Bulging Veins

[Angela37]

I wasn't sure where to post this question. I'm a 37 year old female. I've been to a few different doctors over the past couple of months and still don't have answers about this.  The veins in my feet and hands have started to bulge. I've never had this problem before. When I put my hands by my sides, my right hand especially, feels like someone has cut the circulation off from my arm and the veins stand up really quickly. The same with my right foot. The left sides do this to a lesser degree. When I'm in warm/hot temps the right foot and hand get really bad. The toes on my right foot turn really,really red and the veins in that foot stand up really badly and my foot feels swollen.  This started about two months ago. The onset was very sudden and painful. This may be lengthy but I'll try and explain;

In mid June my calves in both legs were aching badly for no apparent reason. Then I started to get muscle twitching in my calves and feet. The twitching then went up my legs to my thighs, then to my arms. I was then getting stabbing pains in both legs and arms. Then my feet and hands felt swollen but didn't look swollen. Then the veins on the underside of my arms looked really,really blue (I'm fair skinned). Then I noticed that the veins in my right foot were VERY noticeable. Like someone peeled back my skin and you could see EVERY vein. It's still like this.

I've never had veins that stand out on my hands and feet. And it's painful to hang my arms by my sides. Like I said, it feels like the circulation has been cut off.  Going out in the heat is MISERABLE. I avoid it. But now it's starting to affect me in the house where there is plenty of A/C.  I also get pain in my temples. Mostly in the left temple where I can feel a vein bulging at times. This is also a new bulging vein..it was never there before all of this.

I've been to a Neurologist, Cardiologist and a Vascular Surgeon (he worked at a cosmetic vein center) and a few E.R. docs and I'm not getting any answers. The heart doc. ran tons of tests. My heart is great. The Vascular doc did a quick ultrasound of my legs and said they were good and the Neurologist did a bunch of blood work and found that I have very low Vitamin D. Low was a 20 and mine is 12. So, I am now on high doses of Vit.D. starting yesterday. I had an MRA done this past Friday and am awaiting those results.

Does anyone have ANY idea what this could be? Could the low Vitamin D have caused this??
I also take Oxycodone for severe pain. Can that cause my veins to bulge out like this. I've only been taking it for about five months.

[snowbell12]

Were you ever able to find out what was causing your bulging veins. I have the same problem as you except for it is on and off. The days my veins are bulging is when I am extremely tired. I had low vitamin D levels too but not extremely low. Mine was at 25.

[Genoluvsjesus]

I have the same thing did anybody ever figure it out?

[sewlyme]

Well, I was just resesrching bulgimg veins and came across this. I also have all the same symptoms, and I am also CDC positive for Lyme Disease, so maybe that has simething to do with it. I have had Lyme long-term, so it's chronic. Don't trust the Elisa test if your Dr has given it, or even their Western Blot, they are mostly false negatives, mine was too. Igenex in California tests many bands, get your test there or through another recommended facility. You need to find a LLMD, a Lyme Literate Medical Dr.   As the above poster mentioned, use ILADS to search for a Dr.

[bt1974]

I have had similar symptoms with the left side of my body showing bulging, painful veins in my calf and arm. With either limb, if I elevate it above my head, blood drains out to the point where the veins collapse and appear as indentations on my arm.

I have a CDC positive diagnosis of Lyme Disease since June 2012 and am being treated for it by ILADS guidelines. Given your very similar description along with other symptoms that sound like Lyme, you should suggest that to your doctor. If they discount your suggestion, you should find another doctor that will properly investigate it. Lyme currently is a very contentious disease with strong opinions fighting for acceptance and you may have a doctor that believes the "old school" clinical diagnosis of Lyme, which requires a tick bite, a bullseye rash, and flu like symptoms. This is not current information and delaying investigation that you may have Lyme will further her hinder your recovery.

Sorry to have a potentially upsetting opinion but after having been in a similar situation of medical incompetence, it was a relief to actually know what was going on. You may have something else at the root of your symptoms, but you should at least follow this lead. I'd also recommend visiting the ILADS website and reading up a bit. Good luck.

[Angela37]

Hi there,

Where can I read your blog? I've just joined this website and don't know much about it.  The symptoms I've mentioned could by Lyme Disease? With the very visible veins and the bulging veins?

[donjoe341]

Are you an outdoor person? Do you have any outdoor pets or strays you take care of? Lyme disease and other infections like bartonella can cause the conditions that you have. Low vit. D is a classic symtom of having either of these conditions. You can read my journal pages and see what my husband, son and myself have been going through. Lyme disease and many other infections are being ignored by the medical comunity because they are very difficult to test for. I lived with sever pain for years and was labeled with many different conditions. This is something to look into.

[Angela37]

:-) Where are people talking about this? I've googled and googled these symptoms and haven't found any answers.

[Caryopteris]

From googling, it looks like there are at least one or two other people talking about this.