Ok so about two months ago on February 19th while doing my nightly yoga I noticed my veins on my legs were bulging quite big. I had just taken a garlic extract supplement called allimax which is a garlic extract about an hour before. (I took it in order to hopefully try and fix some of my ongoing gi issues) While slightly alarmed, I knew garlic was a vasodilator and figured it'd be fine in the morning. It was not. They were still bulging. But even so, I figured it might take a while to get out of my system and laced up my boots to get my day going. It hurt. My feet and ankles were in pain. Not a crazy amount but definitely uncomfortable. I figured it'd get better throughout the day but it did not. Over the next couple of days and weeks, the bulging veins remained and even seemed to get worse. After about two weeks i noticed a big vein on each bicep bulging. Soon more veins started appearing around my bicep and the veins on my forearms multiplied like crazy. Mind you, my legs were completely smooth before this. I've always been skinny and a little bony but not veiny like this. I had a couple of arm veins visible before like 2 or 3 on my forearms but not like twenty plus. They even spread to my hands and feet as well. I cannot not even wear any of my socks as they feel uncomfortable tight and leave marks behind. Had to switch to diabetic socks and can only wear loafers. The pain ranges from aching to sharp to burning. My heart is easily stressed by even moderate activity like going up the stairs or briskly walking for any length of time. At times, my veins appear bright blue and are almost glowing through my skin. As you can see from some of the pictures, there appears to be some bumps in veins. Also, there appears to be larger lumps under my skin. Additionally, when i raise my arms or legs , my veins empty and leave sunken depressions in my skin that almost look like dry river beds. It also seems my skin has thinned as well and I can see my muscles and tiny bones more visibly. It's almost as if my veins and skin simultaneously thinned out and thus the blood is damaging the veins? When I run my hands over them I can feel the ridges on my skin. Also my skin on my chest, back, and upper arms will often feel hot to the touch. I myself don't feel hot but the skin does. Now for some background, I am 31M, 5'8", usually weigh between 115-105 lbs, don't smoke or drink, and not on any medications but was trying out different supplements for increasing motility/digestion and am now taking supps for increasing vein health (which funny enough is slightly helping with digestion) I get sick more than most and have had covid 2 or 3 times at this point. I have low c3, a history of leukopenia, raynauds, brain fog and chronic fatigue. I was vegetarian for about 15 years, pescatarian for a few and just last year started eating meat again. Once I did start eating meat, i'll admit I started eating more junk/fast food. This never increased my weight though as I have had digestive issues for many years and problems with early satiety. I'll also admit that I was not drinking enough water perhaps as I would get extremely bloated not only from food but even drinking water which is the only drink I drink. I've had pelvic and hip pain for over a year and have been in various physical therapy programs. The day before the sudden onset, February 18th, I had a particularly intense pelvic floor session where the therapist was really "up there". I had also noticed that the night before particularly the feet veins started bulging (so a couple weeks after initial symptoms) I put a heating pad on my legs and went to sleep as it was very cold. When I woke up, the feet veins were looking fucking crazy and have continued to look fucking crazy. My heart has weakened over the last couple of years with seemingly sudden dips in ability. Whereas two years ago I was able to longboard for hours and even go to the sauna, now my hearts pounding after 1 minute of either. A couple of other things to note: a couple of weeks after the onset, I had ate a meal from Popey's and a couple of hours later had a hot shower, and afterward I believe I had phlebitis. (look at the picture 5 and tell me what you think) I also tried wearing compression socks one day and after taking them off that night and putting my feet up, I got the worst vertigo/headache of my life. That lasted about a day and a half but was so intense I couldn't hardly move for that time and had to rely on people to bring me food. As far as tests I've had done since all this happened, I've had a d-dimer (negative), ultrasound to check for dvt (negative), ultrasound to check for cvi (positive), and ecg (normal) Anyway, please let me know what you think could cause such sudden, basically overnight vein bulging. I'm extremely worried and of course my confidence and self image have been obliterated. I haven't seen anyone in the cvi or varicose vein groups looking this bad and especially with such a sudden onset. Any insight would be much appreciated.
I am 99% sure I have may thurner but I’m terrified to get a ct with contrast so I’m waiting to get a pelvic iliac ultrasound and then am hoping to just schedule an ivus straight away regardless of what they find. The past few weeks my left leg selling has gotten worse I even have some swelling on the bottom of the foot and when I got out of the shower today I had a mild temporary loss of sensation when I pressed the left ankle. And could see a mild skin color change. I am so terrified of permanent lymphatic damage. I’m also terrified to get an IVUS. I likely have EDS also. My left GSV reflux is greater than 3 seconds which is severe and I have new right femoral vein reflux. .lI’m just venting. I wanted to go to MIPS but my insurance doesn’t cover it so I’m seeing a local doctor since I’m limited to WA doctors but l’m just so scared he’s gonna hurt me more. Anyone know any good WA doctors? And also like, how common is permanent lymphatic damage. This started over a year and a half ago but the swelling has only been the last month or so but seems to be getting worse fast
I’m a 31F recently diagnosed with the above by a vascular surgeon after an exam and ultrasound of my legs. I do have mild swelling and visible (but not bulging) veins and a few spider veins in my legs. I would say I have a little bit of heaviness of my legs, but no actual pain. My surgeon recommended a vein ablation of my GSV on my left leg and a recheck in a couple of months on my right leg because it would likely need an ablation soon too (I’m not sure of my numbers). I wear compression socks most days (and have for years, I’m an RN) and am now focusing on a more anti-inflammatory diet, lymphatic drainage massages, dry brushing and elevation of my legs. My question is - if I’m not in pain yet and my current complaints are mostly cosmetic if I’m being honest, should I wait until I have more symptoms before getting the ablation? I’m worried about complications and I’m not sure if now is the right time. Any advice would be appreciated.
A few weeks ago I (26F) suddenly developed pain and swelling behind my left knee that went away after a few days, but I saw that I had developed some varicose veins behind my knee in that time. Went to the ER they thought it was a SVT that had resolved itself after a few days. I went to a vein specialist they didn’t think it was a SVT but found that one of my superficial veins (idk which one but it looks like it’s located on my left inner thigh) has a reflux rate of 0.68 sec. I have never had circulation issues or symptoms of it before except for maybe cold hands and feet but I was taking a birth control for a couple weeks that apparently people have reported can cause these venous insufficiency issues and I immediately got off of it. Sometimes I get pain around that vein in on my thigh but I started getting that pain after it had been diagnosed so I’m not sure if I’m being anxious over it or not. A blood clot is literally my worst fear and I’m honestly afraid. So, I ask: is a reflux of 0.68 bad enough to cause symptoms? Could a blood clot develop? I know this condition just keeps getting worse and that absolutely kills me to know. I wear compression stockings up to my lower thigh but they’re only 15-20 mm/Hg and I plan to get some. My insurance won’t cover a venous procedure until I’ve managed my symptoms conservatively for at least 3 months, so I have a long way to go. Any help is appreciate, thank you.
Hello,
Is it possible to detect MT in an MRI without contrast? Or would this miss any compressions?
Hello,
I’m a 27f, and have had some strange left leg symptoms. My left leg started acting up about a year ago. Both feet would get very red after hot weather and alcohol. (Blood vessels dilated) and it would cause bright red swollen burning feet. But it was rare and would be episodic.
Fast forward to a couple months ago I started to notice that my left foot toes were always a bit more red than right, and when I walk or do chores my left leg aches and feels sore and right behind the knee. Where now I’ve also noticed some veins popping up. My foot is always a different color now, and I’m waiting for a venous ultrasound next week. Also hot showers are HORRIBLE for my feet now.
I had a scan done at the ER and I have no DVT.
Blood work showed extremely low Vitamin D so I’m taking high dose supplements to fix that.
Here’s a pic -
Anyone else have these symptoms?
Has anyone experienced new pain months after vein ablation? Even if you had no pain (excluding normal healing pain) for months after the procedure?
I have deep system reflux/chronic veinous insufficiency and previously had visible varicose veins in my right leg. I had a radio frequency vein ablation almost 10 months ago and experienced routine pain afterwards which had subsided. I had vein stabs done to remove the varicose veins about 6 months ago and again experienced normal pain related to healing for maybe 2-3 weeks post-op. Afterwards, I had no pain in my legs for the last several months.
I began to feel pain in my right leg a week ago and it feels similar to how my leg was feeling pre-ablation. I’ve switched back to wearing thigh high compression socks but I am worried. I’ve talked to the nurse practitioner who I’ve done post-op follow-ups with and she doesn’t seem concerned even though this pain is new.
Has anyone experienced something similar?
Hi! I’m hoping maybe someone has had a similar experience and can help me with this.
I’m 23F and have been having swollen legs from pooled blood, exercise intolerance, lightheadedness and presyncope, fast HR, low BP, etc. All the fun stuff associated with CVI.
I got an ultrasound and it showed severe reflux in both GSV’s in my legs. It also mentioned some reflux in the popliteal and femoral veins but didn’t say how much.
We also did an IVUS and it showed 72% compression of the left iliac vein (May Thurner Syndrome) but zero change in pressure when comparing the pressure right below the compression and right above the compression.
My doc insists that since the pressure difference is 0, then the May Thurner syndrome isn’t causing my symptoms and that it’s solely the GSV reflux so we will only do GSV ablations and no stent for the compression.
To me, that seems too coincidental to be unrelated. How can a vein that has 72% stenosis not be the issue? I’m not a doctor but that sounds like it needs to be stented… am I wrong?
Anything is helpful
I tend to get tired a lot and sometimes even a little lightheaded. More so if I've been on my feet too long or after walking on the treadmill. My feet/calves are often achy/heavy my this point too. When it gets to me I generally take a break and put my legs up, which makes me feel better after about 15 mins or so. The more I push myself the more I feel this way.
And yes, I'm wearing compression socks daily.
Anyone else deal with this sort of thing? I'm trying to figure out if it's more the condition or the medication I'm taking ... or maybe a combination of both.
Hi.. I am 21 age male.
Till my age 19 all was going fine...After that I started masturbation...So I diagnosed with a varicocele(enlargement of veins in testis) on left testicle and done microsurgery 1 year back. In this 1 year I also observed my veins in my both legs are significantly visible... My GSV vein is visible as a long cord from my hip region to toe. Is it a early symptom of Varicose veins. Because I didn't observed this in my childhood till 19 age. In these 2 years, after I gets affected from varicocele, this leg veins appearing... So anyone clear me is it varicose veins or early stage... what should I do now? Guide who have experienced same... It will be helpful
My feet/legs ache just about every morning, but the discomfort goes away once I put my compression socks on. I kinda wish I could sleep in them. These days I keep them on till I'm getting ready for bed.
Sometimes I get breakthrough pain/heaviness (especially after standing too long or after a treadmill walk) and I have to sit down with my feet up for a bit. I get lightheaded periodically and my toes go numb/tingly too.
Is this normal for CVI? Do I need better compression socks? I really don't want to have to do the ablation thing.
Just had venous radio ablation on both of my GSVs. When I came in for ultra sound check in, I let the tech know that I had noticed a vein on my right leg come up since the first one. They have now called me saying I need to come get a shot in that leg and will have to do another ultrasound after that.
I’m 25, relatively healthy, and make an effort to walk almost every day. The whole process has been a little defeating. I’m just wondering if this is what my life is going to look like.
If I were to wear them with shorts, I'd look like an old, retired man. That's all.
I just don't get it. I had one pair and did not like them. No other type of sock seems to come in open-toe models, just compression. Why do people get/prefer open-toe compression socks?
Hi 40m and just got back from the vein specialist, save and gsv in both legs are showing signs of refluxe and I have varicose veins and an svt in one leg. Aside from the svt which is on my knee I’ve never experienced and other symptoms. I’m quite active and have never been overweight. I can’t afford the surgical treatments right now and kind of feel like they’re not really needed considering I’m not in pain really Am I wrong? I feel like the clinic was pushing it but reading online it seems like compression will help but again I don’t really have symptoms so I guess it may help proactively? Also it seems like distance running may aggravate this but also strengthen veins so I’m confused on that. If anyone can recommend some reading I’d be super grateful.
Hi, does anybody know any brand that makes compression thighs with "sandal toes"?
Something like the Falke Shelina toeless thighs? I found Pebble UK but the fabric looks a bit too dark and warm for my skin and the open toe area is a bit too long for my taste.
I would like something a bit more delicate so it's not so obvious I am wearing thighs.
Thx!
I have a consult coming up with my vascular surgeon and an ultrasound. I’ve been cleared for no DBT but just trying to figure out options about pain. Here’s my history
March 2024- superficial blood clot in small vein off saphenous vein- right behind knee. Painful but deemed safe and treated with blood thinners- figured it would go away. Blood clot forms in a verified vein (and I was on birth control and long airplane ride).
One year later pain lingered- I got an ablation of the great saphenous vein- totally deflated the varicose vein.- wore the compression socks. Lost about 20 lbs.
Another year later (present)- I still have pain in the area! Cleared for no Dvt at hospital. So what is it? Is the blood clot lingering and irritating the vein? If I wear compression socks it helps. As a 30 year old female- I’m just frustrated.
Thank you times 100 to whoever reads this ❤️ really it means allot.
My vascular specialist wants me to consider this medication. It's an antidepressant (SNRI) that's used off-label for chronic pain. Anyone else on this?
I looked it up and it appears to have lots of side effects I'm not excited about.
Currently I'm taking low-dose Cymbalta (also an SNRI), which takes the edge off, but doesn't address all my symptoms. I could go up with the dosage, but it already gives me constipation.
Anyway, I'm just trying to figure out what everyone else is doing. Thanks for any input :)
It's been less than a week since my CVI diagnosis, so I'm still learning about all this and hope you all don't mind all the questions.
Today I came across mention of prolonged exposure to excessive heat (hot showers, hot tubs, summer sun) not being great for people with CVI, especially those with varicose veins. But what is considered "prolonged exposure" ... 30 mins, an hour, two? Can't seem to find an answer there.
Would a hot shower be okay if it's quick? I'm always cold and have Raynaud's, so I can't really do cold showers. My showers are probably 15 mins or less anyway.
I don't have varicose veins (yet) but I do have a couple spider veins, does that mean the hot tub out completely for me now, or could I do maybe 30 mins instead of the typical hour or more?
I'll ask my doctor about this next time I see him, but figured I'd ask here too.