Looking for thoughts

so I have been getting nonpalpable purpura on my fingers for about 4 or 5 years. At first I thought I was hitting my hands and not realizing it, then determined that probably was not the case. (After about a year and a half, lol) I would get one the day after taking ibuprofen, tylenol or zantac. So I stopped taking those. Then I have made the connection that if I take an exercise walk where I get out of breath - I get a purpura the next day. I got one after pulling weeds (out of breath) last Saturday - but had pulled weeds for several weeks being out of breath and had not gotten one. I just gotta pull weeds.

No to bleeding gums or nose. When I cut myself - no excessive bleeding. A definite oddity is that when I hit myself on filing cabinets or something like that I get no bruise at all.

I get one single reddish/purplish irregularly shaped design on my finger at a time. (Well I have had 2 or 3 - like when I didn't realize it was the walking), but I don't get these massive amounts on the legs - or any on the legs like on google pics.

I drink a lot of coffee, eat a lot of blueberries and spinach - read those thin the blood.

If I had ITP I would bleed a lot and bruise at least normally wouldn't I. Not just these purpura that come and go.

Thanks for your thoughts.

Do the red spots feel hot or itchy? Maybe google 'vasculitis' and see if that fits, there are a few different kinds. I get it on my palms.
Erica

The only way to know if you had ITP is to get a CBC.

I agree with Eric though, there are other causes of purpura-looking skin.

Have you been diagnosed or are just searching the web for explainations for brusing and purpura?

Have you had your doctor run a CBC (Complete Blood Components) test? It measures red blood cells, white blood cells, platelets, etc. Thrombocytopenia is low platelets which can have lots of causes. The diagnosis of ITP (Immune Thrombocytopenia Purpura) comes after most of the most common causes are eliminated.

While Ibuprofen and asprin can impact platelets, they have a greater impact to the clotting factors sequence and it's iteraction with the platelets. I'm not a medical professional in any way, so take this with a good dose of sceptasism, but I'd be more likely to suspect circulation issues with your symptoms of getting out of breath and the fact that you notice the bruises on the extremities like the fingers. When was the last time you had a full cardiac work-up?

no, I already went through the vasculitis thing - that is palpable, raised.Or at least from what I have read.

I had capillaritis, a sort of minor vasculitis and it looked just like petechiae except it was itchy.

You can't diagnose ITP on your own. You need a blood test to diagnose it. No doctor would diagnose ITP by just looking at a rash. It would also be unusual to get petechiae on the hands first. I only get it there when my count is at 1 and everywhere is else is covered with petechiae first. What you have could be anything from chilblains to allergies.

You didn't say how old you are. Now that I'm in my forties, a good brisk walk, which I do too seldom, forces circulation into my fingertips, and they swell like sausages for a while. (Obviously, I need to walk more and get my circulation into better shape.) Folks who are prone to petechiae for whatever reason find they go to the dependent areas, like around the ankles, where circulation can swell capillaries. It doesn't surprise me, then, if a person prone to petechiae would get them on the fingertips after a good exercise or when bending down pressing the fingers around weeds. As for why you have petechiae, you need a doc and probably a CBC. Good luck.
Norma