Petechia - tiny red spots - mainly on arms (burst blood vesels)

Periodically I notice this symptoms of mine, and then dismiss it.

For about 4-6 years ive had these, on my arms, gradually more on more. I have quite alot now.

Here is wikipedia's article about it:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Petechia
The picture isnt a good representation because it is also of purpula.

It may have nothing to do with my ME, but i just started to wonder, because it started about the same time as the ME and has got worse along with it.
Anyone else got the same symptom, or know anything about it?

Dang, boy, your illness sounds more and more like mine every time you post!

Yep, I've got those tiny red spots on my arms. For me they started one summer and tended to show up where sunlight touched my skin -- forearms, legs, and a v-shape on my chest. The ones are the arms have been persistent for a number of years now, although the others come and go. I had one doctor call it a rash, maybe related to HHV-6, but I'm not sure he really knew what he was talking about.

If you ever figure it out, let me know.

Hi snowathlete and SOC, Petechia is found in a lot of different conditions some of which are very serious, I would recommend following the advice in the wiki article and go and see a dermatologist, your average GP is not trained in recognizing these kinds of things, and you are likely to end up with a stupid diagnosis like, its a rash!

These sites have lists of disease that have petechia as a symptom and you can add other symptoms to narrow down the possible cause http://en.diagnosispro.com/differential_diagnosis-for/petechiae-petechial-rash/33826-154.html and http://symptoms.rightdiagnosis.com/cosymptoms/petechiae-all.htm

All the best

At least we arent alone SOC. Misery loves company and all that.
I'm going to show my GP this week. I expect she will wave it off. If and when i go to the breakspear, i will be asking them to take a look at it aswell.

Because ive had it so long, it rules out some of the more serious illnesses listed in the Wiki page, but its well worth looking into those others that remain i think. Its not Something causes it.
Thanks rlc for the links, im going to check those out.

Will post if i discover anything.

I got small reddish purplish spots ever since my CFS got bad last year. They are about the size of a pencil point so I don't know if they are the same as what you have. I don't have a lot but they are on my arms and chest mostly. I have a good dermatologist but haven't managed to make it in to his office. If I do I'll post here if I find out anything. I'm not sure if my spots are the same as what you all have though, but it definitely coincided with my other symptoms worsening.

I have them too, mostly red.

Ive have them too, small red spots on my forearms. Ive had them so long, since i was a teenager, that i never really thought
them to be serious really.
Ive only ever had one Dr ask about them, and when i told him how long id had them, he wasn't interested after that.
They don't itch, they aren't painful and so ive ignored them.

Sounds the same. Mine are more red than purple, but apart from that.
They may be nothing , but its interesting that alot of you other people have them too. Ask your healthy friends and relatives, if they dont have them, but we do then maybe there is something to it.

This is a common complaint on the Lyme/Co-infection health forums as well. If I remember correctly, I think they usually attribute it to Bartonella.

Hi, i have some of these but only individual ones, no clusters apart from some have been appearing on the end of my nose and cheeks.
These can be a symptom of Lupus, lupus does share many symptoms with M.E/CFS and can be very difficult to diagnose. If you have other organ involvement (eg kidney problems, lung problems) dry eye issues, rheumatic pains or joint swelling then you should really have testing for lupus (although even then you can be negative for the tests, many with lupus spend years looking for a diagnosis)
I'm not being alarmist, its just that i have become very interested in the similarities and the possibility that i may have lupus rather than M.E (im off to the GP next week)
Another possibility is that if M.E is an autoimmune disease then it makes sense that we share symptoms with other autoimmune diseases.
all the best.
Justy

I have those too. Got a wave of them when I really hit bottom with this illness. Like somebody poked me with a pinpoint a pile of times, mostly on my arms and upper legs. Little dots of blood all over, except there was a tiny invisible layer of skin still covering them. My doctor just said they're very common so not to worry about them, but the timing of my getting them was awfully suspicious not to be connected. I know there's lots of talk about our blood vessels being constricted more than usual sometimes, perhaps to compensate for other issues. My guess was that maybe it had something to do with that? I would guess they're not serious in and of themselves, but it seems like they could be a clue to what else is going on in there.

I also sometimes have periods of very easy bruising, and (rarely) where if my skin is pressed on too hard, a bunch of capillaries in that spot will burst (looks like a hickey). The info that came with my genetic test results suggested that this might be the end result of taking in too much sulfur for my body to handle. I had wondered if that could be related to the petachia too. Apparently it can cause a glucose 6 phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency that causes problems in recycling glutathione and makes red blood cells, etc. more fragile and prone to rupturing. They suggested reducing sulfur intake (meat, cruciferous vegetables, some supplements, etc.), and possibly adding in NADH. Might be worth a try.

Thanks for the replies everyone.

I soon will be testing for Bartonella and Lupus, so will be interesting to see what comes up.

I do have slightly high liver enzymes and very dry eyes, and hot knees and pain there, though not much swelling.

I agree Justy, it would be crazy not to check these things, because the pronosis is better with them if you can identify them, still not brilliant perhaps, but alot better than ME.

I see my GP this week, and will be asking for some tests. Whatever i cant get i will be having done at the Breakspear.

And thanks Sparrow for that, i had noticed that you mentioned this in relation to genetics tests in another thread. Interesting indeed.

If anybody finds anything useful, please post. My local medical options are limited. We have a mega medical monopoly that is majorly into "evidence-based medicine". Unless you have flu, cancer, or something that's been around for a hundred years, they're worthless.

I was tested for lupus (negative), lyme (negative), RA(negative) when I first got sick 6 years ago. They won't test again since those are "already ruled out".

I have these as well.
I thought I was the only one!.

They are red , much smaller than the wilki photo. They are the size of pin pricks or pencil points.

With me they also appeared exactly when my M.E started.
All my conventional blood tests are "fine". (of course they would be.)

I once went to see a top panel of FOUR doctors - including an immunologist for my allergies ( rhinitis+ sinusitis). While I was there I asked them about this, because I wondered if it might be caused by allergy and thought maybe they'ed know what it was. They had no idea and were honest enough to say so.
I then asked a skin doctor and he looked at my blood tests, heard I had M.E and fibro and shrugged it off.

So there you are 5 different doctors have not known or shrugged it off.

I have been suspicious about this rash for years beacause of the way it appeared together with this illness but I thought I was the only one who had it until now.

It does not hurt or bother me so I live with it.

When I next contact my CFIDS group I'll ask them about it.

It will be strange to discover another hidden symptom that's common.

Hi,
I have tiny pinprick, and slightly larger, red dots all over my arms (and probably elsewhere too). There are hundreds of them, if you look closely enough. There don't come and go, but are there all the time, so I think mine are cherry angiomas.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cherry_hemangioma

take care, ness

Justy this really interests me. When I was first having bad symptoms I though I had lupus. I had what to me seemed to be the butterfly rash on my face and other symptoms that suggested lupus. I'd love to hear more if you find out anything. I will ask my rheumy about this again next time I go also. The person who ruled out lupus from my testing was a different doctor than I see now so I will ask my current doc about it.

Hi Ocean, it is possible to have serum negative lupus - not very commen, but it does happen. Ive spent some time hanging out on a lupus forum and its amazing how similar some of the symptoms can be for some.

Went to the Doctor, waited an hour even though it was a pre arranged appointment, not sit and wait. Went in with a list of stuff, after the second, she said "last one then." and i said, "no, ive got three more things, ive been in here 3 minutes, and waited an hour."

she let me go through them but made me feel very rushed, so i didnt remember this one. Or my lightheadedness.
So i will have to make another appointment for that.

Yeah, they're teaching them in med school to deal with no more than 3 symptoms per appointment. First, for time management; second because people with more than 3 symptoms are hypochondriacs and shouldn't be encouraged.

It's a real pain for those of us with ME because we routinely have more than 3 symptoms (don't we wish) AND it's hard for us to get out of the house to see our PCP/GP anyway, so having to schedule multiple appts to deal with 8 symptoms is not feasible for most of us.

I dunno about the rest of you, but I've gotten to where I have a ME/CFS specialist to deal with my major ME issues and use my PCP for the most critical immediate or non-ME issues, and live with a lot of things most healthy people would complain about. Another rash? Yeah, whatever.... Joint pain? Ah, I'll discuss it with my specialist in 6 weeks if it doesn't go away.

SOC - that is EXACTLY the way i have to deal with things too!