I'm wondering if anyone else has ever had this problem. My skin is dry, very fragile and itchy, and a tiny scratch will cause bleeding and scabbing and long, long healing times. A couple years ago I broke several bones in my left hand. (I've have RA for 27 years and osteoporosis for many years too.) I've on and off - mostly on - prednisone for 25 years, plus many other drugs.
After the cast on my hand came off I had several spots on my hands that looked like bad bruises. After this, any time I bumped that hand and arm, or had an iv put in, or scratched I'd have more of that bruising until my whole outside forearm, wrtist, and upper arm are covered with bruises that didn't go away. It's like the skin is stained but anywhere there is a scar, it is white, so it is mottled looking. Now my other arm is the same - maybe not quite as bad.
I fell a full year ago on my face and looked awful for months, and not all that bruising is gone either! No doctor has given me an explanation or hope that it will evenually fade away. They just say my skin is "friable". Which I think means "fragile". I feel like a circus freak!
Anyone heard of this?
Kathy Its most likely caused the long term use of the prednisone. I'm suprised your doctor hasn't connected the dots for you. And you are correct that friable essentially means fragile..."easily broken into small pieces"Hi,
Buckeye is probably correct. I have not been on pred. except for one
short-term "pack". Even at that, my doctor told me of all the long-
term potential effects of prednisone, and fragile, thin skin was most
definitely one of them.
She also said that prednisone, in essence, makes your entire body
age faster. So I suppose thinner skin makes sense. I'm so sorry this
has given you so much distress. Hang in there.
Hello. After being on pred (thank heaven I'm not now) for a little over two years there were definite changes in my skin. While I was on pred the smallest cut or scratch would take like whatever seemed to heal though none of the cuts and scratches became infected. My skin tends to be dry to begin with and the truly noticeable side effect of the pred is that my skin aged Big Time. Until I was on pred I was always pleased with the fact I looked at least ten years younger than I was. Now I look older than my age and have resorted to using make-up, which I abhor. However, you do what you have to do.
Your bruising is probably caused by the prednisone. Like you, I've been on pred for many many years and I get a lot of bruises and often wonder where they come from.
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