Just Ask Terry

Terry is happy to provide his opinion on diet and nutrition, supplements and lifestyle choices. This information is for educational purposes only. It is not meant to replace the advice of your physician and is not to be considered medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Should you have any concerns please contact your physician directly.

Q. Dear Terry, “I am 59 years old. For more than 7 years, I have had massive bruising on my arms and legs. I am a registered nurse (RN) and I know that older people can have these issues because of topical corticosteroids and the skin becomes thin, and causes the bruising. For me however, I have had many problems with headaches and took Excedrin and that is where my problem began. I know that Tylenol affects the glutathione in the liver, and is really unhealthy, so I really avoid that. I no longer take Excedrin, but continue to have strange bleeding under my skin from the slightest bump. PLEASE HELP!” —Mary P. Pomona, CA A. Dear Mary, What you are describing could be a symptom of so many different problems, that I truly believe you need to get to the bottom of what could be causing this bruising and bleeding. It could be something simple, or it could be very serious. You must get to the root of the problem so you will know best what path to take to restore your health. These symptoms could be anything from liver or bone marrow illness to anemia to vitamin D deficiency to kidney problems, to name only a few. I hope you will work with your healthcare practitioner to get to the bottom of this, because if the excessive use of Excedrin was the only cause, being off this drug for a few months should have cleared up the problem. There are some supplements you can take that will help make your blood vessels stronger AFTER you find out what is causing your excessive bruising. The capillaries may have become very fragile and allow the blood to seep through, contributing to your problem. There are several herbs that could be of great benefit to heal the capillary fragility. Bilberry Extract is high on the list for improving the strength of the capillaries. I would go to your local health food store and look for a 160 mg or more bilberry extract that is standardized for 25% anthocyanins. Another good choice is to take Blackcurrant extract daily. Either Bilberry or Blackcurrant are excellent choices, but even after the right selection, the next important factor is the time required to restore the strength of the capillaries. While you may see ongoing benefits it will take at least 3-4 months to get the best results. Please contact me after you have more information from your healthcare practitioner, and there may be other dietary supplements that can be of further benefit.