Hi can any one help me. I have cut my thumb on a kitchen knife this morning. It is not deep and would normally be just a minor wound. However I am on asprin and anteplatelets to stop blood clots following a heart attack 4 weeks ago. It has been bleeding since 10 am this morning. For a total of 12 hours. Not lots of blood but seeping out.
Non stop bleeding from a cut. - British Heart Fou...
Non stop bleeding from a cut.
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madfox
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48 Replies
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Phone 111
Hi
If I were you I would phone 111 for advice I know it may sound petty but better to be safe than sorry and put you're mind at rest hope you get it sorted
Don’t worry too much it just shows your meds are working the way they should . But the doc won’t mind if you call just for reassurance.
Thank you
Blister plasters are very good but if it’s been bleeding non stop for that length of time it might suggest your meds are working a bit too well.
Go to your miner injury unit
Good morning. I recognise the problem. I've had a bypass and I'm on low-dose aspirin but no other anticoagulants and my thumb cut still oozed blood for a few days. The problem in my case was because the cut was on the knuckle of my right thumb. Because I'm right handed this thumb gets lots of use so the cut just opened up every time I used my hand to do anything. I don't think there's a special remedy. It just needs a good strong plaster that will apply a bit of pressure to the wound, and it would be even better if the plaster can be positioned to hold the cut together and reduce the movement. And try your best to avoid using that thumb for a while - it's not easy to do but will help! My cut has now healed and yours will too. Good luck.
in reply to Mart25
Good common sense answer.
Thank you. I was just a little concerned. When you are new to all this heart stuff small things like this make you a little bit anxious and I could not find any first aid advice online.
get a cannister of congealant, its a first aid bleed stopper, everyone should have it in the house when on blood thinners, hope this helps.
Thank you will get some.
Where can I buy this please?
off Amazon, it comes in a spray can, all of us on our heart site carry one.
Hi...I had the same problem a few months back, I put a wad of cotton wool pads with a coin on top and a light bandage.....I also bought a germolene product called new skin which can be applied directly to a cut but stings quite a bit. It works though and if you apply more than one coat it’s great no plasters and it’s waterproof. Do mention it to your doc or heart nurse they may lower your anticoagulant dose slightly.
Thank you for your help.
Hi madfox I had a similar problem with a nose bleed. We rang 111 and they asked if the volume of blood would fill a mug! It would...
2 ambulance and hospital transfer from Winchester to Southampton ended up on a surgical ward overnight but all was fine.
Their advice on leaving was to ring 111 if worried and let them advise.
Had this with shaving after my MIs. Bled for a full day. Spoke to my GP about it and she said to just apply pressure to the wound for at least 10mins. Surprisingly, it actually did the job, and all I did after that was stick a plaster of it.
I'm on an anticoagulant and small cuts on my fingers or hands can take two or three days to stop bleeding. I have found Woundseal very helpful. It's a powder that you apply to the cut that helps a scab to form. I heard about it on another HU forum and got some to try, works very well.
Thank you all for your reasuring advice and helpful tips. I will certainly give them a go. The bleeding is hardly coming out now and hopefully will continue to heal. Everything with a heart condition is a dharp learning curve. I am getting there. It is so good to have this forum so that I can ask for advice.
i cannot believe that no one on hear has heard of the congealant spray, its instant stop, no need for plasters not unless you want to keep it protected afterwards, but on the heart site i am on we all use it as the norm.
Steri strips help hold the two edges together,not sure if it would slow the bleeding.maybe need a plaster or something on top.
congealant spray, instant stop, never without it, every one should have it.
Dont forget to try and relax with your injured thumb resting above heart height where possible (it decreases blood flow the further above heart height you go). Also try the steri strips, any wound healing powders or potions and then wrap with something clean and apply ice. If that doesnt stop it Id be suprised. Best of luck!!!
Thank you, think I have it under control now. Every time I come across something new connected to the heart attack I am still going into anxiety/panic mode. Only been 4 weeks since the out of the blue heart attack.
all the best love, you will be alright.
Not sure if it would help stop a large cut but when I cut myself shaving I use Styptic pencil which does the trick. You can buy it from Chemists.
Thank you. Think I was in panic mode because it would not stop bleeding. Seems tohave stopped now I am down to just a plaster rather than several layers of gauze.
i cut my tongue the other day and could not use my congealant spray on that, but it stopped in the end, just took its time.
This is not a minor cut on my fnger. I am on Apixaban, similar action to your blood thinning medicine, and after it could not stop bleeding for 48 hourse I callled emergency number 111 for advice and they send an ambulance when I treated and was told that even some minor bleed should not be ignored in the future.Also to let my dentist know that I am on blood thinning medication, as well as notify doctors in advance before any surgeries, however minor since this can be extremely dangerous. Talk to your doctor about it, or seek advice from your cardiologist for further advice. Do not ignore it.
This is Arnika again to apologise for the first sentence of my reply to Maddox which does not make sense since for ssome reason I have lost part of the sentence. All I wanted to say is not to ignore the bleed, and that I had similar experice when I had a cut on my finger.
Hello.
Try not to worry. It is probably the aspirin. I cut my lip last week and it bend for 2 days. I take clopigrel instead of aspirin and that is the reason it bled so easily.
You'll be fine. Keep safe..
I had a friend some years back who had a bad cut on her finger which wouldn’t stop bleeding but wouldn’t go to a hospital, I recommended Hydrogen Peroxide at 20 vols and 6% solution which she diluted a portion of the peroxide with an equal amount of water and using cotton wool that she soaked in it cleaned and pressed down hard on the wound and the bleeding slowly stopped, she had to constantly use fresh cotton wool pads soaked in the peroxide which also disinfects the area. Much later she saw a nurse who said if she’d gone to the hospital and had stitches her finger would not have been out of shape but did say the hydrogen peroxide routine was a very good idea and prevented infection and had helped stop the bleeding. Just an idea but like others here I feel you really need to speak to 111 or your GP. Good luck.
I'm on warfarin after having a mechanical heart valve.
I keep styptic powder in the cupboard, just in case. Can sting a bit xAnd with the dogs I use cornflour to aid coagulation (old fashioned remedy) if I ever cut the quick in their nails.
But, best advice would be to apply pressure, keep elevated and seek professional advice if necessary x
For any cut:
Clean the wound - soap is fine - preferably using running hot water.
Apply a plaster or if necessary overlay that with a tight bandage.
Apply pressure* to the site of the wound for at least ten minutes.
Hold the affected area up above the level of your heart. Lay on the floor if necessary to put a leg up - rest it on a chair for comfort.
If there is seepage, do NOT remove plaster/bandage but use another bandage or towel - anything that can maintain pressure over the wound.
If there is still seepage after 30 minutes call 111.
*Pressure means to put force on to the wound and keep this pressure on.
I am on Apixiban and the above has always worked for me although it can initially be alarming as a small amount of blood looks much much more!
This is for the next time, I find that as soon as a cut happens, pressing it tight for about 5 minutes before washing or bandaging helps stop the bleeding right away.
Nothing beats a pinch of cayenne pepper.
I use a dab of crazy glue to seal the wound
In hospital recently my cannula slipped out causing the wound to spurt blood all over me and my white dressing gown, my bed and the floor. I couldn't reach the orange button to summon help as I would have spread the blood further around the ward so I shouted HELP as loud as I could. I must have looked like a scene from the Texas Chainsaw Massacre but all the nurse could say was please use your buzzer if you need help!There probably wasn't that much blood lost but it looked horrific and it was scary and funny at the same time.
I spent the next half hour with my arm in the air pressies g hard against the wound and it did stop.
I had this too - I had just had an Angiogram, so the 'wound' was a small surgical cut in my wrist for the cannula.
Pressure was applied by a cuff over the cut which was pumped full of air. Every hour or so, the pressure was reduced by a nurse with the idea that the would would close and I could go home.
I still don't quite know what I did but I was suddenly aware of three nurses running towards me and they looked really worried.....
I had somehow moved my wrist so the wound had opened and yes, when I looked down it was like the Texas Chainsaw Massacre! Blood everywhere, yet I hadn't felt a thing.
The nurses were great, managed to apply their gizmo to the cuff and soon stopped the bleeding but bedding, floor, nurses and me had a surprise!
A small amount of blood looks far worse than it often is!
The benefit of bleeding is that it tends to wash germs out of a wound (and get white blood cells to it).If you find yourself in a pool of blood - worry about stemming the flow - if not.. then keeping the wound sterile might be cause for concern.
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