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!
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.
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!
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!!
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.
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.
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).
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!