Purple stains

[Elliejane]

Hi
I wonder if anyone can help with with a bizarre thing . I have noticed these purple stains on my sons sheets now and seem to be new ones appearing every day
I am really worrying something is wrong .
He is 14 and has no idea where they came from
I seem to remember a while ago I noticed it as well and just thought it was a pen mark or something
I have googled it and others have seen similar but no one knows what it is .
My heart is beating so fast . I suffer from health anxiety too and struggle with things I can explain .
photo attached.
please help

Shoujd I phone a doctor or I just don’t know ?

Yes. For yourself.

Why are you panicking and crying? Why are you inspecting your 14 year olds sheets?

You should be able to rationalise this and you can't, so you definitely need to speak to a GP

It is some form of dye transfer, nothing medically sinister. The pattern is from where sheets have crumpled under him. Does he cuddle a toy, use a coloured shower gel or lotion?

Or has he worn dark t shirt or jeans during the day which could have transferred dye onto his skin?

You sound very unwell OP and I would encourage you to speak to your GP about your anxiety, as your overreaction here is deeply concerning.

Are the stains near the pillow end? What is he using in his hair as shampoo/conditioner/product/dye?

It looks like the stains I'd get when I was using dark hair dye, purple, black or blue dyes leave purple staining on fabric.

I would guess at either some kind of oil or cream, or a residue from the washing machine (that doesn't show when freshly washed, but attracts dust/skin overnight). Does he use any topical skin treatments - moisturiser, emollients, sun cream, or even a particular shower gel?

I wouldn't panic. It is far more likely to be some kind of unusual chemical reaction or process rather than a health issue. Just try eliminating or changing the likely suspects one at a time.

I think if it was sweat it would be less defined and more watery/smudgy. It is probably some hair product or something.

There is a thing of coloured sweat - it’s just a thing though and doesn’t cause any bad effects from what I can see. So even if it is coloured sweat - it’s just coloured sweat. I don’t think it’s that though as you would notice it on him and his clothes. It’s called chromhidrosis.

Could it be due transfer from a book or magazine he’s reading before falling asleep?

Dye!

You need to get help for your anxiety and stop panicking your poor son

School bag, towel, socks, shoes, clothing, deodorant etc. lots of things it could be, and honestly given your state of anxiety I doubt your DS would be honest with you if there is something he's doing that is causing it.

I just don’t understand it . He does not dye his hair or use any unusual products . It’s near top end of the bed . Not much on pillow .

Just phoned to call me back

Thank you all so so much for alL
your message and for none of you being cruel either . I am so so worried I can’t focus at all not eaten not anything

It's not really something you need to understand. It's one of those things, could have come form anywhere, not really worth any thought. I'm glad you are going to speak to the GP, hopefully they will be able to help with your anxiety.

Have you been like this every time something slightly off has happened over his 14 years? Do you have other children? Have you ever spoken to a doctor about your mental health? Sorry to bombard you, just trying to work out where it's coming from.

Look @Elliejane you really need to seek support for you not your son.

Your son is NOT sweating purple, he just isn't. The fact that you could be this distressed thinking that he is shows that you are not coping and need help with your health anxiety.

OP - dye transfer is from clothes, not hair dye.
Black clothes will often leave purpley marks.
So most likely is he is sweating in black shorts and the colour from the shorts is marking the sheets.

I say this gently, because I know you are distressed, but it is completely ridiculous to think that this is coming from his body and that he is ill. You are over reacting and it is harmful to you and to your relationship with your son.

It is also completely inappropriate for you to be checking a 14 year olds sheets every morning. I'll be frank, at 14 he might have a wank and then the idea that his mum checks his sheets is mortifying. Maybe the marks are from whatever he uses to clean up?

Back off, stop checking his sheets (and if it is because you are making his bed, well at 14, stop doing that too)
Go to GP and talk to them about your high anxiety around medical things.

Could he be sweating in the night and causing his shorts to become wet? Could it be dye transfer from the duvet cover?

I know this might sound odd but to alleviate your worries you could put on a fresh white sheet and duvet cover and ask him to sleep in the nude. Then if there were purple stains in the morning you could genuinely act on that.

I'm going with dye transfers from a magazine, one he doesn't want his mum to know about.

The fact that the markings are located in the same position means it is very likely some sort of dye transfer. In that location, I reckon he is probably sitting up in bed in his jeans/joggers doing his homework or looking at his phone and the dye is transferring.

A 14 yo boy is not going to tell you everything he is up to, so when he says he doesn't know, he probably does.

Please see the GP for yourself. Things are likely to get a whole lot tougher in parenting terms over the next few years.

I know this might sound odd but to alleviate your worries you could put on a fresh white sheet and duvet cover and ask him to sleep in the nude. Then if there were purple stains in the morning you could genuinely act on that.

You cannot do that to a 14yo boy!!

It was clean before he went to sleep and now has the marks . I agree it looks like dye but I can’t see anywhere it come from

yes I have suffered from health anxiety since I lost a child during pregame with a rare syndrome many years ago.

sometimes I can control it but not the last 6 mths

If you’re not convinced it’s dye and is something wrong with him, what do you think it could be?

I know this might sound odd but to alleviate your worries you could put on a fresh white sheet and duvet cover and ask him to sleep in the nude. Then if there were purple stains in the morning you could genuinely act on that.

This is not a reasonable request, and just further feeds into the problem. OPDS does not need to change his sleeping habits to satisfy her anxiety.

I'm sorry OP :( hopefully the GP will be able to offer you some help. Health anxiety is awful