Bloody nose and sinuses

Lori-S
Lori-S Member Posts: 1,277 Member
edited March 2014 in Colorectal Cancer #1
For the last week (since the day after my last FOLFOX infusion - and yes, I like to blame everything on chemo - helps me to keep a positive attitude that there is an end in sight) I have had a bloody nose. It started out a lot less and has been getting more over the last couple of days. - Just mostly when I blow my nose. but, today it actually was dripping. Once I got it to stop dripping, it started running down the back of my throat and making me cough it out. Not a whole lot but, enough. It seems to have stopped except now I have bloody boogers instead. I don't want to mess with stuff cause I don't want to start it acting up. guess I'll just breath through my mouth. Since the doctor always asks about mouth sores ... does the FOLFOX cause trouble in general with mucous membranes? Any experience or suggestions from my semicolons?

Comments

  • Jaylo969
    Jaylo969 Member Posts: 824 Member
    #2
    Uh-huh
    Hey Lori..yes, bloody nose, bloody buggers, blurry runny eyes. I actually found this CSN site by Googling "bloody nose". Doc told me to use saline drops in nose & eyes ( not from same bottle please!)

    Good luck.

    -Pat
  • geotina
    geotina Member Posts: 2,111 Member
    #3
    Lori:
    When George was on Folfox, and even after, he did have the runny nose. He would blow and blow and get it bleeding, not a lot. This is a very common occurence especially when the weather turns cooler. I think Avastin gets into the mix of this also but not sure. I'm still always telling him to stop blowing so hard.

    Nana2's husband, Jim, was actually in the hospital a few weeks ago for nose bleeding. He ended up having to have his nose packed. She posted on here about it.

    Take care - Tina
  • snommintj
    snommintj Member Posts: 601
    #4
    geotina said:

    Lori:
    When George was on Folfox, and even after, he did have the runny nose. He would blow and blow and get it bleeding, not a lot. This is a very common occurence especially when the weather turns cooler. I think Avastin gets into the mix of this also but not sure. I'm still always telling him to stop blowing so hard.

    Nana2's husband, Jim, was actually in the hospital a few weeks ago for nose bleeding. He ended up having to have his nose packed. She posted on here about it.

    Take care - Tina

    little noses
    I use little noses. It keeps the mucous membranes moist. Chemo erodes your membranes and they dry out much more easily. Just keep some little noses handy. Use it several time during the day and night before you get a nose bleed and you'll get much fewer.
  • idlehunters
    idlehunters Member Posts: 1,787 Member
    #5
    snommintj said:

    little noses
    I use little noses. It keeps the mucous membranes moist. Chemo erodes your membranes and they dry out much more easily. Just keep some little noses handy. Use it several time during the day and night before you get a nose bleed and you'll get much fewer.

    Hey Lori
    I have always had a problem with bloody nose. I was on Folfiri and still doing Avastin and maintenance with 5FU. My nose got so tore up that I developed sores in both nostrils. Then every time I blew it ripped those scabs loose and would bleed...bad...dripping. I went and saw an ENT doc and he has had me using 3 different things for the past month but to no avail. It has healed a little but far from gone. Just today I went back to ENT and he cauterized one side. OUCH!!!!! BUT..... that nostril stopped bleeding. He will do the other nostril next month. Cannot do both at the same time. He said this is just a temporary fix as the chemo...and especially the Avastin is the cause and it is unlikely to stop until the chemo stops. You take care.

    Jennie
  • AnneCan
    AnneCan Member Posts: 3,673 Member
    #6
    idlehunters said:

    Hey Lori
    I have always had a problem with bloody nose. I was on Folfiri and still doing Avastin and maintenance with 5FU. My nose got so tore up that I developed sores in both nostrils. Then every time I blew it ripped those scabs loose and would bleed...bad...dripping. I went and saw an ENT doc and he has had me using 3 different things for the past month but to no avail. It has healed a little but far from gone. Just today I went back to ENT and he cauterized one side. OUCH!!!!! BUT..... that nostril stopped bleeding. He will do the other nostril next month. Cannot do both at the same time. He said this is just a temporary fix as the chemo...and especially the Avastin is the cause and it is unlikely to stop until the chemo stops. You take care.

    Jennie

    One of my sisters
    had her nose cuterized many years ago - no more problems!
  • Lori-S
    Lori-S Member Posts: 1,277 Member
    #7
    AnneCan said:

    One of my sisters
    had her nose cuterized many years ago - no more problems!

    Jennie and Ann
    I was wondering about that because I have a scab in one side right now. That's why I don't want to mess with my nose. Thank goodness it's not hanging out or anything ... yuck ... there's a visual for ya. Gotta add that to my new tourist look. I'm going to try some nasal stuff suggested above and hope for the best
  • herdizziness
    herdizziness Member Posts: 3,624 Member
    #8
    Lori
    I swear by a humidifier, right next to your bed set on high. The "Holmes" brand seems to be the quietest and a powerful mist. (I've been through a few humidifiers, LOL). They really help with keeping the nose moist, so that you don't end up with scabs and such.
    Thinking of you.
    Winter Marie
  • idlehunters
    idlehunters Member Posts: 1,787 Member
    #9
    herdizziness said:

    Lori
    I swear by a humidifier, right next to your bed set on high. The "Holmes" brand seems to be the quietest and a powerful mist. (I've been through a few humidifiers, LOL). They really help with keeping the nose moist, so that you don't end up with scabs and such.
    Thinking of you.
    Winter Marie

    Dizz is Right
    Keeping the air as moist as possible in turn will keep your nostrils moist. That is the key to healing. Doc had me doing Neti rinse 3x daily, ocean spray as often as possible, and at night I had to glob Neosporin in each nostril and let it melt thru my nose and yes...down my throat..YUK. Anything to keep areas from drying out...thats when the damage starts. My damage was so severe I could not even touch the scabs with my finger as they are DEEP in my sinus'. I feared infection and we don't want that. That cauterizing was like a miracle. I hope it stays like that! Good luck Lori.
    Jennie
  • lisa42
    lisa42 Member Posts: 3,625 Member
    #10
    yes it's the chemo
    I used to have that problem a lot. Last year on Christmas Day night, my nose exploded in blood and I couldn't get it to stop until 1 in the morning- a good 4 hours of bleeding. That was the worst I ever experienced. I always blamed it on the Avastin or Xeloda or 5FU. Interestingly, I take both Xeloda and Avastin along with the Gemzar now & bloody noses aren't a problem (actually I've had two maybe three bloody noses since starting this particular treatment this past March). So maybe it was actually the other main chemos I took- the oxaliplatin or the irinotecan. Hmmm...
    So annoying, I know. Wish I had a solution for you. Main thing is keep the nasal passages moist- dry air makes it much worse.

    Lisa
  • Crow71
    Crow71 Member Posts: 679 Member
    #11
    You've gotten some great
    You've gotten some great advice here. I don't have much to add. I remember months ago Jennie and I going back and forth on this subject. One of the things that sucks about chemo nose bleeds, is that they can come on at any time with no warning. Just one more thing to worry about.

    I think that avastin was the primary cause of my nose bleeds. It makes sense, as avastin inhibits the production of vascular cells. I did 3 months of Fofori without avastin this Fall and have done 2 rounds of Folfox without avastin and have had no nose/sinus trouble. I'll start Avastin as soon as my surgical wound heals and we'll see. I'm pretty worried about nose bleeds and bloody boogers. I had a massive nose bleed in the ICU after surgery. The doctor packed my nose so far stuff started coming out my ears!! I think he used some sort of concrete based stuff. Anyway, I still get gigantic boogers out of my right nostril and I'm not looking forward to those guys being bloody.

    Take care Lori. Keep choking down those dead baby chickens.

    Roger
  • Annabelle41415
    Annabelle41415 Member Posts: 6,742 Member
    #12
    Yup
    Like others have said it is common. It used to run down my nose and into my mouth - yuck. Yup getting the bloody buggers too and the scabs that just cling on the side of your nose and make it crusty evertime you squinsh your nose and then you peel it off and it starts to bleed again. Oh such a vicious circle. Use vasoline, it works good too.

    Kim
  • lizzydavis
    lizzydavis Member Posts: 893
    #13
    Annabelle41415 said:

    Yup
    Like others have said it is common. It used to run down my nose and into my mouth - yuck. Yup getting the bloody buggers too and the scabs that just cling on the side of your nose and make it crusty evertime you squinsh your nose and then you peel it off and it starts to bleed again. Oh such a vicious circle. Use vasoline, it works good too.

    Kim

    Nasal Spray worked for me.
    Nasal Spray worked for me. It immediately made my nose feel much better and before long the bleeding stopped. Give it a try.

    Lizzy
  • pepebcn
    pepebcn Member Posts: 6,331 Member
    #14
    Lori l had all your synthoms too.
    it's been 4 weeks since I'm off folrfiri and still got some bleedings when blow!
    It is definively caused by Folfiri!
    Hugs !
  • Brenda3.16
    Brenda3.16 Member Posts: 209
    #15
    pepebcn said:

    Lori l had all your synthoms too.
    it's been 4 weeks since I'm off folrfiri and still got some bleedings when blow!
    It is definively caused by Folfiri!
    Hugs !

    Lori, The saline nasal spray
    Lori, The saline nasal spray works really good for me. I use it at least 3 times a day and it has been working good.

    Brenda
  • Lori-S
    Lori-S Member Posts: 1,277 Member
    #16
    Brenda3.16 said:

    Lori, The saline nasal spray
    Lori, The saline nasal spray works really good for me. I use it at least 3 times a day and it has been working good.

    Brenda

    Thanks everyone!
    I'm going to be getting some spray and maybe a small humidifier. I don't know what happened to my last one but, it's good to have one in the winter here in the desert anyway. And a little more humidity helps keep the warmth in the air too.

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