Bruises: ITP vs Normal Wear and Tear

Sounds silly, but do you all feel like you can tell the difference between an average bruise and a bruise caused by low platelets?
I've been in remission for about a year and a half now, but still taking warfarin due to LA/blood clot in my brain, so my legs have consistently been bruised. I got back from a cruise over the weekend with a deep and nasty bruise on my shin that keeps growing and... I don't know, it feels different.

Already had a regular monthly CBC scheduled for Friday so I guess I'll find out then, but I just wanted to see if it was just me that thinks some bruises just feel different than others!

I don't take any notice of bruises at all. I only wonder about counts when I get petechiae and then I would only bother to get a blood test if I had petechiae on my feet. I know then that I'm in the under 10 range. Oh and blood blisters on my lips. That would tell me I need to treat.

beaky some say that ITP bruises do not hurt and those that are are an owie do. I pay attention to bruises because I looked like I had been beaten in a back alley with a 2x4 when I was diagnosed - also had petechiae on legs & torso.

I used to tell myself "remember that just ran into the counter and will get a bruise" but I never did remember so I don't do that any more.

Guess the lesson is - if you think there's something to be concerned about get a count. Hope your count is good Friday!

I can see the difference in "normal" type bruising and the bruising from low counts, especially really low counts.

My 18 yo daughter is a rough kid, a kind of "bull in a china shop." She has bruises in general, for her life is a contact sport. :laugh: Under 20,000 they become more widespread. Under 10,000 the bruises become more widespread and petechiae come into play. She was >5,000 for a couple months and at that point it was really bad, she looked like a cross between a prize fighter and a hockey player. The bruises were darker and more pronounced. Petechiae widespread. And she ended up with a black eye from fooling around with the dog when he caught her in the face with a paw. I actually have some pictures. Thank goodness the worst of it was in the cold weather since long sleeves and jeans cover a lot...

My low count spontaneous bruising looks very different from ordinary bruises. There is no form to it, just irregular shaped messes. I'd forgotten about that but it was how I was diagnosed, because my GP saw these irregular shaped marks on my upper arm and suggested a blood test. My count came back as 4 and was the start of everything.

I remember my two bruises I got and then diagnosed with ITP were really very dark.

I just posted a question about purple/blue marks look like bruises but are not, and thought they could be broken veins or something, started to get them when I started Steroids and never really went away, some you can feel a bit like a tiny lump, but even when counts are high even in 200's I got a few new ones. I started to panic at first and thought here we go a drop in my count, but it never was, but then when my counts were at 2 I got like 2 burple bruise like marks on my wrist - but those disappeared.

If you're on a blood thinner, the ITP norm probably won't apply to you. Many people on blood thinners who don't have ITP bruise easily.

However, my low count bruises were large and black. By large, I mean fist-sized. I never worried about little yellow ones or even a few smaller purple ones. ITP bruises also didn't hurt, like Melinda said.

You also have to take your INR into account, not just platelet counts.

Sandi, What is the INR? I was just reading through about bruises, because I have a new large, painful one on the back of my leg. I honestly think I got it from sitting on the edge of a student's desk at work yesterday, because I remember it hurting to sit like that. The thing is, this bruise is more purple. And I have no other spontaneous bruises or other symptoms to think my counts are low. They were 122 Saturday. When I'm in my 30s, I get large bruises as well, but those are bright blue and black. So while I'm not scared from this one, I am concerned because I feel I should not bruise that easily just from that, especially at higher numbers...

INR blood testing or the International Normalized Ratio is a test that is done in combination with other tests known as the PT or Prothrombin Time and PTT or Partial Thromboplastin Time. The primary reason for performing these tests is to find out the ability of blood to be able to clot. The results derived from conducting a PT test differs in their values because of the tissues that are added to the blood sample as the manufacturers of these tissues are different. Blood tests INR helps in resolving this problem by giving a uniform and standardized result even if the test is carried out at a different location. Each of the manufacturers gives an ISI value to the tissue factor that enables them to compare to a sample that is internationally standardized.

www.medicalhealthtests.com/blood-tests/inr-blood-test.html