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What Causes Visible Veins In Legs, Arms And Shoulders?
Question: Hi Dr. My veins have been coming to the surface at different times...legs, arms, shoulders, breasts. They become very vis able. I have been going through some stuff since receiving a flu shot in Feb. to which I had a severe allergic reaction to. I have had rheumatoid arthritis for 15 yrs which has been under control with prednisone, plaquinil, and methotrexate..but the veins , the way they are coming to the surface is of the most concern to me..
Brief Answer:
Most probably the steroids
Detailed Answer:
Hello ma'am and welcome.
Thank you for writing to us.
I understand how this appearance could get your easily worried, but thanks to the detailed history provided by you, I can find at least one major cause for these visible veins. But for your information I shall list all the possible causes, they are:
-Temperature changes (environmental)
-Sudden weight loss
-Thinning of the skin due to causes like the use of oral steroids (prednisone being one such medication that has such a common side effect), etc.
-Low body fat
-Anemia
-Conditions or factors that cause an increase in blood circulation
And a few others.
Please do confirm whether this appearance was observed only after the initiation of prednisone or earlier. From my experience, this is a very common side effect of prednisone, although it is not considered harmful, there is little we can do to reverse the effect, but you could speak to your doctor about the same.
I hope you find my response both helpful and informative. Please feel free to write back to me for any further clarifications, I would be more than happy to help you.
Best wishes.
Most probably the steroids
Detailed Answer:
Hello ma'am and welcome.
Thank you for writing to us.
I understand how this appearance could get your easily worried, but thanks to the detailed history provided by you, I can find at least one major cause for these visible veins. But for your information I shall list all the possible causes, they are:
-Temperature changes (environmental)
-Sudden weight loss
-Thinning of the skin due to causes like the use of oral steroids (prednisone being one such medication that has such a common side effect), etc.
-Low body fat
-Anemia
-Conditions or factors that cause an increase in blood circulation
And a few others.
Please do confirm whether this appearance was observed only after the initiation of prednisone or earlier. From my experience, this is a very common side effect of prednisone, although it is not considered harmful, there is little we can do to reverse the effect, but you could speak to your doctor about the same.
I hope you find my response both helpful and informative. Please feel free to write back to me for any further clarifications, I would be more than happy to help you.
Best wishes.
Note: For more detailed guidance, please consult an Internal Medicine Specialist, with your latest reports. Click here..
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Answered by
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