Vomiting blood

[Boo 3]

I hope you are getting the help you need!

(BB: If you look back about 8 posts, you'll see they weren't the first words.)

[Kat817 19]

Sounds to me like you may have what is called a Mallory Weiss tear of the esophagus. They are tears, inside the esophagus itself. They can be minor, or VERY serious. In your case it sounds like they may be bleeding, and when you fill up, you vomit. The scary thing is, the repeated vomiting is what often causes them, and can make them considerably worse.

My DH had a tear similar to a MW---caused by non therapuetic levels of blood thinner he was given. His tore bilaterally where the esophagus meets the stomach---and he almost bled to death in minutes. They did an experimental procedure and managed to save his life. But the Dr. come out and told me to get his kids there, he would likely die in the next 15 minutes.

This is NOTHING to mess with! It is time to find a Dr. who will look into this seriously before your family is finding a mortuary! Yes I am trying to scare you----when it happen to my DH it was the worst---I have never been so afraid in my life. PLEASE take it serious!

Kat

[lildarlin 0]

Yes, if there has been a huge error the patient does have recourse. But we tend to be very sue happy in this country and it is expensive for everyone else.

I'm just always amazed at how when one side of a story is told the first comment out of the mouths of some (or typing fingers) has something to do with a lawsuit.

I totally agree and totally off topic here...mainly because I am the recipient of said lawsuit. DH and I were sued for 1/2 million dollars about 10 years ago because it was an icy evening, roads hadn't been plowed and DH slid on the ice into the path of an oncoming car which t-boned him. The only injury was passenger of the car who went to the hospital and they literally put a bandaid on the cuticle of her finger!

Yet we were sued THAT! Plus an additional 25,000 from her husband for "lack of services". We joked that she must have had some magical freaking fingers to not be able to service her man from a simple scratch on her finger. Plus I knew where she worked and had some spies watching to see if her finger was totally useless, nope, she could type with that finger just as well as I can!

Totally bogus, they were awarded some money, but not without a fight first. Our insurance company rocks. Just thoughts from someone who has been burned......

[HarleyNana 10]

Never hurts to get a second opinion, except maybe in the wallet, though this could be a very serious condition.

[A.M. 0]

Hi there I was wondering if people could tell me if I have cause for concern or not....:help:

I was banded in Dec 03 and have since lost 55kg! YAY:) . A year later the first band slipped and I had a new one put in.

My problem is that since I had the first one put in (and it has continued in the second one) I vomit blood - often about 3-4 times a week. It usually only happens at night and can be old blood (dark red) or new blood (less often). I think it is related to vomiting up dinner or some prior irritation but I have noticed this is not always the case.

I wake and have to be sick and sure enough it is very very often very bloody. I don't think it can be because the band is too tight as I am now eating quite a lot during the day (compared to what I had been eating. Also I don't think its slippage as I know what that felt like). It doesn't bother me in the sense that there is no pain but surely it can't be good for me..

The doctor just says its nothing to worry about that my two sides of the stomach in the band are rubbing against each other and causing bleeding into the stomach - but could this lead to nasty complications down the track? I am unsure as to what to do leave it (as I can live with it now the super shock value is nil when it happens and it doesn't hurt) but don't want to be foolish either and do nothing ... Does anyone else continually have this experience? Does anyone have any advice? Many thanks

Hi bowerbird,

I have had the same problem of vomitting blood in the middle of night.

I finaly got the doctor to put a scope down my throat and takea look to see what was going on.

Well this was last week on Tuesday.

Got the reports / He found lesions caused by acid reflux which would bleed if strained or if I ate hard food.

Changed my diet as he recommended (soft non spicy foods and double dose of nexium to prevent any acid build up)

Vomiting blood has stopped since and acid reflux is a lot better.

I hope my experince helps you and would advise you get your self checked out.

Feb 07 2007 Lap Banded weight 345 lbs

present weight is 300 lbs

[bowerbird 0]

Hi everyone, thanks for all the replies to my thread. I thought you all deserved an update.

I ended up going back to the doctor and demanding an endoscope as I was beginning to get quite nervous. He said all looked fine (band in the right place etc) but there were ulcers caused by food irritation and these were what was causing the bleeding. He gave me some Nexium and said don't worry about it.

Anyway I asked him last week to take some Fluid out even though I wasn't sure I in fact was too tight. I only have 1mill in my band now so its not much at all. It is still happening :confused:

The thing is I don't eat spicy, gluggy (like bread), solid (like meat) or scratchy foods. I really eat Soups, sloppy foods as I am getting so so so sick of vomiting. So I can't understand its the food I eat. I wake up vomiting blood and bile into my mouth overnight even if I haven't eaten for hours before I go to bed. Because I am asleep when I vomit I must wake in a shock and take a deep breath as it seems I inhale the vomit and wake up in a spasm of coughing and that feeling its gone down the wrong way and I can't breathe.

Should I get yet another second opinion or does this sound like what AM had and just say eat nothing but liquid for two weeks to see if the lesions/ulcers heal?

Many thanks in advance

Henrietta

[bowerbird 0]

Sorry forgot to say - does anyone think this could be a band slippage at all?

[bowerbird 0]

Sorry didn't write everything I wanted down first time....

Two other things I wanted to point out is that I don't think my reflux is necessarily acid and I don't get heatburn or anything. Sometimes it can be mucousy but sometimes it is just liquid but doesn't taste that acidic. I also don't eat and try not to drink for over two hours before I go to bed.

I also don't eat acid, spicy or other foods that seem to set it off - I vomit blood even if I just have liquids ( and lie down within half an hour).

The vomiting can happen in the middle of the day but generally it is more at night...

[Manatee 3]

Maybe I missed it, but did you get a second opinion from another qualified doctor? If so, what did that doctor say? It's important to get that independent viewpoint, to get some 'new eyes' on the situation.

If you had a wound on the outside of your body that bled for months, you wouldn't just live with it. Why give an internal wound a pass?

[Kat817 19]

I would without hesitation get a second opinion. It does not sound to me as though everything is fine, if there are lesions present. As Boo said, when that is the case, I seem to always read that it indicates a complete unfill, and time to heal. If you have residual swelling, even the small amount could be too much.

You might ask your Dr, for a sterile specimin cup, and when you reflux or vomit in the night, you could collect some, to have tested. I don't even know if this is possible all you nurse/Dr types out there, I am just suggesting it might be.

I had a hiatal hernia repaired during banding, but it did not stay that way, and I deal with reflux. I cannot lie on my back---I always reflux! I worried at first it was band related, and had some tests done, and realized, I am doing exactly what my parents do, and they neither one are banded!!! I do not get heartburn to where I feel it either, but it was causing problems in my esophagus, so I do take medication OTC for it.

Another Dr, would go a long ways in giving you peace of mind if nothing else.

I do agree though, that a Dr, knowing a patient is throwing up blood for over a month, and is not concerned...is setting himself up for a lawsuit!

Please keep us updated.

Kat

[catzintj 1]

i vomited blood a week ago. i was having trouble getting food down and i went to doctor today and had an unfill. he said the prednisone i was on was too strong and irritated my stomach. but , he also said being too tight will cause erosion and bleeding is a sign of erosion. please get to doctor and get checked. any doctor that tells you "dont worry", sounds like he is too busy or not thinking straight at that moment. maybe you should seek a new doctor or talk to yours again. if you had troubles in the past you must be getting worried . i hope you feel better. i also advise you get your blood work checked for your hemaglobin and hematocrit levels, make sure you are not losing more blood than you think. also watch your electrolytes. dont want to get a low pottasium. i feel tons better since taking out some fill. this time im not going to fill anymore. i lost enough weight and i work out. but i have no regrets about the few troubles ive had. it has all been worth it. let us know how you do.

[catzintj 1]

oops i missed your update. glad that you saw the doctor. i only had 1.7cc in my band, and we took out 1cc today. i used to tolerate more fill but i think too many times vomiting caused me swell in the esophogus. i think an unfill and heal time would be good. we shouldnt be puking . thats not how it is supposed to be.

[bowerbird 0]

Thanks so much for your advice. It is a real help!

[Darragha 0]

If there is a legitimate case

Agreed. Retired paralegal here. I recall hearing, more than once, around the firm, that just because you have a poor result from a surgery does not necessarily mean it is malpractice. To "sue" someone you need to have measurable damages. Damages that can be proven (wage loss, medical bills, therapist bills from emotional stress, etc.).

I loathe the legal system. It is not a system of justice. But that rant goes in another post, on another day.

Go get a scope and puke blood in front of your doctor so that he'll "wake up" to your needs. (Okay...no puking...but you know what I mean).

Darr

[WASaBubbleButt 41]

I loathe the legal system. It is not a system of justice. But that rant goes in another post, on another day.

You should start a thread in the rants section. I'd love to hear some of your stories!