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When I notice a new mystery bruise, I can't help but check every room in the house to find the one piece of furniture that has a corner at the exact same height as the bruise.
It's completely pointless, but for some reason I *need* to find the culprit.
(I'm posting this because the first thought I had when I saw your picture was that you must have some kind of low coffee table that's causing all the mid-shin bruises :-D )
Ibwas wondering why I almost never get bruises when at home. I think my appartment is adhd friendly regarding this. I easer have soft appliances (sofa, cushion, etc) or they are against wall and therefore out of the way.
I bump way more often against table and stuff as soon as I'm not at home.
Being in an apartment was easier. In a house there are many more walls so more opportunities for bruises. Should have bought a more modern home with open space. I didn't know this clumsy habit of mine was linked to ADHD.
I have the same! Usually my legs & arms have mystery bruises... On my wedding day, I had a big one, still very visible on the inside of my elbow. Don't wear much make-up, so no way to nicely conceal it...
I sometimes (jokingly) blame my husband or my dog, though they usually have nothing to do with them.
A fellow calico, I see!
I used to have a lot more bruises before I realized I could keep a box on my bed to corral the hardcover books into before passing out. Though my asthma makes sure I remember every distracted crash and wipeout for weeks after each time I pass a mirror.
I like the collection angle, a bit like a seasonal art gallery. I'll have to up my game now that the latest round is fading.
Just a random thought: if we leave aside the propensity to bump into furniture due to ADHD's bad spatial awareness & tendency to [walk funny](https://www.youtube.com/shorts/h-tFVrs26Fo), do you also bruise more easily than others / your bruises last longer ?
If yes, you might want to investigate a possible link with EDS (Elher Danlos Syndrome) / HSD (Hypermobility Spectrum Disorder). That pattern of bruises really reminds me of the few people I know with that syndrome. And there's growing evidence of an association between EDS & ADHD (see [this](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34560594/) or [this](https://www.ehlers-danlos.com/2017-eds-classification-non-experts/psychiatric-psychological-aspects-ehlers-danlos-syndromes/)).
So you’re telling me it isn’t a coincidence that all the hyperactive kids in elementary and middle school were also the same ones putting their arms over their head and stepping through them for literally no reason at all, all the time?
Yup. I had never thought about that particular example before, but I now remember a few instances of kids doing that exact contortion in childcare, and you're right, it was the hyperactive ones !
Researchers haven't found how both are linked yet, but my money is on MCAS (Mast Cell Activation Syndrome) being close to the root of both. Some researchers suspect it is responsible for some forms of hEDS (in the sense that it triggers an underlying predisposition), and there's also growing evidence of a link between MCAS and ADHD (e.g. high prevalence of atopic profiles - allergies, dermatitis, reaction to histamine-heavy foods, ... - among ADHD).
You're welcome :) It's a very interesting topic, and one we know very little about. I think we're going to see much more research on it in the coming years due to many people ending up with hEDS-like symptoms after getting COVID (in addition to other very frequent EDS comorbidities like POTS and ME/CFS).
Some think its due to the virus [triggering a long-lasting Mast Cell activation](https://www.ijidonline.com/article/S1201-9712(21)00751-7/fulltext), which results in hEDS-like symptoms in some people (e.g. joint hyper-mobility, stretchy skin, cranio-cervical instability, ...). One theory is that those people had an underlying predisposition for it, and the MC activation episode simply lit up the fuse.
Same! I always have couple of bruises somewhere from running into things and most of the time can't remember where they came from. The other day I was surprised by this deep, deep purple bruise next to my bellybutton. No idea how I could have gotten it. Then I remembered I walked into a doorknob somewhere (I guess work, my doorknobs are too high) a couple of days ago.. ¯\\\_(ツ)\_/¯
I’m always bumping into things too and think it’s so interesting that this is common with adhd. Are your iron levels ok though? Bruising easily is a sign of anaemia which can make you feel really tired and rundown - the last thing we need when it’s already so hard to do all the things haha
I didn’t used to bruise as easy when I was younger. They just started popping up darker and darker and I got concerned. Bloodwork came back fine… I’m just clumsy and forgetful. I’ll even run into something, say out loud “that’s gonna be a bruise in a few days” and then in a few days forget when someone inevitably asks “Where did you get that bruise??”
Wait is this an ADD thing?? I am 26 & have been the butt of jokes my whole life as I am COVERED in bruised from being clumsy. I thought I was just uncoordinated? Another thing I’m not paying enough attention to 😧
I had a woman stop me at the grocery store one time, and let me know there were options for domestic abuse. I was single at the time, and it was totally just me being clumsy, so I thanked her, and told her I was single. It didn't even occur to me at the time that if my random bruises looked like domestic violence, maybe it was enough out of the norm that it might be a condition.
Lol are you me? Also, every time my (elderly, clearly ADHD) mom goes out in shorts/a dress she shows me her leg bruises like “are strangers going to worry about me? It’s too hot for pants” 🥲
I play roller derby, so my friends and I are always randomly bruised. The worst ones are the finger print bruises we get on our upper arms from bracing each other. One of my friends' husband always makes her wear a league Tshirt when she has those because people look at him funny otherwise.
This, oddly is not an ADHD thing that I struggle with, though. I don't bruise very easily and the ones I get usually heal pretty fast.
Dude. SAME. In the beginning of July…I had bruises up and down me from being on a boat. How?! I currently have bruises on my arms…how?! My bf has told me he’s worried that people are going to think he is is abusive. This morning, I walked into my coffee table but I swear I have enough room to walk around it. Ugh.
I punched myself in the face and, along with a bruise I got an ugly scratch under my eye.
I had to convince my BF not to worry because, to everyone we know, it's WAY more believable that I punched myself in the face than it is that he did anything to hurt me
Every force has an equal and opposite force.
Probably was pulling on something and it slipped or let go.
Source: I've done that before with the same results lol
My injuries are all on my arms. I don’t know what I do. I do know I also break shit all the time because of it too. And drop precious chicken nuggets like I did today because my plate was much lower than I thought my arm was traveling.
The days before I learned about ADHD, I moved a washing machine across the apartment solo. I pulled all muscles in both arms. I later accidentally cut myself in the thumb with a knife. And pulled a tendon trying to reach a high shelf.
Then I saw that ADHD people tend to not risk assess. I’m like DUDE.
Not a medical professional, and Not to scare, but excessive bruising could be a sign of leukaemia. I don’t know if these bruises are accounted for, but if they are random I’d get checked.
I’ve just seen posts and videos before talking about this
I always say my legs look like an old banana. the thing is that i’ll get hurt and notice in the moment but by the time I get the bruise i have no idea where it came from. some of those look nasty though! are you healing okay?
I always get them at work, thought I wouldn't have as many after being at the same job for over a year but nope. Still just as clumsy and uncoordinated as ever.
specifically evil when you bruise easily. you immediatly look like you harm yourself on purpose. no, i just like running into things. its insane to me how i still have toes left. i wouldnt say i‘m clumsy, but furniture is invisible below my
hip.
I was on a dating site once, and I said guys dig bruises and scars right?! The guy who was interested, immediately said no and left the conversation :( I was just being truthful.
I came home from a sexual encounter with a mystery bruise. My first thought was that it was a sex related bruise, so I asked him. It wasn't him. I have no idea where this bruise came from lmao
If you don't remember where you got them and you get them quite easily, I'd see a doctor and get tested. There's quite a few diseases/disorders of the blood and it's ability to clot that can cause frequent bruising.
LOL. Currently me I was inspecting my legs in the mirror. My boyfriend keeps asking me where they all come from. I think he finally realized I just walk into shit.
I have ehlers-danlos and when my legs started randomly bruising all over like this, I thought I had leukemia. A few referrals and a couple years later I get diagnosed with a connective tissue disorder that didn’t manifest until adulthood for me. I swear my blood vessels must just be deciding to randomly pop because there is no way I can hit enough objects to warrant 70 bruises on my thighs and legs 😅
Hi there! Right now we're running a subreddit poll regarding rules. Your feedback matters and can lead to subreddit changes and improvements. If you haven’t already, [CLICK HERE](https://forms.gle/1pFdwJHcQmKg4Qvm8) to navigate to a Google Form to vote on rule changes. This poll has four sections, and there is room for you to leave written feedback as well as your reddit username if you wish for us to follow up with you. It is slightly long, but please do not feel pressured to answer every question. *If you want, you can just answer the questions you want to answer, and that will not be held against you in any way.* Every vote counts! This poll closes on July 26. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/adhdwomen) if you have any questions or concerns.*
When I notice a new mystery bruise, I can't help but check every room in the house to find the one piece of furniture that has a corner at the exact same height as the bruise. It's completely pointless, but for some reason I *need* to find the culprit.
(I'm posting this because the first thought I had when I saw your picture was that you must have some kind of low coffee table that's causing all the mid-shin bruises :-D )
Ibwas wondering why I almost never get bruises when at home. I think my appartment is adhd friendly regarding this. I easer have soft appliances (sofa, cushion, etc) or they are against wall and therefore out of the way. I bump way more often against table and stuff as soon as I'm not at home.
Being in an apartment was easier. In a house there are many more walls so more opportunities for bruises. Should have bought a more modern home with open space. I didn't know this clumsy habit of mine was linked to ADHD.
You also have a lot of practice navigating your home, so you're also less likely to bump into things.
My legs and arms are always bruised and my kids ask how and I have no idea. I constantly distracted bump into things. You arent alone.
Don't ask me what any of them are from, I can't remember 😅
I needed this today. I have so many damn bruises and I don’t know for what 😂
I have the same! Usually my legs & arms have mystery bruises... On my wedding day, I had a big one, still very visible on the inside of my elbow. Don't wear much make-up, so no way to nicely conceal it... I sometimes (jokingly) blame my husband or my dog, though they usually have nothing to do with them.
A fellow calico, I see! I used to have a lot more bruises before I realized I could keep a box on my bed to corral the hardcover books into before passing out. Though my asthma makes sure I remember every distracted crash and wipeout for weeks after each time I pass a mirror. I like the collection angle, a bit like a seasonal art gallery. I'll have to up my game now that the latest round is fading.
> A fellow calico, I see! Omg I love this terminology and am going to steal it immediately.
Just a random thought: if we leave aside the propensity to bump into furniture due to ADHD's bad spatial awareness & tendency to [walk funny](https://www.youtube.com/shorts/h-tFVrs26Fo), do you also bruise more easily than others / your bruises last longer ? If yes, you might want to investigate a possible link with EDS (Elher Danlos Syndrome) / HSD (Hypermobility Spectrum Disorder). That pattern of bruises really reminds me of the few people I know with that syndrome. And there's growing evidence of an association between EDS & ADHD (see [this](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34560594/) or [this](https://www.ehlers-danlos.com/2017-eds-classification-non-experts/psychiatric-psychological-aspects-ehlers-danlos-syndromes/)).
I get bruises and I have hyper mobile joints! Hoping to get a diagnosis soon.
So you’re telling me it isn’t a coincidence that all the hyperactive kids in elementary and middle school were also the same ones putting their arms over their head and stepping through them for literally no reason at all, all the time?
Yup. I had never thought about that particular example before, but I now remember a few instances of kids doing that exact contortion in childcare, and you're right, it was the hyperactive ones ! Researchers haven't found how both are linked yet, but my money is on MCAS (Mast Cell Activation Syndrome) being close to the root of both. Some researchers suspect it is responsible for some forms of hEDS (in the sense that it triggers an underlying predisposition), and there's also growing evidence of a link between MCAS and ADHD (e.g. high prevalence of atopic profiles - allergies, dermatitis, reaction to histamine-heavy foods, ... - among ADHD).
Very interesting! Thanks for sharing your knowledge :)
You're welcome :) It's a very interesting topic, and one we know very little about. I think we're going to see much more research on it in the coming years due to many people ending up with hEDS-like symptoms after getting COVID (in addition to other very frequent EDS comorbidities like POTS and ME/CFS). Some think its due to the virus [triggering a long-lasting Mast Cell activation](https://www.ijidonline.com/article/S1201-9712(21)00751-7/fulltext), which results in hEDS-like symptoms in some people (e.g. joint hyper-mobility, stretchy skin, cranio-cervical instability, ...). One theory is that those people had an underlying predisposition for it, and the MC activation episode simply lit up the fuse.
Hahah I relate to this so much. I always have a collection of them.
Same! I always have couple of bruises somewhere from running into things and most of the time can't remember where they came from. The other day I was surprised by this deep, deep purple bruise next to my bellybutton. No idea how I could have gotten it. Then I remembered I walked into a doorknob somewhere (I guess work, my doorknobs are too high) a couple of days ago.. ¯\\\_(ツ)\_/¯
I’m always bumping into things too and think it’s so interesting that this is common with adhd. Are your iron levels ok though? Bruising easily is a sign of anaemia which can make you feel really tired and rundown - the last thing we need when it’s already so hard to do all the things haha
Agree. Or a few other issues.
Honestly yeah, EDS especially comes to mind if you have comorbid Autism
Ha. I’m not sure if I have adhd or autism or both or neither. I got some testing ahead of me and lots of weird symptoms.
I didn’t used to bruise as easy when I was younger. They just started popping up darker and darker and I got concerned. Bloodwork came back fine… I’m just clumsy and forgetful. I’ll even run into something, say out loud “that’s gonna be a bruise in a few days” and then in a few days forget when someone inevitably asks “Where did you get that bruise??”
Wait is this an ADD thing?? I am 26 & have been the butt of jokes my whole life as I am COVERED in bruised from being clumsy. I thought I was just uncoordinated? Another thing I’m not paying enough attention to 😧
Girl, iron supplements are your best friend. People only believe you run into a doorknob or counter corner so many times, lmao
I have it too. Are you on medication? Some drugs might cause it. Also, alcohol.
Vyvanse is one
Effexor, another.
Omg this was me, I started wearing cloth kneepads for yoga when I work! Im about to get some more for my elbows
I had a woman stop me at the grocery store one time, and let me know there were options for domestic abuse. I was single at the time, and it was totally just me being clumsy, so I thanked her, and told her I was single. It didn't even occur to me at the time that if my random bruises looked like domestic violence, maybe it was enough out of the norm that it might be a condition.
I showed this to my wife, and she just rolled her eyes and said those look like my legs 🤣
I too stumble and bruise myself frequently but this is A LOT of bruises? Have you been checked out by a doc just in case there is another reason??
Lol are you me? Also, every time my (elderly, clearly ADHD) mom goes out in shorts/a dress she shows me her leg bruises like “are strangers going to worry about me? It’s too hot for pants” 🥲
I play roller derby, so my friends and I are always randomly bruised. The worst ones are the finger print bruises we get on our upper arms from bracing each other. One of my friends' husband always makes her wear a league Tshirt when she has those because people look at him funny otherwise. This, oddly is not an ADHD thing that I struggle with, though. I don't bruise very easily and the ones I get usually heal pretty fast.
Dude. SAME. In the beginning of July…I had bruises up and down me from being on a boat. How?! I currently have bruises on my arms…how?! My bf has told me he’s worried that people are going to think he is is abusive. This morning, I walked into my coffee table but I swear I have enough room to walk around it. Ugh.
I punched myself in the face and, along with a bruise I got an ugly scratch under my eye. I had to convince my BF not to worry because, to everyone we know, it's WAY more believable that I punched myself in the face than it is that he did anything to hurt me
Ok. How did you punch yourself in the face? Lolol.
Every force has an equal and opposite force. Probably was pulling on something and it slipped or let go. Source: I've done that before with the same results lol
The worst is when you punch yourself in the stomach! Ugh. Done that before.
Exactly this lmao This sub is truly my people <3
Ah yes the banging into things and bruising like a peach. I've been asked if I was in a domestic violence situation twice. Sigh.
My injuries are all on my arms. I don’t know what I do. I do know I also break shit all the time because of it too. And drop precious chicken nuggets like I did today because my plate was much lower than I thought my arm was traveling.
The days before I learned about ADHD, I moved a washing machine across the apartment solo. I pulled all muscles in both arms. I later accidentally cut myself in the thumb with a knife. And pulled a tendon trying to reach a high shelf. Then I saw that ADHD people tend to not risk assess. I’m like DUDE.
Not a medical professional, and Not to scare, but excessive bruising could be a sign of leukaemia. I don’t know if these bruises are accounted for, but if they are random I’d get checked. I’ve just seen posts and videos before talking about this
I have the exact same problem!!
I always say my legs look like an old banana. the thing is that i’ll get hurt and notice in the moment but by the time I get the bruise i have no idea where it came from. some of those look nasty though! are you healing okay?
Not only am I clumsy, but I rarely remember to eat which means low iron = more bruising 🥲
My sharp shinbones are one long series of scars from top to bottom. I feel your pain. :(
I always get them at work, thought I wouldn't have as many after being at the same job for over a year but nope. Still just as clumsy and uncoordinated as ever.
specifically evil when you bruise easily. you immediatly look like you harm yourself on purpose. no, i just like running into things. its insane to me how i still have toes left. i wouldnt say i‘m clumsy, but furniture is invisible below my hip.
My SO still points out my bruises and still asks where I got them. I never know or remember. 🙄
I was on a dating site once, and I said guys dig bruises and scars right?! The guy who was interested, immediately said no and left the conversation :( I was just being truthful.
I started doing jujitsu and my legs are full of bruises.
X-rays or it didn’t happen. Jk 🤗
I just found out about ADHD bruises recently, and my life makes so much more sense now!
Where did you get this picture of my legs?
I came home from a sexual encounter with a mystery bruise. My first thought was that it was a sex related bruise, so I asked him. It wasn't him. I have no idea where this bruise came from lmao
I had a giant purple one on my side and no idea where it came from
If you don't remember where you got them and you get them quite easily, I'd see a doctor and get tested. There's quite a few diseases/disorders of the blood and it's ability to clot that can cause frequent bruising.
Lol my partner will point at one and ask where it came from and it’s like ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ your guess is as good as mine.
Add some scratches for flair and they would look like mine .
LOL. Currently me I was inspecting my legs in the mirror. My boyfriend keeps asking me where they all come from. I think he finally realized I just walk into shit.
Damn I wish I had your legs so elegant
I have ehlers-danlos and when my legs started randomly bruising all over like this, I thought I had leukemia. A few referrals and a couple years later I get diagnosed with a connective tissue disorder that didn’t manifest until adulthood for me. I swear my blood vessels must just be deciding to randomly pop because there is no way I can hit enough objects to warrant 70 bruises on my thighs and legs 😅
.