Coughing up Blood ( unpleasant subject! )

[anonymous]

Hi everyone,

I have had some instances in the past 6-8 months of coughing up blood and I wanted to know if any of you have experienced this. Diane I know you have and you spoke to me alot about it when I was freaked out last winter. Basically I am just wondering how your doctors deal with it...my doctor said it is absolutely a sign of infection...that that is the only reason it happens. But I am just curious because back when I was about 16 I went through a period where I coughed up blood a lot but was Stupid and didnt tell anyone because I was freaked out and didnt want to go into the hospital. Anyway my point is is that during all those years I never WAS sick and never did have any infections, so why was I coughing up so much blood? I must say I am very frustrated and it is the worst feeling in the world when it happens, just putting it out there as a question for you all, thanks!

Caitlin

 

[ButtonNO1]

hiya caitlin coughing up blood is scary and it happened to me for the first time last year and i started to scream as i was so scared but i have been told that it is quite noraml to have the ocassion streak of blood in your sputum but if it does persist to see my doctor i do have the ocassional streak when i cough hard . best wishes from JO

 

[Diane]

hi Caitlin,
Im sorry to hear you are having troubles with coughing up blood. My doctor put me on vit K ( mephyton) permanently since the embolizations. He has me take 5 mg. once a day or twice a day if i am coughing up more than streaks. My doctor also had me go on birth control pills to help with the bleeding and it did help a lot. It was explained to me that estrogen helps keep the blood vessels pliable and therefore would be less breakage. I came to realize after really paying attention to it ....that any time i have hemoptysis episodes ( even the real bad ones that required surgery) was around the time of my period. Which started to make a little sense. The first time i coughed up blood i was 21 or 22 and i barely had any lung problems at all, and i remember my nurse telling me that infection must be the issue. I am sure that infection does play a role and in some of us, it may be the only reason, but for some of us i would believe there are other reasons we just dont know yet. I have noticed since my embolizations 2 years ago, that if i have a coughing fit that seems to go on too long and i cough too hard i will have some blood come up, even when i am feeling my best. Who knows maybe we have a lack of estrogen, or maybe all the coughing just weakens the blood vessels in our lungs ( which i know it does) maybe infection or maybe a combination of all three. I would love a concrete answer and a concrete solution , but never seem to get one. I have gone off birth control about 8 months ago, and noticed like i said that the hemoptysis episodes always seem to make their appearance about a week or 2 right before my period ,and stops soons after. I read somewhere that our blood vessels in the lungs get kind of twisted in odd ways and that has a lot to do with hemoptysis. Here is a site i found on cf and hemoptysis.

http://personal.nbnet.nb.ca/normap/hemoptysis.htm

Good luck Caitlin and i hope it all stops soon, just remember one thing about hemoptysis, always try your damndest to remain calm during an episode, you dont want to raise your blood pressure and bleed more.
email me if you like, jinxnick@aol.com
~Diane 39 / cf / diabetes / b.cepacia

 

[HollyCatheryn]

Do guys deal with this or just women. I've read and seen these posts from women about hemoptysis, but I've never heard anything from a guy about it. Does that mean that it is totally linked to estrogen (inasmuch as a guy who has no estrogen won't suffer it)? Just curious.Does it coincide with cool weather. I know that when I was pregnant they told me to watch out for nose bleeds - especially during the winter because of the increased blood flow and the swelling of tissue being aggravated by the cold and dry. They encouraged use of a humidifier if I suffered nose bleeds. Does any of this sound remotely similar? I don't really know anything about it, but am just wondering.

 

[anonymous]

no...guys deal with this too. I had a couple weeks of coughing up blood streaked mucous this past winter when I had a really bad infection and ended up in the hospital with pneumonia. A few times it was difficult to see any mucous for all the blood I had coughed up.

Richard 30 w/cf

 

[EB24]

Hey, I was in the hospital in March and I had an Esophogeal Bleed, which is varacise veins in your esophagus, that rupture and bleed. I lost about 4 liters of blood and was immediately sent to ICU. I also have times where my sputum is streaked, but it is because of the "oozing viens", so it isn't always an infection. If you think you don't have an infection, but are still bringing up blood, PLEASE go to the DR and setup a endoscopy exam. Takes 30 minutes and doesn't hurt at all. You will be sooo glad you did if you ever start vomitting blood like I did. BTW, I was not even coughing any up at the time, I had just got my PT done and I guess it broke loose. So anything can set it off. Please be careful.

Eric 24/m w/CF
Diagnosed at 3 months

 

[KyLaJiLL]

Hey. I've several instances myself of coughing up blood. My doctor has always told me that it was a sign of infection as well, only I never felt sick when it happened. I moved recently and my new doctor was describing how sometimes coughing very hard can cause a tear and that might also be a reason for the bleeding. Since I've usually been coughing pretty bad, and for extended periods of time, when this happens it seems that is the most probable cause for the actual bleeding. Nonetheless you should definitely always get it checked out, just in case. Every time it happens I've had to do the IV antibiotics, which I loathe - but I guess better safe than sorry.

 

[anonymous]

Thanks everyone for the information. The worst thing about coughing up blood is that I can TELL when it is going to happen. Like i will lie down and all of a sudden I feel this weird gross feeling in a certain part of my chest, like as if liquid is caught in there, its almost like a 'gurgling' (so gross), and I just KNOW I am going to cough up blood within the next ten minutes. usually then I take extra vitamin K and i cant rest until I've coughed mmost of it up and I think it has stopped bleeding. It is really interested about the estrogen, I am going to try and start noticing a pattern, because that makes a lot of sense because you know how I said I coughed up blood when I was around 16...well I went on birth control from about 17-20 and it never happened then, only before, and then after (like in the past year, I'm 21 now), and so that is very interesting, especially since between 17 and 20 i had some instances where I was sick and definitely DID have an infection. There has got to be something more to it...there are always more sides to a story then most doctors think or tell you I have always found!

thanks again
Caitlin

 

[EB24]

Another thing to consider is your blood pressure. Even if it is at a normal range, when we have our coughing spells, your BP shoots up. A 10 or 20 mg Propranalol or Inderal pill may be needed, just ask your doc. Hope this helps.

Eric 24m w/CF

 

[kybert]

<blockquote>Quote<br><hr>Another thing to consider is your blood pressure. Even if it is at a normal range, when we have our coughing spells, your BP shoots up<hr></blockquote>

that would explain why my nose always bleeds when i cough!

 

[anonymous]

The blood pressure thing is interesting, simply beccause I have VERY low blood pressure, like 80 over 50. Shouldnt that mean I wouldnt cough up blood? I am very interested as i said in the estrogen thing and am going to bring it up when i see me *new* doctor next week. I am switching doctors and am thinking maybe it is for the best ( my other doctor left ) .

 

[anonymous]

Hi,

Another thing that makes me cough up blood is if I don't drink enough water or if I clean using bleach. I've noticed the bleeding around the time of my period too!

Tammy 43wcf

 

[EB24]

To the poster with low BP. I also have very low BP, almost the exact same as you. Since our bodies are obviously weaker internally, a rise in BP when coughing can indeed cause the bleeds although our BP may not be deemed "high".

To the nose bleed poster. I also had nose bleeds constantly, and they became more frequent when I went on oxygen at night. You may need to go to a Ear,Nose,andThroat doctor. They can, forgive my spelling, coterize the vein in your nose. I had this done, no pain, takes about 1/2 hour, and since then no bleeds.

If you ever have a spell of coughing up blood and it doesn't seem to let up, take a cold wet washcloth and place it on your neck in front. This will contract the veins in your throat and the jugular and it will also calm you down. May not be the best thing but it seems to help me. Just remember, calm down, get cool,(water, fan, A/C) and try to take slow shallow breaths.

 

[anonymous]

<blockquote>Quote<br><hr><b>The worst thing about coughing up blood is that I can TELL when it is going to happen. Like i will lie down </b><hr></blockquote>

Thats when it happens to me also, only when I lie down flat on my back. I can tell when its likely to happen as well. Luckly it is usually just a few spits until it stops.<img src="i/expressions/beer.gif" border="0">

 

[jaime]

After any episode of hemoptysis I end up coughing up tons green sputum and having fevers. Blood in your lungs is the perfect breeding grounds for infections. I always get really sick after hemoptysis even if I have recently had a cleanout (which is usually when it happens) I will end up back in the hospital two weeks after coming off of antibiotics because the blood just makes me so sick. I do take vitamin K and this helps (also helps with nose bleeds alot) and use a humidifier in the winter.

 

[anonymous]

i know the exact feeling you were talking about where you just know you are about to start coughing up blood. it's just a lot thinner than mucus i guess. i started coughing up blood in 7th grade and since then it happens to me 1-3 times a year. i only call the doc if it is a lot of blood (more than a couple tablespoons) or if it happens more than once in a short period of time. i've never had to do anything about it, though, my doctor just gave me vitamin k to take, which seems to help. i used to just avoid coughing by drinking tons of water when i felt like i was about to start, but now i just go ahead and cough it up 'til it's all gone. i figure that's probably healthier than keeping it inside of me, even if it does taste nasty and it's pretty gross. <img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-frown.gif" border="0">

 

[jenhum]

oops i forgot to log in...that last post was by me!

 

[anonymous]

Three years ago I had massive hemoptysis (coughing up blood). Prior to that, I had had very frequent episodes of streaking blood. My doctors also thought it meant infection, but the blood seemed to come even when I was doing better (that is, feeling better and breathing better). After analyzing the problem for several months, I decided that the bleeding is a combination of infection (many of us are infected all the time) and vigorous coughing or clearing we do. Another component is the degree of bronchiectasis (permanently damaged bronchioles) that a person has. Finally, one last component is how "dried" out we get in our lungs...that is, I found I bled easier when I was in a warm and very dry atmosphere. The episode of massive hemoptysis was the most scary thing that has happened to me, and I became desperate to not endure another such episode.

I think I have found something that helps...increased nebulization, especially hypertonic saline (3%) but also normal saline and albuterol. I now have some form of nebulization going for at least 2 hours per treatment. I have not had another bleeding episode now for greater than 2 years. If you decide to use 3% saline, a couple caveats are in order. 1) You need to drink plenty of water. 2) The first few times you use it you may be amazed at the increased mucous production. But you will notice that the mucous is qualitatively thinner. This is because the hypertonic condition created in your lungs draws water into them and thins out the mucous. (True, with CF, we don't have the major water transporting channel, but we do have minor water transporters.) 3) Some studies have shown hypertonic saline to decrease ciliary action, but I find that my mucous clearance is much better with it. Furthermore, it continues to mobilize secretions even after the nebulization.

Many will be skeptical of this advice; but when you're desperate you're willing to try a few different things. Research hypertonic saline, try it (just once or twice...hopefully with your doctor's approval) and see for yourself. If you have any problems with it, just stop using it. It's very cheap and I think very safe. darnold2323@yahoo.com

 

[anonymous]

<blockquote>Quote<br><hr><i>Originally posted by: <b>EB24</b></i><br>Hey, I was in the hospital in March and I had an Esophogeal Bleed, which is varacise veins in your esophagus, that rupture and bleed. I lost about 4 liters of blood and was immediately sent to ICU. I also have times where my sputum is streaked, but it is because of the "oozing viens", so it isn't always an infection. If you think you don't have an infection, but are still bringing up blood, PLEASE go to the DR and setup a endoscopy exam. Takes 30 minutes and doesn't hurt at all. You will be sooo glad you did if you ever start vomitting blood like I did. BTW, I was not even coughing any up at the time, I had just got my PT done and I guess it broke loose. So anything can set it off. Please be careful.



Eric 24/m w/CF

Diagnosed at 3 months<hr></blockquote>

 

[anonymous]

<blockquote>Quote<br><hr><i>Originally posted by: <b>EB24</b></i><br>Hey, I was in the hospital in March and I had an Esophogeal Bleed, which is varacise veins in your esophagus, that rupture and bleed. I lost about 4 liters of blood and was immediately sent to ICU. I also have times where my sputum is streaked, but it is because of the "oozing viens", so it isn't always an infection. If you think you don't have an infection, but are still bringing up blood, PLEASE go to the DR and setup a endoscopy exam. Takes 30 minutes and doesn't hurt at all. You will be sooo glad you did if you ever start vomitting blood like I did. BTW, I was not even coughing any up at the time, I had just got my PT done and I guess it broke loose. So anything can set it off. Please be careful.



Eric 24/m w/CF

Diagnosed at 3 months<hr></blockquote>