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Erythema nodosum - leg bumps

erythema nodosum - leg bumps

A couple of weeks ago, right before my current flare up, I got these really weird red itchy bumps on my legs. Large ones. I've been reading and looking at pictures and think it might be erythema nodosum. When I talked to my nurse about it (on the phone) she said that the bumps would probably go away with the Prednisone that I was to be started on again anyway, and if it didn't get better I should come and show them the bumps. She didn't give it a name though. As she predicted, the bumps have faded and stopped itching, and now looks more like bruises. Which indicates it is probably erythema nodosum.

I don't like this kind of self-diagnostics, but the hospital kind of don't want you to come unless you really really have to (loooong waiting lists etc). And yes, I know it's stupid not to be persistent when you have questions... I'm working on that. In the meantime I thought it'd be a good idea to ask you guys about these bumps. :)

Is this a "harmless" condition, mostly a symptom of another condition (in my case the Crohn's)? Or should I be worried somehow? Will it get worse and turn into something else, or will it just follow my flare ups and go back when the flare up stops?
 
i've had EN on and off for 4 or 5 years... some milder cases - i.e. 1-3 small bumps that faded on their own, right before joint flare ups...

but my worse case was right after i came off of pred... i still have uneven skin pigmentation on my legs even though i had the EN back in march... it looked like someone beat the crap out of me... it was the worse case of EN ever! i had the bumps all over both of my legs... maybe around 8-10 bumps per leg.

i have brown skin but these bumps were very bright red, quite big and extremely sore... to the point it hurt while i walked.

they eventually went away on their own.

point being, the EN is associated with inflammation, usually you get it before a flare up, and secondly, it does eventually go away... and doesn't turn into anything crazy, other than really sore bumps...

i can see why pred helps to reduce the inflammation...

i haven't had it for quite a few months now. so i hope i'm finally rid of the EN symptom.

good luck!
 
Thanks for your advice! Good to know that it wont turn into something dangerous then. My legs also hurt when walking, not too bad though. Hopefully it won't get worse next time, well, hopefully there won't BE a next time!
 
Very odd this, because I had exactly the same thing when I was 14, two years before I was finally diagnosed with crohns. Bearing in mind this was 1970, nobody had a clue what these were... shame it didn't point them towards crohns a bit sooner. I had one on the front of my shin first... then I had one on the side of my knee, which seemed to throb a lot when I walked any sort of distance.
 
yeah, i had shown the bumps to doctors before or described them before... even the rheumatologist didn't catch on.

but then later once i could put a name to it, the doctors realized that the EN was a big clue (well AFTER i was officially diagnosed with Crohn's then they could do the math in hindsight... lol)

i did remember reading that usually when you get the extraintestinal symptoms, it's usually prior to the intestinal flareups... and it's been SO true for me!

whenever i have skin problems, joint problems or eye problems... i know i'm about to get a flare up.

the EN used to ALWAYS tip me off that my joints were about to flare up too. it was my first clue.
 
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