what to do about nosebleeds?

[v-ness]

hi - i haven't had a nosebleed since i was in 4th grade but i've started getting them in the past few weeks. i didn't really think too much about them since they ended quickly. however, after TCH infusion #5 my nose feels like it's been sucked dry of all moisture and i can't blow my nose without the tissue being full of blood and clots this weekend. my mother suggested i put vaseline in my nose, but i read on the web that you can inhale the petroleum particles and that is not good. is there a good and healthy way to moisturize up there? breathing isn't painful, but i am now aware of the dryness of every breath and i can't imagine this constant disruption of the healing scabs is very good. p.s. no, i don't take anything that can be considered a blood thinner. i think it is purely a chemo or herceptin side effect and yes, i have an all-night vaporizer going, to no avail. thank you for any tips you may have. valerie

[ElaineM]

Have you seen this thread?
Tykerb SE's -OUCH!! (http://her2support.org/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=43267)
jml
You might have something in common besides being co-members.

[StephN]

I had to discover saline spray and a gel mady by AYR to help my nostrils through my chemos.

I did not use vaseline. You may find other products to help in a local natural foods or supplements store. You can make you own saline solution if you don't want to spend $3 or $4 on each container at the stores.

[Carolyns]

Hi - Great question. I have found Ocean Gel to be very helpful for me. It is not a spray but a gel and that is what I need something that stays put.

I buy mine at Walgreens in the area where they have saline nasal spray. Here is a link to the website:

http://flemingpharma.com/content/view/111/91/

[v-ness]

thank you. saline spray didn't occur to me because to me salt = dryness, like your skin after the beach. but i just ran to the pharmacy and that's exactly what the pharmacist suggested so i just took a couple snorts of Ocean something or other. i've just felt like i was breathing through 2 raw holes in my face.

i'm sure i need to be hydrating better too. my lips are raw and chapped. i hate winter.

p.s. carolyn - just saw your post. wish i'd seen the gel! that makes more sense.
v

[vlcarr]

My onc said to use A&D ointment in my nose--worked well for me.

[Carolyns]

Some times the gel is there on the shelf and sometimes it is not. The Walgreens where I go is near to my cancer center and my cancer center has samples of the gel on hand. My guess is that many go to Walgreens when the samples run out and that is why they stock it. Anyway, it really does the trick for me.

Good luck. Carolyn

[yankeebikachic]

Its cold and dry, it's winter and you are getting treatment. But of course, you are having nosebleeds! You can of course tell your doctor, but I would just get some saline nasal spray at the pharmacy. I had to use it during my treatment when I started turning the heat on in winter. Also, use a humidifier.
Beth

[CindyE]

I too had nose bleeds during chemo. Had a few really bad ones that just wouldn't stop for like an hour. I used some saline spray and it helped alittle but just had to deal with the bleeding when it happened. Thankfully once chemo was over and my body and my counts got back to some normalcy, I didn't have any more nose bleeds.

[v-ness]

for the record, i've had a humidifier going. so far the saline spray is OK but it dries up quickly. i may go look for that A&D cream tomorrow. something that actually stays put and presumably sinks in sounds good. however, saline has equaled no blood today even if my nose still hurts. thanks, guys. valerie

[Laurel]

Toward the end of treatment nosebleeds are fairly common as your counts are lower and lower. I suggest a bit of B-complex. That worked well for me. Nosebleeds are a bit scary.

[vlcarr]

I wanted to mention that the A&D helped with my nose not being so sore and crusty. I would feel like I had sores in my nose along with the bleeding.

[Chelee]

As already mentions the Ocean saline spray works well. Keeps things moist. I know of one women I chatted with at my cancer center once...she ran into the same problem you have. She was having really bad nose bleeds/clots. That's when her onc told her to get the Ocean spray and also gave her some type of ointment that was an anti-biotic that you put a tiny bit on a Q-tip and spread it around in each nostril. She said it had her nose feeling great in two days. Got rid of the scabs almost immediately. I don't know the name of the ointment...but you might want to ask your onc about it.

Once you get it all healed up, and continue with the saline spray it should be ok after that. By the way...I tried the Ocean spray "Gel". I thought that would be great, (NOT) It's not thick enough and doesn't really coat the inside of the nose like I'd hoped it would. I was disappointed. I've had better luck taking a Q-Tip and wiping regular Chapstick inside my nose. Works great for me. The Chapstick keeps that dried up crusty crap away when I'm on Herceptin.

Chelee

[StephN]

I think Chelee is talking about Neosporin or Bacitracin. They are both clear salves that are antibiotic. I still use them applied with a Q-tip when I have a cold, or going on an airplane!

[harrie]

Valerie, I had that problem with TCH. The chemo effects mucous linings such as inside the nose. I tried the yoga nose washes...didn't help much. What did help for me was to swab a little neosporin inside my nose before going to bed.

[DanaRT]

I suffered terrible nose bleeds while on TCH. They would last a long time. The blood would run out making a huge mess. It frightened my co-workers when they saw how quick it came on. It was a sore in my nose that needed cauterized. I used neosporin while it healed but had to be careful not to disrupt the healing process when applying it. The cauterization was a success!

Dana

[Jackie07]

I think I started to pay attention to my hydration - drinking plenty of fluid after I had experienced the 'bloody nose syndrome;. I was told by the nurse practioner to use vasaline inside my nostril. I also tried to breathe in some 'steam' off a pot of boiling water (cheaper than getting a steamer :) - it's also like a home-made humidifier (sorry, I'm just 'cheap', but it worked:)

I think getting plenty of fluid is the most important part. I've been having dry and chapped lips and dry blood inside of my nose every day the past few months. After I had the hysterectomy/oophorectomy done in the hospital last Thursday, I ate several meals there that was basically juice + juice + juice + milk + soup. And I noticed that I didn't have the dry lips and bloody nose any more - even with the air filter going on all the time in my room.

So I began to drink more juice, eat more soup after I was discharged from the hospital. So far my lips have stayed normal (not peeling.) and I haven't experienced any dry blood inside of my nose.

[suzan w]

I do not have any tips for you, unfortunately...I also get frequent nosebleeds. They started during chemo. They are not as severe now as they were, but every once in a while I get a doozey, usually in the morning. I have learned to go around with a wadded up tissue hanging out of my nose when they happen. Do you have a visual???!!! xo Suzan

[lizm100]

How about natural vitamin E oil? I know Vitamin E can thin the blood when taken internally but I doubt it would if applied topically. I know it helps to heal skin abrasions and moisturizes at the same time. You can either buy it in soft gel form or in bottle form, is relatively inexpensive and is multi-purpose.

I almost forgot to mention that I also use organic almond oil by the NOW brand for moisturizing as well. It's an oil that you can apply topically and cook with it, so know it's definitely not toxic when taken internally.

[islandgirl]

Greetings: I appreciate your concern about nosebleeds. Mine were daily on Taxol and Herceptin, now, with just Herceptin, it is very dry, but with bleeds. I have used non-pertroleum based vaseline and/or olive oil on a q-tip (sounds weird, I know, but it worked). It's such a goofy side effect - but daily an irritating thing. Wishing you the best.

Jude