Question:
I've been getting terrible nose bleeds for the past week

I am six months post op, down seventy-two pounds and for the past week I have been getting horrible nose bleeds. I went to my doctor and he suggested I purchase a humidifier which I did. It is now 5:00 am and I'm just getting over another nose bleed. I am living in Germany where the weather is not the greatest but I've lived here a total of seven years and never had problems like this before. Anyone else have this problem? Other than this one problem, my recovery has been wonderful. Please advise.    — Teresa G. (posted on December 18, 2001)

December 18, 2001
Are you RNY? Have you been taking dry form vite E? Do you have red cheeks or anything like that? I'm just pondering if perhaps your capillary walls are weak from lack of vite E. We malabsorb that one along with a few others, but capillary walls is one thing that it protects. I don't know, not diagnosing, just pondering out loud,.
   — vitalady

December 18, 2001
Are you stressed out? Over 10 years ago I was caring for my dying grandma. Had bad headaches and nosebleeds a lot. They ended when she died. Doc said it was from stress. I dont know your situation but thoght I would pass this on.
   — bob-haller

December 19, 2001
Is he the only doctor in Germany? Frequent nosebleeds can be a sign of any number of serious problems that are totally unrelated to wls. Stop fiddling around and go see an ENT specialist. You are still a normal person and you are still subject to all sorts of illnesses and ailments that have absolutely nothing to do with wls.
   — [Anonymous]

December 19, 2001
I agree with other posters. Make sure you have blood works done to make sure it isn't wls related. What we always recommended to callers at our ER and hotline number was that normal nosebleeds will respond to sitting straight up looking forward.(don't tilt your head) Squeeze your nostril together up high on your nose for 10 solid minutes, if still bleeding blow your nose and squeeze/hold another 10min. That should stop it, if not an ENT needs to evaluate it. After you get your nosebleed stopped you can't lay flat, bend over or bear down or strain or warm items on your face for at least 12 hrs otherwise the pressure and or heat will start it again. If its just a moisture problem, humidifiers are great but no one uses them 24/7. Vaseline in your nostril will moisten the inside,(use qtips to get it far back in your nose) avoid cigarettes they make the blood vessels come to the surface so easily bleed, be careful of sipping hot fluids, hot steam dilates the blood vessels too. with allergies the blood vessels also are dilated on the surface that can cause nosebleeds. Hope its just a moisture problem, thats real common in winter.
   — Helen B.

December 19, 2001
I hope you know the proper way of stopping those nose bleeds! It isnt good to have that blood draining into your stomach! I learned back when I had a blood disorder, and Id get them all of a sudden, out of the blue. The trick is to keep your head upright, not tilted back, and squeeze your nose tightly, at the end of the cartlidge (sp?), right above your nostrils. This should stop the bleeding within a couple of minutes. I havent had this problem post-op, but, this will help you control them better! Good luck and God bless!
   — Kerry P.

December 19, 2001
I get bouts of nosebleeding every so often and they can be severe. One thing I due particularly in colder and drier months is too place vasaline at the base of my nostrils and just in side. It feels weird but is really helpful in keeping the small capillaries in your nose moist.
   — Laurie B.