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Bulging swollen veins in hands and feet

Posted , 9 users are following.

Twopies
Twopies

recently I have noticed bulging swollen veins in my hands and tops of my feet.  Sometimes they are tender, sometimes not.  No, it's not heart related because all indicators are fine, no swelling of ankles or feet, just very bulging veins.  Not old age (I'm old but the veins just popped out recently and seem to come and go--old age doesn't vary).  Internet articles indicated that long term prednisone causes the prominent veins--I read it over and over, especially on forums for crohns and ulcerative colitis).

my gp today says its from fluid retention associated with the prednisone--that the more fluid I retain, the more prominent my veins will be...I'm gonna keep track--sometimes I know I'm more puffy than others--and see if this is what's causing the unsightly veins.  He also said it doesn't affect the arteries, just veins.  

Anyone ne else noticed this phenomenon--large veins in hands and feet?  Thanks!

1 like, 13 replies

13 Replies

  • adette01750
    adette01750 Twopies

    Posted

    Hello Twopies,

    yes I have the same problem, even veins up my arm from wrist to elbow have enlarged.

    I am 54 and I put it down to prednisolone but wasn't 100% sure, so thank you it seems like you have answered my question.

    I am on 6.5mg now so I hope it goes away soon, but I can't remember seeing this on the higher doses, maybe it was because I had more weight on then.

    Take care 🤗

     

    • Twopies
      Twopies adette01750

      Posted

      I didn’t have it at higher doses either...I’m at 6.5, working my way down to 6 using dsns.  

      I don’t know about answering your question, just good to know I have another kindred soul out there....

      Today for example they are hardly noticeable, yesterday very prominent.  Will keep track to see if fluid retention is the culprit. 

  • Anhaga
    Anhaga Twopies

    Posted

    This was first noticed by me soon after starting pred.  It was quite alarming.  Still have them, used to it now.  Not tender.  I think they are worse if I'm a bit dehydrated.  

    • Twopies
      Twopies Anhaga

      Posted

      How do you know when you’re dehydrated, other than feeling thirsty?
    • Anhaga
      Anhaga Twopies

      Posted

      I might get a headache.  But I think as we age it's easier to get dehydrated because the thirst thing doesn't register as well any more.  Speaking of which I am about to have a nice long drink of ginger tea now.  But you ask how I know - I guess one way I know now is if my alarming veins are even more alarming!lol

    • Silver49
      Silver49 Anhaga

      Posted

      I didn't associate them being even more prominent with dehydration. I'll monitor that. Thank you, Anhaga. I noticed the other day that the skin on my legs looks like elephant hide. Awful. It doesn't feel like it and it's only because I was moving it with my hands. I put moisturiser on but it seems to have little effect. Ah well, perhaps it would be worse without!!

    • Anhaga
      Anhaga Silver49

      Posted

      I've been trying to figure this out, and I wonder if when fully hydrated the flesh around the veins is slightly more plumped up, therefore the veins are less prominent.  I doubt that drinking more or less water would affect the veins themselves. I always have the veins, and that may be because I lost so much weight in the couple of years before starting pred, and slightly more since, there's simply not enough fat and muscle left to hide the veins.question

      Aging is a real assault on the body, isn't it?  

    • Twopies
      Twopies Anhaga

      Posted

      Except mine come and go...if it were aging or thinning of the flesh, wouldn’t they always look prominent?  Sometimes mine are skinny and thin, visible because I do have loss of flesh, but other times they are unsightly.  Very enlarged, very noticeable. That’s why I was puzzled as to the cause(s).
  • christophe38948
    christophe38948 Twopies

    Posted

    Hi,

    Thank you for your information.

    YES, the bulgy feet I have after two months of using Pred.

    CW

  • EileenH
    EileenH Twopies

    Posted

    Part of the cause of noticeable superficial veins is loss of subcutaneous fat or fluid - both of which will tend to happen as you reduce your pred dose. But another common cause is your skin relaxing and becoming thinner - which happens with pred for some people and also happens when you are warm. The blood vessels also dilate when you are warm or if you let your hands hang down when they fill with blood - the opposite happens if you put your hands in the air.
  • stevep63
    stevep63 Twopies

    Posted

    Hi Twopies. Yes, I get the same. I've noticed it is not so bad and my hands look normal when I go to bed at night. I suppose that using them all day has helped to move the fluid around? It is particularly inthe veins on the back of my hands and on the top of my feet!

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