Blood pressure meds & nosebleed questions...

[SoCalGal]

I have some decisions to make and will see my onc next week. In the meantime - you know - the opinions I want are right here on the board.

My b/p is up (130 over 80 something but I'm usually not more than 120's and used to be less than 120 over something low) - it's been rising gradually and it seems to be a trend (and is a common s/e of Avastin).

After checking with my Oncologist at my drip on Wednesday - my Nurse Practitioner said "here's what she's going to recommend" This will give you time to post and research on "your board". Funny!

First Question: Anyone on Norvasc 5mg daily?


I have had a couple of nosebleeds - also common s/e of Avastin. Not to mention the chronic raw/bloody weird nose stuff. (I keep nose coated w/polysporin or ayr gel or ayr spray or aquafore etc).

My ENT doc suggested cauterization for a couple of tiny areas before it's a bleeding problem. I told him I'd get back to him on that one. For now I am thinking NO WAY.

Second question: Is anyone having their noses cauterized?

Thanks for your feedback.
"Have a nice day"
Flori

[Sheila]

Flori
Chrisy and I both suffered from nosebleeds on Avastin...we were fightin for the kleenex when we roomed together in San Antonio last year. We also both developed high B/P...mine was usually 106/60, but after Avastin for a couple months, it continued to climb to the 170/90...180/98 range, and I went on B/P meds...which I am still on. Chrisy and I were both placed on Lisinopril which worked well for us.... My nosebleeds were frequent, but not heavy enough to consider cauterization...it seemsed that the raw areas caused the bleeding.

[Alyce]

Hi Flori- I had really bad nosebleeds during Chemo. What a mess, with clots and all! I finally had the one side cauterized and that solved it for the time being, it was a painless procedure, very quick and easy. I am now almost a year from my start date and I did have 2 bloody noses after our trip to Sedona. I think it was the dry air and the airplane air. Everything seems to be ok now.
Don't be afraid to get it cauterized.

[StephN]

Hi Flori -
Yes - I had nosebleeds with weeks and months of Taxol/Navelbine. Finally, after I finished the treatment and the bleeds continued (not real bad ones), I went to my ENT.

He used a little silver nitrate to cauterize a raw place about the size of the end of a pencil eraser in right nostril. Barely felt it. Bleeding stopped.

Took a while to heal because the skin is so thin and tender in that spot. Every time I would have to blow my nose I would break the scab. That was the hardest part of the healing.

[SoCalGal]

Thanks for the feedback. I am allergic to silver nitrate - I once had a very bad reaction to it. I'll have to remember to mention that if I ever go for the cauterization.
I think I am more worried about the blood pressure meds and the associated side effects - whatever they are.

[chrisy]

Sheila already filled you in on my experience, but the idea of cauterization - seems pretty extreme to me.

I do think it is important to gain control over the blood pressure tho before THAT becomes a problem. The lisinopril was pretty easy to take, and with where you're at a low dose (5mg) would probably be plenty. I know someone who takes norvasc and has a lot of problems with it. I'd ask your doctor about doing lisinopril instead - or at least check out the potential side effects of both and then ask why the recommendation of one over the other.

Good luck honey

[SoCalGal]

This is why I love you guys. I will most certainly ask her and am gearing up to add yet another pill to my arsenal. I thought I'd try to loose 5 pounds before I see my onc just to see if getting a little more lean and eating no salt would lower my pressure. (I am not exactly heavy). Meanwhile - since hatching the no salt and diet plan all I've done is eat potato chips...

[Pam P]

Flori -
I'm on avastin also. I do have nose bleeds too - but not often & usually only when I blow my nose. Sometimes with clots, but usually only a few days after I've had treatment. Mine aren't bad enough to consider doing anything about them.

The blood pressure has been a bigger issue for me. My b/p has always been low - 110/60 or so. It was climbing up to 165/94. I started having lots of shortness of breath & cardiac issues showing up on echo scans. I wrote about those on another thread. My onc. started me on benicar 10mg for b/p. It has brought my b/p down quickly & I've had no s/e. My insurance won't let me stay on benicar so next week I switch to lisinopril 10 mg. My shortness of breathe is virtually gone. I see the cardiologist for a follow-up on Thurs. & will give an update of what I learn.

[rebecca0623]

Flori - I have the same bp problems. Alarmingly high bp now. I went to "heart failure" specialist in Nashville. He and I spoke about herceptin and he has me on a beginning dose of Coreg 20mg which he will increase. Says the dose is 80mg and will add an ACE inhibitor eventually. Says this combo actually helps the heart heal which blocking the HER2 receptors with herceptin actually inhibits. He said glad to see someone before there was damage and he could be proactive. My echo confirmed my MUGA was incorrect and is actually around 65% not the 52% of my first MUGA (the problems with that technician and their efforts to draw blood then give it back to me are a story!). He has ordered a cardiac MRI for a new baseline. He says this actually will measure the size of the heart chambers and catch a problem before an EF decrease would show up. Hope this helps.

Also, I was having nosebleeds but don't sound as bad as yours. Onc. said first try a good, strong humidifier and that has worked well for me. Hope you get some good resolution.

[Sheila]

Flori
I forgot to mention I used ocean nasal spray several times a day to keep the membranse moist and it did help cut down on the frequency & severity of the nosebleeds...seems like high B/P is a common side effect!