Nosebleeds and Vitamin K

 Ok- I have been having nose bleeds on and off for a few weeks now.  Sometimes once a day, sometimes more.  I am really getting tired of this and I'm starting to get concerned.  Since we are prone to vitamin deficiency, I was quick to link these to a possible low level of Vitamin K, since it is responsible for helping blood to clot.  My doctor's office kind of brushed me off when I called last week and said it was likely dry nasal cavaties.   My last round of blood work was done at the end of June and all of my numbers were within normal limits, even my protein was good!  So I was wondering if you guys might have a suggestion as to what it might be?  Has anyone else had a similar experience?

FWIW, my vitamin K has been in the tank for almost a year AND I take a pretty hefty dose of blood thinner daily, but have not had a single nosebleed.  I did, however, have periodic nosebleeds when I was early out and did not have enough fat in my diet.  It seemed that my nose was dry along with the rest of my skin.  Once I added in some "good" fat (almonds) to address that and a couple of other related but minor issues, the nosebleeds stopped.

Might be completely coincidental, but...

Lora

I use vitamin K daily, but for help with bruising. I used to get large bruises on my forearms, without any trauma to my arms that I honestly remembered. Bruises used to be the size of half dollars.  Bruising is fare less, about dime size, but the result of trauma.

My nose bleed issue was treated with silver nitrate on several occasions with no long term solution. I finally ended up going to a ENT doctor. He applied a local anesthetic while I was on a gurney in the urgent care center.  He took some forcepts (seemed like 10 inches long while he worked) and placed about 30 inches of a medicated gauze in each of my nasal passages.  This was very painful some 10 minutes later. I lived on pain medication for a week, while I could not work.  This seemed to work well, as this was some 45 years ago now, with no more nose bleeds.

 On the topic of nose bleeds, I suffered from this issue when I was around 19-20 old.  These nose bleeds would happen spontaneously and were inconvenient.  I remember being on a date, and having a nose bleed while I was eating my salad.  I leaned a trick from a guy I met.  Using a napkin, roll it up into the diameter of a cigarette, and about 2 inches long.  Push the rolled napkin under your upper lip, pushing it up between your gums and lip as far as possible.  Use facial muscles to push you upper lip down for a few seconds.  In 99% of cases, the nose bleed stops within seconds.  This process restricts flow of blood vessels in nasal passages that have ruptured and cause the nose bleed.  I had an 8 year old neighbor girl some years later who had a severe nose bleed for almost 30 minutes. Her mom came over in a panic. I rolled a napkin, and told her mom how to place it on her daughter. Nose bleed stopped right away. Still later, my son was involved in soccer. A fellow teamate took a hard kick of the soccer ball in the nose. Coaches tried for over 10 minutes and could not stop nose bleed.  Napkin worked well again. Coaches looked at me like it was magic. It does work, and this may help you for the time being. DAVE

 

Did they check your vitamin K when you had blood work done in June?  Many docs don't routinely test for that.  Sometimes you have to specifically request it.

How was your vitamin A?

 Lora- I know what you mean about the dry skin...I practically soak in lotion every day and still feel dry.  As far as fats in my diet go, I am very scared of adding back anything that might sabotage me, so my fat intake is next to nothing.  Even good fats scare me a little (stupid I know), Im always afraid they will lead me astray little by litte being a recovering food addict and all.  Kind of the "gateway drug" of bad eating or something.   I really need to focus on getting more good fats in my diet. 

Dave-thanks for the advice.  I will have to try to paper trick next go 'round.  My nose bled this morning while I was making breakfast.  I had to stop breakfast and just wait it out.

Kelly-I don't think they checked my Vitamin K when they did my labs.  They did check my vitamin A and my vitamin D (I knew to request this one since I have been deficient since my 3 month check up).  They were both normal.  I do not supplement with fat soluable vitamins though and I have noticed that some people on these boards do.  My surgeon says he only recommends ADEK supplements for his DS patients since they have a larger section of bowel bypassed.  I am wondering if I should pick up some of these just in case.  I am NOT a vitamin guru by any stretch of the imagination and only know enough to get me through.  I currently take Calcuim plus vit D, a multi, a B-12 and and Iron.

Thanks for the replies!  
Elaine

My thinking is to supplement the fat soluble vitamins if you are low and don't supplement them if your levels are good.  You can ask them to check your K now, if you want.

As far as your A and D, did you see what the actual numbers were?  I ask because docs very frequently say that your D is fine when it's not.  Below 80, we're at higher risk for stuff like osteoporis and heart disease.  But I don't think nosebleeds would be caused by low D.