Bloody Nose Getting Worse!!!

idlehunters
idlehunters Member Posts: 1,787 Member
edited March 2014 in Colorectal Cancer #1
Man.....I seem to have all this little stuff creeping up on me. I hope ya'll don't think I'm a whiney baby. I just know at least ONE of you guys have an answer or opinion about my questions.....and those are priceless!!!

I have had nosebleeds since chemo started. Always mild...off and on. NOW..... my nose bleeds nonstop. EVERY time I blow it...its bloody. ALWAYS have clots. There are like .....here is the gross stuff....HARD dried bloody clumps... and when I blow...it forces those out and makes it bleed. Sometimes I just hang my head and let it drip...and drip...and drip...til it clots....can't stand to let it run down my throat,,,yuk! It just gets down right embarrassing when I am in public like at a restaurant and I am constantly blotting my nostrils and people stare at me. Man...it sucks! I scare my Grandkids..... I hate that! It has to be the Avastin or 5FU.... that's all I take. It probably don't help either that my platelets are the lowest they have ever been..... in range.....but on the very low side. I am changing to Xeloda next week.....which is still 5FU.... I will only be getting the Avastin every 3 weeks instead of every 2...maybe that will help. I have started getting headaches too. I have NEVER had headaches in my life. I am wondering if they are related to the nose bleeds????????? Sometimes I don't even blow my nose and blood just starts dripping out.... so fast it hits my shirt before I can get a kleenex to it. Thats just occasionally though. I keep a vaporizer going for moisture and I keep neosporin or Vicks in my nose....mainly to keep clumps soft. Anyway..... I sure would appreciate any opinions, comments..whatever advice I can get. I am getting desperate.

Thanks guys!

Jennie

Comments

  • JR
    JR Member Posts: 139 Member
    Exactly the sme thing
    Jennie,
    You described my situation to a tee. When I started chemo, last March, nose bleeds. Once a day I blow out a large blood clot from my left nostril. Kind of disgusting. Last week at work I blew my nose a little to hard and the blood started to flow. Three people walked into my office two seconds later. Embarasing to say the least. I agree with you, it has to be the 5FU or the Avastin. I have been on Xeloda for the last 3-1/2 months. It sucks too.

    Good Luck,

    John
  • This comment has been removed by the Moderator
  • robinvan
    robinvan Member Posts: 1,012
    Hi Jennie
    It sounds horrible. I was spared this particular chemo plague, although I've had all the poisons you mention.

    Avastin can cause high blood pressure. Has that been a problem for you? Best thing may be to call your chemo clinic, talk to one of the nurses. Or hang in there till your next treatment if it is not to long.

    Peace and blessings... Rob
  • lisa42
    lisa42 Member Posts: 3,625 Member
    had nosebleeds too
    Hi Jennie,

    Boy, do I know nosebleeds! Yes, they suck! Mine are finally starting to lessen a bit, and I've been off the chemo that caused it since mid November. I have always dealt with allergies and sinus issues- my nose still runs all the time & I still get paranoid to quickly check if it's my usual clear nasal secretions (that drive me crazy) or if it's blood running out of my nose. I had the worst bloody nose ever the evening of Christmas Day. I stayed up until 2 in the morning trying to stop my nosebleed. It had actually bled for 3 hours that day.
    Do check your blood pressure- I found that if my blood pressure went up, the headaches and bloody noses would get even worse. I thought it was the Avastin that caused the bleeding, but I imagine it could have been that with a combo of the other drugs too.
    Also- are you taking ibuprofen, aspirin, or other drugs or supplements that could cause bleeding? I had to cut back on the Advil that I had been taking. I was taking 4-6 a day for joint pain and I noticed the bloody noses got worse and I was also bruising easily.
    Make sure you tell your onc and/or chemo nurse about the nose bleeds.
    Also- keep your nose moisturized. Using a saline spray will help flush out those blood chunks and keep the nasal tissue moisturized. I think dry weather or dry air from heaters can also dry up the nasal passages and make the bleeding worse.
    Good luck!

    Lisa
  • idlehunters
    idlehunters Member Posts: 1,787 Member
    lisa42 said:

    had nosebleeds too
    Hi Jennie,

    Boy, do I know nosebleeds! Yes, they suck! Mine are finally starting to lessen a bit, and I've been off the chemo that caused it since mid November. I have always dealt with allergies and sinus issues- my nose still runs all the time & I still get paranoid to quickly check if it's my usual clear nasal secretions (that drive me crazy) or if it's blood running out of my nose. I had the worst bloody nose ever the evening of Christmas Day. I stayed up until 2 in the morning trying to stop my nosebleed. It had actually bled for 3 hours that day.
    Do check your blood pressure- I found that if my blood pressure went up, the headaches and bloody noses would get even worse. I thought it was the Avastin that caused the bleeding, but I imagine it could have been that with a combo of the other drugs too.
    Also- are you taking ibuprofen, aspirin, or other drugs or supplements that could cause bleeding? I had to cut back on the Advil that I had been taking. I was taking 4-6 a day for joint pain and I noticed the bloody noses got worse and I was also bruising easily.
    Make sure you tell your onc and/or chemo nurse about the nose bleeds.
    Also- keep your nose moisturized. Using a saline spray will help flush out those blood chunks and keep the nasal tissue moisturized. I think dry weather or dry air from heaters can also dry up the nasal passages and make the bleeding worse.
    Good luck!

    Lisa

    Blood Pressure
    A few of you have mentioned blood pressure. When I fractured my back 4 weeks ago the pain sent my blood pressure hru the roof. It has remained high (usually 159/98) even though the fracture pain has subsided. My primary care doc put me on Norvasc twice a day and that helps. So even taking BP meds I am still having the bloody nose syndrome. I will discuss this issue with my onc on the next visit. He is not aware how much it has increased.

    Jennie
  • Crow71
    Crow71 Member Posts: 679 Member
    Hey Jennie - My nose
    Hey Jennie - My nose bleeding problem is not as bad as yours but I've definitely had plenty of them. Every morning I have to gently blow the bloody buggers out. If I blow too hard, I get a full on nose bleed. My nose started running snot about 15 minutes into my first treatment in Sept and hasn't stopped since. I always keep tissue with me and I'm always looking into the tissue to see if there is blood. It's no problem at home, but you are right, it's one of the little things that make going out in public difficult - and it definitely freaks out or grosses out the kids. My doc said it's the avastin. Avastin makes it difficult for the body to produce vascular cells. My platelets are about where yours are - not low enough to stop treatment, but low enough to be an issue. Low platelets may be the cause of your headaches. I had a low grade constant headache for a few days last week. Low platelets can also cause dizzyness. A few times lately I've felt a little unsure of my feet and I wonder if it's not due to my platelets being low.
    I love it that you post with questions. I always learn from the responses.
    Hang in there Jennie. We're in this together.
    Roger
  • jen58
    jen58 Member Posts: 34
    it has to be 5fu
    my hubby has the same issue, and he's not on avastin -- only the 5fu -- his platelets are down too -- he already has his oxi cut because of it and they were down again this last chemo cycle but he was able to get his tx anyways

    sorry i dont have any advice, other than 'talk to your doctor'
  • lizzydavis
    lizzydavis Member Posts: 893
    jen58 said:

    it has to be 5fu
    my hubby has the same issue, and he's not on avastin -- only the 5fu -- his platelets are down too -- he already has his oxi cut because of it and they were down again this last chemo cycle but he was able to get his tx anyways

    sorry i dont have any advice, other than 'talk to your doctor'

    This helped me! Saline Nasal Spray!
    Saline Nasal Spray is wonderful for the bleeding noses you have described. I bought the generic brand "equate" at Wal-Mart. It is a Nasal moisturizing spray which made my nose so much better. It worked for me.
  • Kerry S
    Kerry S Member Posts: 606 Member
    Had the 5FU – had the nose
    Had the 5FU – had the nose bleed problem. Worst was waking up with my lips stuck to the pillow. My lips bled all the time.
  • sfmarie
    sfmarie Member Posts: 602

    Blood Pressure
    A few of you have mentioned blood pressure. When I fractured my back 4 weeks ago the pain sent my blood pressure hru the roof. It has remained high (usually 159/98) even though the fracture pain has subsided. My primary care doc put me on Norvasc twice a day and that helps. So even taking BP meds I am still having the bloody nose syndrome. I will discuss this issue with my onc on the next visit. He is not aware how much it has increased.

    Jennie

    See an ENT Doctor
    You may have to have your nose coterized (sp?).
  • Kathryn_in_MN
    Kathryn_in_MN Member Posts: 1,252 Member
    This is one thing that has gotten better for me
    I still have some trouble, but have not had a bad bloody nose in a long time. (I never got nosebleeds before chemo.)

    One thing - I do not blow my nose. Sorry to get graphic here, but I push a Kleenex up inside to take care of things - very gently. If I blow, it will start trouble. I was getting blood running out of my nose w/o warning, and without blowing, but that all stopped now. I do have the clots in my nose still, but not as bad.

    We got a humidifier and it has made a HUGE difference for me. If you can, try to get one and keep your humidity way up. It has helped my skin, and helped my nose. Ours is a huge unit and we have to fill it twice per day to keep the humidity up to where it makes this difference for me. I'm so happy this has worked to stop the nosebleeds. I hope it could help you.
  • This helped me! Saline Nasal Spray!
    Saline Nasal Spray is wonderful for the bleeding noses you have described. I bought the generic brand "equate" at Wal-Mart. It is a Nasal moisturizing spray which made my nose so much better. It worked for me.

    This comment has been removed by the Moderator
  • lizzydavis
    lizzydavis Member Posts: 893
    unknown said:

    This comment has been removed by the Moderator

    You are welcome. Let me know if it works for you.
    You are welcome. Let me know if it works for you.
  • jillpls
    jillpls Member Posts: 238
    oceanspray for the nose
    HI, I too get the awful bloody nose bleeds only on on side. So I keep Ocean Spray nose spray by my bed and use it everyday to help and it does. I think it's the cold dry air that sets it off for me. Yes, I know the Avastin and 5-fu are the cause but the air doesn't help. The ocean spray helps keep the sinus moist. Good luck
    JIl