Gums and bleeding

[Samsweet]

Hi. I had a heart attack 5 weeks ago. All fixed now, stent fitted and drugs given. However, my mouth suddenly fills with blood at least 4 times a day? My gums are as white as a sheet. Has anyone else had this experience or know why? I have a dental appointment in a few weeks so I'm hoping for some answers there too.

[Hidden]

Dear Samsweet

Time to contact somebody now, please.

GP/Heart Team/ 111 /A&E you have to get answers this is not right as you have already guessed so get it sorted.

Take care and please let us know

[Hidden]

Wot Hidden said. You need a health professional to advise.

And don't delay.

[Chappychap]

The medication you've been given makes it more difficult for your blood to clot, hence this kind of minor bleeding event becomes much more common. It's probably nothing to worry about (blood has such a strong taste that even a few drops in the mouth is very obvious) however, it's always best to seek qualified medical help.

Incidentally, there's a strong link between gum disease and heart disease, to the extent that for some people their heart problems are directly attributable to their pre-existing gum disease. So it would be worth having a discussion with your dentist to see if you do have gum disease and if so how can you step up your oral hygiene programme to combat it.

Good luck!

[Chappychap]

Both the NHS and the British Heart Foundation have published articles linking the two conditions.

Here's something from the BHF

bhf.org.uk/informationsuppo...

And here's an NHS study in Scotland showing that poor oral hygiene results in increased risk of heart disease.

networks.nhs.uk/news/brushi...

Many people think that "life style" just means things like exercise and diet, and they assume that being active and slim protects them from heart attacks, and indeed it does, but flossing and good sleep habits are also important life style factors.

[Gibson01]

The bleeding is most likely exacerbated by the dual anti platelet therapy which is intended to reduce the risk of blood clots forming in your heart. A side effect is that you may bruise and bleed more easily. Speak to your GP asap. It may be that the medication can be reduced, which will help.

[peterjones105]

Just a thought: is Ramipril part of your drug concoction? Gum bleeding is an uncommon side effect of Ranapril, mine was only slight and lasted just a few days.

[Hidden]

Hi Samsweet, I had a similar experience with horrendous nosebleeds, I was taken off ramipril and the dose replacement reduced. Go straight to doc now and have them sort it for you. Good luck.

[Jake321]

What Chappychat said is bang on but theres the issuse of gut absorption especially with new and current new medication mainly PPI inhibitors which are given as standard with heart medicines!

I stopped taking PPIs and found out it wasn't needed but doing harm..........PPIs have been associated with an increased risk of vitamin and mineral deficiencies impacting vitamin B12, vitamin C, calcium, iron and magnesium metabolism.

Cleaning my teeth between the gums with Interdental Brushes as a tooth brush alone isnt enough and wont't clean between the teeth and gums where plaque hides and the cause sof bleeding gums is a must!

So its the lack of vitamin C asorbtion that causes gum bleeding/diease often caused by PPIs like omeprazole.

There are other alternatives to PPIs with no nasty side effects but even if you dont take PPIs i'd still supplement with vitamin C period!!

"Bleeding Gums and Tooth Loss

Red, swollen, bleeding gums are another common sign of vitamin C deficiency.

Without adequate vitamin C, gum tissue becomes weakened and inflamed and blood vessels bleed more easily (20Trusted Source).

In advanced stages of vitamin C deficiency, gums may even appear purple and rotten (34Trusted Source).

Eventually, teeth can fall out due to unhealthy gums and weak dentin, the calcified inner layer of teeth (20Trusted Source, 26Trusted Source).

SUMMARY

Red, bleeding gums are a common sign of vitamin C deficiency, and severe deficiency can even lead to tooth loss."

[paw1 in reply to Jake321]

What are the alternatives to PPIs please?

[Petejake in reply to paw1]

First is do you actually have reflux disease (high acid production)? To little production has the same symptoms google it others mistakes are gastritis,inflammation of the stomach lining etc but the doctor will always issue ppis by default(protocol) .

[Hidden in reply to Jake321]

I have been taking PPIs for reflux disease (at a high dose) for at least 15 years and have none of the things you mention. And I don't take supplements, nor need to.

[Petejake in reply to Hidden]

I never had reflux disease but was issued PPI with heart my heart medicine and told to take them.....You do know lack of Stomach acid is very bad for the absorption of nutrients leading to health issues

Nothing to be proud of taking PPIs for 15 years mate point blank and period!

[Hidden in reply to Petejake]

Err . 'Proud' to take PPIs? A 'scared old person' who takes what I am given, as your later comment to Hidden .

I take all prescription medications with caution and weigh up the benefits and risks before I take them. I have taken PPIs for 15 years for reflux disease because I had no option. It's a for life thing, like most of the other drugs I am required to take. I am sure that most who have reflux disease will confirm that taking PPIs as a treatment is a game changer.

I am not proud to take any drug, I don't wear any badge of honour, but view them as an unfortunate necessity to keep me alive and/or maintain my quality of life.

In this case what I was commenting on was the doom and gloom perspective of taking PPIs, when my experience is different. Just like the comments we see on here about taking statins.

And as far as taking supplements I don't take them, because there is no need because I have a varied and hopefully healthy diet, and don't exhibit any of the signs of malnutrition in its broadest sense.

[Qualipop]

See either your doctor or a dentist as an emergency

[Gerhar]

How is your Iron level and blood pressure?

[Samsweet]

Thank you so much for your replies! I've taken your advice and have spoken to my GP today. He said that he can't take me off or reduce any drugs as yet as it's too soon after my event, however he is worried about me possibly being anemic so I have a full blood test on Saturday booked including my B12, (was very low last year) and Vit D. I'm continuing to chew Vit C tablets daily, so we'll see what happens with my results when they're back. I also have a dental appointment in a few weeks too.

[Loveswimmimg]

I assume you are on a blood thinner of some sort which can make your gums bleed a bit. However my dentist told me that gums will bleed more if there is gum disease, regardless of medication. So a visit to the dentist and hygienist to get some advice on cleaning to keep plaque at bay is a good idea. A little blood goes a long way so it probably looks worse than it is, but if your mouth is literally filling with blood then you should probably get it checked out by a doctor.

[Silvertail]

I would be seeing a GP as soon as possible. You could get an infection, which is definitely not good, and losing that blood is obviously not good for you. You would probably be on a blood thinner, which would add to the problem. Hope you will get some help sooner than later.

[Petejake]

I find a lot of scared old people on here who comment like you just take what there given !

I was given ppi with my heart medicines and I worked out they where the problem I never needed them in the first place.

The doctor didn’t work it out actually advised to keep taking them protocol my friend!

Your a different case to me. I still wouldn’t be happy taking them for 15 years