this alternative or that would heal me and then I could go back to work. Having tried that with crazy diets, sensible nutrition, etc. etc. and still been ill. (Although I have to confess sensible eating helps the fatigue).

I fell down the steps in our old house with a tray of hot tea! Much safer now in our flat all on one level. We are both very careful here, as my partner tripped and broke his arm in November. It made for a very difficult time with the previously cared for, me, looking after the carer, him. I flared just as he began to heal, not suprisingly.

Thanks again.
Hope you are having a good day,
Sara

 

[sjink]

Hi Cathy,
I should think Warfarin might make it worse, I bruised worse on steroids than off them. (Thins the skin). Although I have always bruised very easily. I bruised so badly on my arm once that some well meaning person in a cafe asked me if I was alright or if someone was mistreating me!! I ended up explaining Lupus to a complete stranger.

I often wonder what she would have done if I had said "Yes My husband beats me" :hehe:

Love
Sara

 

[sjink]

Hi Clare, thanks for replying.

Warm compresses make it itch worse unfortunately, but cool seem to help. I wished arnica did work as it does for the rest of my family but seems not to with me.
I agree about massage and bruises. I read a long time ago to avoid massage if you have lupus as it can release I think cytokines or similar and could make the lupus symptoms worse not better. I don't like a lot of pressure on muscles or joints it definitely hurts. I have a friend with ME who has the same reaction.

Sara
x

 

[ceba]

I too have a lump from a bruise and it will be 2 years this month that the injury occurred on my shin. It is still discolored and there is a tiny lump left under the skin. I found that after about a year that rubbing the lump with some lotion to massage it helped to make it smaller. But it was too painful to massage for a lont time. It is still rather ugly to have this discoloration. The doctor said it was probably a bone bruise. I think time is all that can help these things. I bruise very easily and it seems like since I have started Plaquenil that the bruises are very painful, almost like they are "electrified" when lightly touched. I have mentioned this to the rheumy but she doesn't think much of it. Is there any side effect to the Arnica? Hope you feel better.

 

[sjink]

Ceba, sorry late replying been off the board got very fatigued and then very busy catching up on things. Arnica should be OK and not hurt. You could test it on a tiny part of your skin on the inside of your wrist. My haematoma itches more when I am not feeling as well, general inflammation. As to Plaquenil not sure as I cannot take it perhaps you could ask under a different question and see if you get any replies from those who do take it. Sara