Blueish lip!

[LuSmith]

Hi there,

It's been a while since I've been down this road, but here we are again. A couple of nights ago (early Sat morning) I woke up to go to the toilet (and was also quite cold from the chilly room - although it was 20 degrees in the room still) and while there noticed part of my lip was a purple/blueish colour. I did the stupid thing of googling thinking it might just be a simple bruise and obviously "Dr. Google" gives the worst case scenarios, so cue me worrying like a fool for the next whole day.

I borrowed an oximeter (oxygen saturation reading thing) from a neighbour to test my oxygen levels since it's said blue lips are a sign of cyanosis and my oxygen levels seem fine. I've measured it a number of times since then and it's always above 95 at least. However, after contacting the doctor this morning I got the dismissive reply of it potentially being because of the cold and would go away when I'd warmed up (spoiler alert: it hasn't gone away yet ever since it happened). They also suggested it could be Reynauds, which I checked and am fairly sure it can't be considering this is something that happened out of the blue. It also says to contact your GP if you're over 30 and get these symptoms, so it's no good just not giving me any answers. Since they did a blood test a month ago which came out fine (minus borderline low iron ferretin of which I'm now taking feroglobin anyway) they said the blood seems fine and there shouldn't be any issue. But it was a month ago, so my brain is just constantly ruminating the worst!

Honestly, I do seem to have quite bad circulation since my hands and feet get cold regularly, and I probably sit far too much (especially lately) but I can't honestly find anything that gives a reasonable explanation that isn't something serious. One example was also heart failure which scared me as I have highish cholesterol so you can imagine I start thinking the worst!

Anyway, not really sure what to do from here. Am waiting for the doctor to get back to me again as I didn't even get to speak to them on the phone (they sent a message through the app and closed the query so I couldn't really ask if I had any questions). For the meantime I just keep trying to distract myself! but has anyone had blue lips or anything that have gone away after days and that wasn't anything to worry about?

[venusbluejeans]

Don't google!! The more you look at things then the more you will think there is something to worry about. The more you look at it, the more you will see things and the worse things will look.

Basically, you need to try your hardest to ignore it, stop looking at your lips. the more you do look at them then the more you will see things that may not actually be there or as bad as you think! but to be honest, I think you know that.

[LuSmith]

Update: I was supposed to get contacted by the doctor some point yesterday, which didn't happen in the end. After calling them to enquire they assured me someone would contact me this morning, which also didn't happen, instead I got a text from a doctor repeating a site regarding the cyanosis diagnosis which again sent me into a spiralling frenzy instead of actually helping me. I called back the doctors and said I wanted to speak to a doctor on the phone instead, and now I have to wait until tomorrow afternoon for someone to (hopefully) get in touch.

Anyway, the blue/purple colour is still very apparent. The doctor (and this site they directed me to) kept stating it would go once I had warmed up but it hasn't at all! This has led to my downward spiral of somehow landing onto google (despite knowing it's bad to) and discovering that my dry chapped red lips (aside from the blue bruised patch) could be now a condition of something called actinic cheilitis, which in my head means I definitely have it. (Mainly because all the symptoms point to this, and I wanted to get reassurance from the doctor that I don't have this but unfortunately have struggled to even talk to them)

I've broken down once today with anxiety. I was doing so well the past year and it's very much concerning me! The easy days of being able to go to the doctor and show them the issue and get an answer there and then have gone for now :( I'm really struggling.

[LuSmith]

So I've been having some concerns the last week or so and my anxiety has hit a new level again, which is obviously very stressful! For the past week I've had some stressful symptoms that have been sending my thoughts to all kinds of places!

Last Sunday I noticed my lips were blue/discoloured, but also it looked like there was a very dark blue or purple discolouration in one corner, and then the rest of the upper lip is quite grey/blue, especially when I apply pressure. I hadn't put two and two together at the time but a few days before that I'd had a bad shoulder and arm pain, that had been bothering me quite a bit. Since then the arm pain has returned, and it hurts when I apply pressure to it and when I breathe. I'm sure it's worse when I'm overly anxious or stressed and I get a bit breathless at times (which is possibly due to anxiety) which also gives me chest pains. The last few days I notice my fingernails get blue from time to time. This happens especially when I wake up and when I'm cold too.

But because the blue colour and the pains haven't gone in over a week now, I'm beginning to worry it's something more serious such as a heart problem. Heart issues do run in my family (not my mum, but other relatives) and so I can't completely rule this out but the doctor hasn't been taking me seriously. I spoke to them and they just disregarded it, sending me a link on cyanosis (which only made health anxiety worsen since it says it's not a benign condition and I should get it checked out ironically lmao), and also said it could be reynauds... but as far as I'm aware reynauds comes and goes and the blue usually goes when warmed up, which for me is not happening on my lips.

For the record, I borrowed an oxygen meter from a neighbour and my levels were fine so I'm not sure what to make of it.

I'm just wondering if anyone has had the symptoms before where the blue discolouration hasn't gone away even when warm? Is it possible my arm and shoulder pain is from sleeping incorrectly or bad posture or muscle spasms?

If anyone is able to give me some reassurance as my doctors are useless, a week on and I'm still wanting to talk to someone properly about it!

[venusbluejeans]

This is just a courtesy reply to let you know that your thread was merged with another of your threads.

Please when posting on similar topics add it onto your previous post rather than starting a new one.

It is nothing personal it is just to make it easier for people to follow your story and to give you advice as a whole.

Emmz

[kv21]

Hi, weirdly enough I have been going through a very similar thing recently!

I noticed about a year ago that my lips would sometimes go purple. I've even had people point it out to me. I didn't think much of it to begin with, but my dad kept mentioning it every time I saw him and I started to panic. Like you, I started googling and couldn't find a reason for it that didn't sound terrifying. In the summer last year I rang the doctors and got an appointment.

They did a blood test (came back normal), listened to my heart and lungs (normal), pulse oxygen (normal), pulse oxygen after exercise (normal), ECG (normal) and even referred me to cardiology, but I got a letter back from them saying it's not a concern and there were no further tests needed.

The doctor basically ended up saying it's 'just one of those things'. Which is hard to believe, but I've had to accept it. My lips still turn purple regularly, not just when I'm cold. Sometimes when I'm hot. It's completely random.

I've thought about Raynaud's and decided it could be this, because I do get some of the symptoms in my feet sometimes. But very mildly. In my research about it, it appears Raynaud's can be fairly random and can be triggered by emotional stress (which I have fairly constantly).

I hope this reassures you somewhat! Try not to worry too much. 😊

[LuSmith]

Hi, weirdly enough I have been going through a very similar thing recently!

I noticed about a year ago that my lips would sometimes go purple. I've even had people point it out to me. I didn't think much of it to begin with, but my dad kept mentioning it every time I saw him and I started to panic. Like you, I started googling and couldn't find a reason for it that didn't sound terrifying. In the summer last year I rang the doctors and got an appointment.

They did a blood test (came back normal), listened to my heart and lungs (normal), pulse oxygen (normal), pulse oxygen after exercise (normal), ECG (normal) and even referred me to cardiology, but I got a letter back from them saying it's not a concern and there were no further tests needed.

The doctor basically ended up saying it's 'just one of those things'. Which is hard to believe, but I've had to accept it. My lips still turn purple regularly, not just when I'm cold. Sometimes when I'm hot. It's completely random.

I've thought about Raynaud's and decided it could be this, because I do get some of the symptoms in my feet sometimes. But very mildly. In my research about it, it appears Raynaud's can be fairly random and can be triggered by emotional stress (which I have fairly constantly).

I hope this reassures you somewhat! Try not to worry too much. 😊

Ah thank you for the response! It's somewhat relieving to know that I'm not alone in these things. I've been getting super frustrated today and sent myself in a spiral.. the doctors have given the same shrug-off response and don't seem to want to do anything for it.. so as you can imagine my health anxiety has been a litttleeee bit wild. Did the purple on your lip just stay and not go for a while? I'm concerned a lot because it seems like it's nothing to do with being warm or anything, as I've been warmed up and it still looks like I've been eating a pen haha. This coupled with night sweats over the past few months, and the pains in my arm lately have me absolutely imagining the worst scenarios :(

I'm actually meant to get sent for ECG's every so often as because of the medication I'm on I should be monitored, but due to the pandemic I haven't been able to ask for a check. All I've been able to do is get my blood oxygen checked. Hopefully this is something that will just go away, I've been hoping every day I'll wake up and it won't be there anymore but no luck so far!

I appreciate your reply though, hopefully I can ease my mind a bit and try and keep rational about things.

[Sparky16]

It's not a venous lake is it? That's a harmless blue to purple spot on your lip that is caused by a blood vessel. My sister-in-law has one, which is why your description makes me think of it.

[LuSmith]

It's not a venous lake is it? That's a harmless blue to purple spot on your lip that is caused by a blood vessel. My sister-in-law has one, which is why your description makes me think of it.

ah no i wish it was haha, it looks more like a bruise / broken blood vessels etc.. but it's been there over a week now and hasn't gone and i don't remember a reason for a bruise. tbh though the rest of my lip looks a bit off-colour anyway!

i'm gonna wait on blood results then speak to doctor and see what i can do. Worst part is waking up in the morning as everything looks way worse (including my fingernails looking blue around the lunula!)

coupled with the arm pain i'm a real mess rn hahah

[kv21]

Ah thank you for the response! It's somewhat relieving to know that I'm not alone in these things. I've been getting super frustrated today and sent myself in a spiral.. the doctors have given the same shrug-off response and don't seem to want to do anything for it.. so as you can imagine my health anxiety has been a litttleeee bit wild. Did the purple on your lip just stay and not go for a while? I'm concerned a lot because it seems like it's nothing to do with being warm or anything, as I've been warmed up and it still looks like I've been eating a pen haha. This coupled with night sweats over the past few months, and the pains in my arm lately have me absolutely imagining the worst scenarios :(

I'm actually meant to get sent for ECG's every so often as because of the medication I'm on I should be monitored, but due to the pandemic I haven't been able to ask for a check. All I've been able to do is get my blood oxygen checked. Hopefully this is something that will just go away, I've been hoping every day I'll wake up and it won't be there anymore but no luck so far!

I appreciate your reply though, hopefully I can ease my mind a bit and try and keep rational about things.

For me, my lips will turn purple randomly and then go back to pink after awhile. Sometimes minutes, sometimes hours. It doesn't seem to have any sort of pattern for me.

As far as night sweats, those are common with anxiety! They're also common if you take antidepressants or the contraceptive pill. Obviously I don't know if any of those things apply to you. Is it possible the medication you mentioned has night sweats as a side effect?

And I pretty much constantly have arm/shoulder pain. It's because I'm so tense!! (which I'm sure you are too).

Hope you're holding up okay. I know how tough it is. I've moved on from my purple lips to a new worry these days 🙄 it never ends! 🤣