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Bruise turned into rash
I had blood draw a little over a week ago. The site turned into a large dark bruise approx. 3 inches across. The bruise turned to the characteristic yellow a few days ago, and was almost completely gone. Today, I noticed itching where the bruise had been, and I now have small raised itchy bumps exactly where the bruise was. I put cortisone cream on the rash; however, it burned quite a bit, and the itching is pretty intense. What would cause a bruise to turn into a rash when it heals?
This is hilarious that so many people have the same problem and doctors have no clue what it is, and in fact routinely misdiagnose it! I have always bruised easily, but only over the last couple of years (approximately since I turned 50) have some of worst bruises developed an itchy rash as they have healed. As so many have pointed out, it develops as the bruise is healing, and it is exactly where the bruise is (same outline) and nowhere else. The first time I had this, it was obvious to me that the bruise (or the healing of the bruise) had produced the rash. Also as so many have mentioned, the rash resembles a poison ivy rash. This has happened to me 2 or 3 times over the last couple of years. It's never occurred to me to put anything on it--I just assumed it would eventually disappear, and it did, although it took longer than I expected--couple weeks? But based on what I've read here, I would imagine that Benadryl might help if it really is some sort of histamine reaction. I will also try the Bactine method, since one commenter had great success with that. And I will also try various methods of trying to get the bruise to dissipate more rapidly. I never bothered to do this before, since the bruises disappear on their own. But possibly doing this would help prevent the rashes. (FYI, I suspect that heat--i.e., the heat of a shower--helps the bruise to heal faster; probably anything that stimulates the area) I do wonder if it is connected with being a woman entering the menopause stage. Anyway, I never comment on boards, but I had to chime in with my own experience because--again, as so many have pointed out--it's great to discover that I'm not alone with this bizarre little phenomenon : )
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I had a very similar experience, I'm female and 54. Back in 2007, at 42 yrs old, I slipped and fell and ended up with my entire left bottom cheek as a deep bruise, as it healed it turned into a rash on the outer edges of the bruise. That went away within a few days but then my back developed a rash, very shortly after.
For over a year and half that rash covered 90% of my back. The doctors I saw, a rash specialist, a dermatologist and my GP, all told me it was not possible for a bruise to become a rash and then move from my buttocks to my back. They said there was no way my fall had nothing to do with it.
My entire life changed that day. I went from eating so much cheese, and other dairy, that my husband would kid that I was part rat. I ended up seeing an allergy specialist a few months after this fall, in 2007, with the other docs poo pooing my fall/bruise/rash theory and found out I had developed a severe caesin protein allergy overnight...meaning all dairy was now my enemy. I completely stopped eating any dairy, cold turkey. This meant no lunch meat and no fresh ground meat, as they are usually injected with caesin as a preservative. Also had to stop eating anything that came in a package that I was not 100% sure of the ingredients listed. I guess health wise this wasn't such a bad thing. I also decided to stop drinking soy milk, which I was drinking a lot of at that time. With the diet changes the rash began to heal immediately but never really completely went away. I finally figured out this year, that I can no longer have red wine since most of the wine makers use a mixture that includes caesin to filter it. Since 2007, I had only been completely 100% rash free for probably 100 days, as it still comes and goes. This could be due to more food allergies that I haven't figured out yet.
Now here we are in 2020, after stopping the red wine back in Jan, I've finally been completely rash free for probably one full month. Unfortunately, now a new bruise/rash incidence has occurred. I just had a horrible bruise on the outer forearm that was extremely painful and as it's beginning to heal I'm developing a rash again. The rash appears on the upper and inner forearm not on the bruised area itself.
I'm going to continue reading through this site in hopes that I will be able to figure out if there has been any kind of medical diagnosis or remedy. It seems after all these years the doctors would have figured out something by now.
BTW, when I had the rash over my entire back, I would wake up with severe itching due to the heat buildup because I am a back sleeper. No amount of any kind of creams would help. The only thing that helped was to run the hair dryer over the rash area for just a few seconds. The heat would make it feel like I was scratching the itch really, really hard (OH SO GOOD) but once the heat of the hair dryer was removed, the itch would completely disappear. This was my makeshift way to get back to sleep in the middle of the night. I got this idea from an article I read by Dr Weil, years ago, who suggested running very hot water over a rash to bring the histamine to the surface. I think he was referring to poison ivy in the article. Anyway, the hairdryer was a more reasonable method in the middle of the night. If you try this, just don't actually burn your skin. It only takes a few seconds to get rid of the itch.
For over a year and half that rash covered 90% of my back. The doctors I saw, a rash specialist, a dermatologist and my GP, all told me it was not possible for a bruise to become a rash and then move from my buttocks to my back. They said there was no way my fall had nothing to do with it.
My entire life changed that day. I went from eating so much cheese, and other dairy, that my husband would kid that I was part rat. I ended up seeing an allergy specialist a few months after this fall, in 2007, with the other docs poo pooing my fall/bruise/rash theory and found out I had developed a severe caesin protein allergy overnight...meaning all dairy was now my enemy. I completely stopped eating any dairy, cold turkey. This meant no lunch meat and no fresh ground meat, as they are usually injected with caesin as a preservative. Also had to stop eating anything that came in a package that I was not 100% sure of the ingredients listed. I guess health wise this wasn't such a bad thing. I also decided to stop drinking soy milk, which I was drinking a lot of at that time. With the diet changes the rash began to heal immediately but never really completely went away. I finally figured out this year, that I can no longer have red wine since most of the wine makers use a mixture that includes caesin to filter it. Since 2007, I had only been completely 100% rash free for probably 100 days, as it still comes and goes. This could be due to more food allergies that I haven't figured out yet.
Now here we are in 2020, after stopping the red wine back in Jan, I've finally been completely rash free for probably one full month. Unfortunately, now a new bruise/rash incidence has occurred. I just had a horrible bruise on the outer forearm that was extremely painful and as it's beginning to heal I'm developing a rash again. The rash appears on the upper and inner forearm not on the bruised area itself.
I'm going to continue reading through this site in hopes that I will be able to figure out if there has been any kind of medical diagnosis or remedy. It seems after all these years the doctors would have figured out something by now.
BTW, when I had the rash over my entire back, I would wake up with severe itching due to the heat buildup because I am a back sleeper. No amount of any kind of creams would help. The only thing that helped was to run the hair dryer over the rash area for just a few seconds. The heat would make it feel like I was scratching the itch really, really hard (OH SO GOOD) but once the heat of the hair dryer was removed, the itch would completely disappear. This was my makeshift way to get back to sleep in the middle of the night. I got this idea from an article I read by Dr Weil, years ago, who suggested running very hot water over a rash to bring the histamine to the surface. I think he was referring to poison ivy in the article. Anyway, the hairdryer was a more reasonable method in the middle of the night. If you try this, just don't actually burn your skin. It only takes a few seconds to get rid of the itch.
I am also a bruise to rash victim. For me it took a week for the rash to appear, then it was raised at the edges and hot and itchy.
From the posts from 2009 I have surmised that the doctors do not know exactly what the problem is. But, each of us can find "our" own cure and try to stick to it to eliminate discomfort.
Possible Cures: (Summary from previous posts)
-We are alergic to the healing process, take a antihistamine.
-a Billiruben reaction is occuring and possible sun exposure could help.
-Natural remedies could work, Coconut Oil
-Precription creams could work
In my case, I bruised, got a rash a week later, a week later, after getting short lived relief from Benadryl Extra Strength Itch relief spray, very little relief from a precription topical corticosteroid, no help from the precription anti-fungal, I came across this site.
I took 2 generic 25mg Antihistimine tablets and overnight the rash was 75% gone and there was no itch.
Thank you everyone for posting. I have found my cure and will use it asap with future rashes that come up after a bruise.
I won't be going back to the Dr. until this cure for me is no longer working.
From the posts from 2009 I have surmised that the doctors do not know exactly what the problem is. But, each of us can find "our" own cure and try to stick to it to eliminate discomfort.
Possible Cures: (Summary from previous posts)
-We are alergic to the healing process, take a antihistamine.
-a Billiruben reaction is occuring and possible sun exposure could help.
-Natural remedies could work, Coconut Oil
-Precription creams could work
In my case, I bruised, got a rash a week later, a week later, after getting short lived relief from Benadryl Extra Strength Itch relief spray, very little relief from a precription topical corticosteroid, no help from the precription anti-fungal, I came across this site.
I took 2 generic 25mg Antihistimine tablets and overnight the rash was 75% gone and there was no itch.
Thank you everyone for posting. I have found my cure and will use it asap with future rashes that come up after a bruise.
I won't be going back to the Dr. until this cure for me is no longer working.
I THOUGHT I WAS LOOSING MY MIND .I HAD TO BIG BRUISES ON MY LEGS THE BRUISES STARTED GOING AWAY AND NOW A RASH IM GOING TO THE DOCTOR ON THE 4TH A HEMOTOLIGIST ILL FIGURE IT OUT ND LET YALL KNOW.
Strange that you say this. I have a nasty bruise on my arm from intravenous which is starting to fade but two days ago I developed a terrible rash which is like an allergic reaction. I have not seen the doctor about it but yesterday I had a call from my nurse practitioner telling me that my ana test came back positive and I need to be seen by an internist for more testing .. could this all be related? .. and should I see a doctor about this rash over my bruising?
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