Enlarged veins in my legs

[tommy]

Hello everyone,

This is a new thing for me. I have mutiple veins that are enlarged and pushing up under the skin on my lower legs. There is no pain, and no other symptoms. They are not obvious, but can be seen and felt. My wife discovered them a week ago. I hadn't noticed.

I feel fine. Just spent a week in the mountains with family. Managed to run 15 miles and hike/walk another 15. Altitude slowed me down, but I feel great.

INR has bounced around a bit since Lovenox bridge (colonosopy) in June. Highest was 3.6. Lowest was 2.2.

So what is the deal with the veins?
What causes this?
Is it my running program?
Is is age related?
Is it related to the colonoscopy?
Can it be treated?

I'll call the PCP tomorrow.
Any thoughts in the meantime?

 

[Harrybaby666]

Hi There Tom

Hi There Tom

Hi There Tom,
Just had a thought..If those veins in the leg are really enlarged AND curly, it could be what they call vericose veins. You might want to have it looked at, as I have it in my legs and they told me to watch out for "hard spots", and if I discover one, to get to the doctor's office as soon as possible because it could be a clot forming in the vein. I hope this helps, and I hope that everything goes well when you do have it checked out. Take Care, Harrybaby666

 

[epstns]

Ummm. . . could it just be that with improved muscle conditioning and reduced subcutaneous body fat that the veins have enlarged to supply blood to muscles and are just more visible? I've always had visible veins in my arms and legs, and always thought it was just because I was thin.

 

[tommy]

Good news

Good news

I met with my PCP this morning. Yes, I have varicose veins. Theses are the ropey kind, not the spider veins. The one-way valves in the veins break down, and the blood pools a bit, enlarging the veins. It's possible that my harder muscle tone and reduced fat has made the veins more obvious - they may have (probably) been there for a while.

On a scale of 1-10 my PCP ranked mine a 2. At this point, this is merely a cosmetic condition. So, it's a bit of a false alarm. There is no need for treatment and I am in no pain. Also, there is no color to these veins.

They are made worse by long periods of standing on your feet, constipation, pregnancy (not me ), and being over weight. These are not the deep veins that typically cause clots. Anyway, I'm already taking Coumadin, so I should be fine on the clotting issue. Exercise helps keep the blood flowing.

I'm relieved that exercise and weight loss are encouraged to improve the symptoms and/or delay the progression (the progression includes pain ). Drinking lots of water also helps me stay regular. I don't plan on getting pregnant anytime soon either. High support socks may help also. High heels are a "no-no" .

If it gets worse, there are several treament options - some that don't require a scalpel or general anesthesia.

Here's a couple of helpful sites that I found.
http://web.ukonline.co.uk/ruth.livingstone/little/varicose.htm#what
http://www.mayoclinic.com/invoke.cfm?id=DS00256

 

[Raverlaw]

Tom,

I vote with Steve and suspect that your recent weight loss and muscle conditioning have just made the condition more visible. Maybe you should just take advantage - you could start shaving your legs and oiling up! Then you'd look like his honor, the Governor of California!

 

[tommy]

Bill,

I think there is something to that. But shave my legs and oil up?
Actually the leg hair hides the veins pretty well.

Some of the visible veins are not knotted up and spongy. They are from increased blood flow requirements of exercise.