One of my cf boys has recently started coughing up small amounts of blood every time he gets an infection. Its stops once the infection has cleared. The Dr says its nothing to worry about unless it was alot of blood. But he didnt say what actually causes the bleeding either. Sorry if I sound stupid but this hasnt happend to either of my boys in the past. His pfts are quite low at 40, and he is loosing weight. Has anybody got any input! Thanks
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coughing up blood
- Thread starter anonymous
- Start date
Emily65Roses
New member
It's happened to me before, and if it's only a little bit, it could easily be a broken capillary. The excess coughing caused by the infections could be breaking tiny lung capillaries, and that may be bringing up the blood. Mind you, this is only a guess, but that's what happened to me before, so it's a definite possibility.
Hi,
My doctor has told me that coughing up small quantities of blood can be as a result of two things:
1) A burst blood vessel (which Emily explained in her post)
2) Mucus clinging to the broncial walls. In my case, I have bronchiectasis, whereby the mucus pools in pockets of my bronchial walls. When I cough to try and get the mucus out, the mucus "rips" from the broncial wall, causing the bleeding. The doctor used the analogy of a flesh wound. If you tear at a flesh wound, it will bleed.
Once an infection clears, the bleeding stops since there is less mucus clogging the brochial walls and less likelihood of this "ripping" effect.
I do not have an answer to the weight issue.
Hope this helped a bit.
Dxat35
My doctor has told me that coughing up small quantities of blood can be as a result of two things:
1) A burst blood vessel (which Emily explained in her post)
2) Mucus clinging to the broncial walls. In my case, I have bronchiectasis, whereby the mucus pools in pockets of my bronchial walls. When I cough to try and get the mucus out, the mucus "rips" from the broncial wall, causing the bleeding. The doctor used the analogy of a flesh wound. If you tear at a flesh wound, it will bleed.
Once an infection clears, the bleeding stops since there is less mucus clogging the brochial walls and less likelihood of this "ripping" effect.
I do not have an answer to the weight issue.
Hope this helped a bit.
Dxat35
NoDayButToday
New member
I think Pulmozyme can cause a person to cough up small amounts of blood sometimes.
Most of us cough up blood once in a while. The only reason to worry is if it gets worse. If there is more blood than mucus, swing into the ER and get things checked out.
Infection causes us to burn more calories. Pushing food can be tough, it begins to upset the hell out of me when every person I know tells me to eat. Let him have as much of his favorite foods so he can mantain his caloric intake.
Debbie
24 w/ CF
Infection causes us to burn more calories. Pushing food can be tough, it begins to upset the hell out of me when every person I know tells me to eat. Let him have as much of his favorite foods so he can mantain his caloric intake.
Debbie
24 w/ CF
S
SeasonsOfLove
Guest
Does he cough up blood or is his sputum blood-tinged? I think doctors distinguish between the two things.
I am pretty sure that aspergillus and certain types of bacteria can also cause people to have blood in their sputum.
Definitely ask his doctor for clarification.
Good luck, Kathy
I am pretty sure that aspergillus and certain types of bacteria can also cause people to have blood in their sputum.
Definitely ask his doctor for clarification.
Good luck, Kathy
He was in hospital last year for 2 months with his twin brother, they both have aspergillus growing in their lungs and it got out of control for a long while. The are both also allergic to aspergillus which doesnt help much. They were on large dosages of prednisone for months. They didnt cough up any blood back then either, that just started in March of this year, and it was streaked through out his mucus.
My son (45) has within the last 4 or 5 years started occassionally coughing up blood. On one occassion it got so bad he was hospitalized and the Doctors had to go into his lungs and cauterize somethings in order to get it to stop. Not very pleasent. Since then he has coughed up small amounts of blood and he believes the bleeding is related to taking Tobi. If he needs the Tobi, he takes it, but if he starts coughing up blood, he stops and the bleeding also stops. At one time or another, he has been on almost every type of meds that I have seen on this board. I guess the only thing I might offer is never let the bleeding get too bad. If the bleeding seems to be increasing, see your doctor, and consider changing Meds if possible to see if it might let up. Good luck to all!!
hoolagrrrl
New member
NoDayButToday i think what causes the bleeding isn't pomo i think its tobi beacause i take pomo every night and tobi every few months and when i take tobi i cough up a little blood hope this helps
alyssa w/cf,(13)
alyssa w/cf,(13)
hoolagrrrl
New member
pomo = pulmazyme sorry thats just the way i say it but same thing<img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif" border="0"><img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-tongue.gif" border="0"><img src="i/expressions/sun.gif" border="0"><img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif" border="0"><img src="i/expressions/rose.gif" border="0"><img src="i/expressions/musicnote.gif" border="0"><img src="i/expressions/moon.gif" border="0"><img src="i/expressions/heart.gif" border="0"><img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif" border="0">
NoDayButToday
New member
I'm pretty sure Pulmozyme can cause bleeding (as I THINK people who have hemoptysis are told to stop PUlmo), but that doesn't mean that in your case, it is Tobi that causes your bleeding
It isn't that Pulmozyme causes you to bleed it is that if you have a bleed, it is the effect of Pulmo on the clot that might be trying to form to stop the bleeding. Pulmo breaks down white cells,same thing needed to create scabs and esentially that is that the lungs are trying to do, heal off the bleeding spot.
TOBI always makes me bleed. And boy am I glad to hear I am not the only one, I have been doubted for blaming TOBI, but it never fails to happen. I had a bad bleed last weekend. And yes Aspergillus, or any fungus can be a good one to cause bleeding. I had bad bleeds for a year then went on Itraconazole (sporonax) and my bleeds are nothing compared to what it was before.
For the boys being allergic to Aspergillus, I have heard of that, so the predinsone helps the allegy part, but are they giving them something to kill the fungus?
Sarah
28w/cf
TOBI always makes me bleed. And boy am I glad to hear I am not the only one, I have been doubted for blaming TOBI, but it never fails to happen. I had a bad bleed last weekend. And yes Aspergillus, or any fungus can be a good one to cause bleeding. I had bad bleeds for a year then went on Itraconazole (sporonax) and my bleeds are nothing compared to what it was before.
For the boys being allergic to Aspergillus, I have heard of that, so the predinsone helps the allegy part, but are they giving them something to kill the fungus?
Sarah
28w/cf
2
2sickkids
Guest
I cough up blood every time I get sick not a cfer but have bronchiectisis. That is why my pulm dr says I cough up the blood. Having an infection in my lungs uri lri or pnuemonia is always the cause for me I hate seeing dr I haven't seen before cause I don't get fevers w/ infections most of the time and when I do they are high. I always make them compare any xray they do with an old one cause if they don't they try to admit me.
purpleangel28282
New member
Occassionally I'll cough up blood, however there seems to be no rhyme or reason for me, although it's usually due to heavy coughing. Sometimes it'll be during the month I take TOBI and other times not. When I start coughing up the blood I get this little sort of tickle in the back of my throat and can tell that it's coming. It'll last for about 2 minutes where I will continuously cough up pure blood, but all in all a small amount. My doctor has said that as long as it's small amounts it isn't anything to worry about.
Here's my bloody story--
The first time i coughed up blood was in may of '04. I got up to go to the bathroom at about 2 am and it felt as if a sprinkler had gone off inside me. My lungs rapidly filled with blood to the point where I felt like I was drowning. I basically had to keep coughing just to be able to get the blood out so that I could get oxygen in. It was the scariest moment of my life. Luckily my father was at the house that night, so he rushed me to the e.r., I live right next to a hospital so I was able to get immediate care. The worst moment was when my dad and I ran out to his car, but he left his keys inside the house and I was left alone in the dark with the feeling that I was going to bleed out and die alone in my driveway. For months I would get minor panic attacks in the middle of the night and was always afraid to get up and go to the bathroom, the episode seriously scarred me. Things are better now, but everytime I cough up a little blood I think back to that night and just start another panic attack. I did have a really hot nurse that night in the e.r., though, so that made things a little more tolerable. GOOD TIMES!! <img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif" border="0">
p.s.-I was on pulmozyme and tobi at the time.
The first time i coughed up blood was in may of '04. I got up to go to the bathroom at about 2 am and it felt as if a sprinkler had gone off inside me. My lungs rapidly filled with blood to the point where I felt like I was drowning. I basically had to keep coughing just to be able to get the blood out so that I could get oxygen in. It was the scariest moment of my life. Luckily my father was at the house that night, so he rushed me to the e.r., I live right next to a hospital so I was able to get immediate care. The worst moment was when my dad and I ran out to his car, but he left his keys inside the house and I was left alone in the dark with the feeling that I was going to bleed out and die alone in my driveway. For months I would get minor panic attacks in the middle of the night and was always afraid to get up and go to the bathroom, the episode seriously scarred me. Things are better now, but everytime I cough up a little blood I think back to that night and just start another panic attack. I did have a really hot nurse that night in the e.r., though, so that made things a little more tolerable. GOOD TIMES!! <img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif" border="0">
p.s.-I was on pulmozyme and tobi at the time.
lovingBenandCambree
New member
I also have had some bad bleeds. I have had to go in and have my lungs cotterized 3 times. Once in 2002 and twice in 2004 while I was pregnant. At that time they had to vent me twice which was really scary. For the person who said it felt like they were drowning, I am right there with you. That is the only way I could explain to people of how it felt. My Dr. has began to attribute the bleeding to TOBI so I am currently not on it and haven't been for some time. Since I went off TOBI I haven't had any sever bleeding and I am on Pulmozyme.