hardened veins and bruising

[ChocolateButton]

Can someone please reassure me about something that won't stop bugging me?

Since having a cannula (?) in my hand on Friday/Saturday I've developed a very sore, bruised arm. There is a lump on the back of my hand where the needle was in, and the vein just next to this is very prominent and hard to the touch, so much so that I can sort of 'roll' it under my fingers.

Also I have a very sore bruised feeling further up my arm, just about at the crook of my elbow, on the inside, and again if I touch the sore bit I can feel the vein which also is hardened and feels solid / tight.

When I was at the GP yesterday I did ask her (cos it hurt when she took my blood pressure) and she said the vein was hardened from having the cannula in but she didn't look very closely at it.

Today though, the bruising has spread such that most of my forearm now hurts, and I can see a line of green bruising along the middle of my forearm (between the sore spot at my elbow and the sore spot on my hand) not yet connecting the two areas, but heading that way.

I know the GP wasn't concerned but lying here in the house on my own, with the bruising getting worse, is just fuelling my fears about blood clots (I'm wearing compression sock things that the hospital put on but I was told you can get clots in your arms too).

If anyone else has ever had this hardened vein thingy after a cannula I'd love to hear from you, just to put my mind at rest that this is a somewhat normal occurrence.


(I didn't post this in my de-realisation thread as it isn't related to that so I thought it best in a new thread - hope that's the right thing to do).

[Fishmanpa]

I'm a survivor. You should have seen my arms and hands after treatment. It was especially worse toward the end... Totally normal.

Positive thoughts

[Carys]

I think, to be honest, that I'd ring and speak to the practice nurse/ask for a GP call back. If it is getting worse and is concerning you, then that would be sensible. I've had canulas and just had a small local bruise on the back of the hand and nothing as severe as you are describing, right up the forearm to the crook of the elbow. I'm NOT saying its a blood clot, so don't panic, but I think maybe take some medical advice to just put your mind at rest? I've heard of other vein conditions following IV drips and chemo, like inflammation (phlebitis) and I think it would be good to have it checked.

These are the questions they should ask you, or check if you have any of these symptoms associated with your fear of DVT....

Swelling, usually in one leg (or arm)
Leg pain or tenderness
Reddish or bluish skin discoloration
Leg (or arm) warm to touch

[ChocolateButton]

Fishmanpa - thank you for the reassurance, much appreciated

Carys - thanks for the info - from your list of symptoms I don't really have any of those - my arm isn't swollen, it's not reddish or bluish, not warm to touch, it is tender but only cos of the bruising.

It's a green line of bruising, not much wider than a vein width if that makes sense, and although it's intensely painful, I know that due to my underlying conditions I feel things more painfully than others (and things hurt that normally should just feel uncomfortable) so there's that.

I'm gonna try ringing the health centre though, hubby has just confirmed it might be a good idea. I'll update here.


EDIT
Couldn't get through to health centre, line engaged, so I rang the local chemist instead and spoke to the Pharmacist. She said it sounds normal at the moment, bruising can take a few days to come through. She said if it gets worse, redness/bruising all around my arm or goes higher than my elbow, to contact the GP.
So I don't need to worry for now

[Carys]

Good, glad you rang for a bit of advice, saves sitting there worrying doesn't it. Maybe you are just a very sensitive person

[Carys]

How you doing Chocolate Button ?

[ChocolateButton]

Sorry I've not been on, just updating me threads now

Arm is still sore and still bruised but the good thing is it hasn't got any worse so I think it should be fine, given time.

I hadn't really thought about it until perhaps yesterday (as my brain has been 'on vacation' as you know ) but as I have Ehlers Danlos Syndrome (EDS), which is a connective tissue disorder, it's possible, or maybe even likely, that my veins might be a little bit sensitive (as you put it Carys!) because of that, and because I'd never had an operation before I would never have known.

Does that make sense?

I'm often discovering new things that seem to be connected to the EDS and perhaps this is just one of them. I am, as I know from past experience, a slow healer and my veins roll around when nurses try and put needles in, so there's that.

Anyhoo, just wish the bruising would go away cos it is extremely (can we swear on here? ) painful.

Oh and again thanks for all the responses

[Carys]

Ahhhhhha, yes, that seems a pretty good assumption to make that your extra sensitive response could be due to that. Someone else on here was talking about EDS...I'd never heard of it until then. Glad its not getting worse, therefore it can only get better