Purple lips and anxiety

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18-05-18, 05:42
aikoo

Purple lips and anxiety

New here, longtime HA sufferer.
After much work (meditation, affirmation, mindfulness and lifestyle changes) I was able to reduce my HA to a tractable level for a few years.

Suddenly one day I noticed the corners and top ridge of my lips often have a purpleish hue. I did the rounds of doctors, heart and lung tests, bought a home pulse oximeter........my heart and lung health are GREAT, bloodwork normal, check the oximeter about 100 times a day and it's never below 98%.

I've spent hours and hours of googling and can't find ANY explanation for purple lips other than low oxygen, anemia, or Reynaulds. The doctors don't think I have any of these, but my lips are still purple! I'm terrified there is an underlying pathology that is being missed. I feel exhausted and debilitated at the idea of another long, awful bout of anxiety that cannot be resolved by medical means.

Has anyone else experienced a symptom like this, or had a scary symptom with no apparent medical cause?
18-05-18, 12:44
BigPlay

Re: Purple lips and anxiety

Have the doctors said it is life threatening? Does having purple lips change anything? I'm going to assume the answer is no.

Why worry about it - it won't change it! Try to enjoy your life and not focus on things you can't change.
18-05-18, 13:17
Fishmanpa

Re: Purple lips and anxiety

Quote:

Originally Posted by aikoo

Suddenly one day I noticed the corners and top ridge of my lips often have a purpleish hue. I did the rounds of doctors, heart and lung tests, bought a home pulse oximeter........my heart and lung health are GREAT, bloodwork normal, check the oximeter about 100 times a day and it's never below 98%.

And the doctors affirmed that indeed there is a purpleish "hue" or is that your perception? Do people comment on it? What did the doctors say about it? And for your own sanity, ditch the oximeter!

Positive thoughts
19-05-18, 01:53
Shadowhawk

Re: Purple lips and anxiety

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fishmanpa

And the doctors affirmed that indeed there is a purpleish "hue" or is that your perception? Do people comment on it? What did the doctors say about it? And for your own sanity, ditch the oximeter!

Positive thoughts

I will second this recommendation. It became a huge fixation for me, and a major source of (needless) stress (i worried about the color of my lips for a while too). I would literally watch it for hours, and worry about every single dip, and over think the whole thing.