Spider angioma

[MrsT84]

Hi all,

My husband, who is diagnosed with cirrhosis, has what I think is a spider angioma on his chest. This started bleeding last night after he scratched it, and it took ages to stop the bleeding. Has anybody else experienced this, and does anybody know the best way to stop the bleeding?

Many thanks

[AyrshireK]

Hi, one problem which develops with cirrhosis is a low platelet count and slow blood clotting times and this make stopping even the smallest of bleeds really difficult. You should mention this to his consultant next time round and platelet count and INR (clotting) should be measured during routine bloods.

As regards how to stop such a bleed, direct pressure with something clean but being careful not to dislodge any scab which forms because bleeding will most likely resume.

Sadly easy bruising and difficulty stopping even small bleeds is a symptom of cirrhosis.

If you haven't already seen it the British Liver Trust page on cirrhosis will give you guidance on what sort of symptoms you might expect and what might be normal or not. There is also a downloadable guidance leaftlet. When my hubby was first diagnosed it was the first information I had on the condition and it was shocking to see actually how many symptoms he had been displaying without us even knowing he had an underlying health issue.

The BLT page for cirrhosis is at :- britishlivertrust.org.uk/li...

All the best to you both,

Katie x

[MrsT84 in reply to AyrshireK]

Thanks Katie, I wasn't sure if he needed to give his alcohol liaison nurse a call, whether spider angioma had to be treated any differently to usual bleeding. I know it might seem stupid but we're fairly new to this, and I'm worrying about every single little thing, convinced it means that he's about to keel over....I'm sure we'll get used to living with the illness in time.

Hubby hasn't had a drink all month, so hopefully his last episode will be his last, and things will stabilise.

We aren't seeing the consultant for two weeks now, so will mention it next time.

xXx

[AyrshireK in reply to MrsT84]

I wouldn't think a bleed from a spider angioma needs any different treatment - it is just another fine blood vessel which has expanded and burst with his scratching.

Has your hubby had an endoscopy to check for varices in his oesophagus yet ? because should they burst they also bleed uncontrollably and that is scary, sadly it was a massive upper GI bleed which brought to light my hubbies cirrhosis and to say it came like a bolt out of the blue is an understatement. Hubby was fit, healthy, tee-total, long distance walker and wham overnight a huge bleed, hospitalisation and diagnosis of cirrhosis.

Any queries don't be scared to ask away, it is scary to be alone in the house with an unwell loved one and new symptoms appearing all the time. Been there and done that and only too happy to help others who find themselves in the same boat.

This page and the BLT main page where my support right from day one back in April 2012.

Love and best wishes,

Katie xx

[MrsT84 in reply to AyrshireK]

He hasn't, that is on my list for the next appointment too...I bet the consultant is sick of me and notepad of questions!

That must have been an awful shock to you and your husband. I tell my husband these stories to make him see he isn't alone in his suffering, and at least he has a chance to stop things in their tracks by knocking alcohol on the head.

This page really does help, and it's good to hear from the partners of people with liver disease, who are going through the same situation as myself. I'm lucky to have some amazing friends who will listen to me all day long, but they don't understand the same as people who are dealing with the same thing. That said I couldn't have got this far without them.

Cheers Katie. xXx

[AyrshireK in reply to MrsT84]

We do the notepad of questions thing too, absolutely no good going there and then leaving with questions still going round in your head. I take a pen and write answers down because hubby often wants to discuss the answers over and over, he has minor HE symptoms and forgets things or gets things confused so it's good to have the answers written down too. Plus you can refer back to them in the future.

Hubby and I sit down before every clinic appointment and chat over things he wants to ask. I take a list of his current meds, his current symptoms including any changes no matter how seemingly minor and a list of questions we both want answering. We go to two different hospitals - local who just want to be kept in the loop because in an emergency that will be our first port of call & the transplant unit in Edinburgh.

There is nothing we can do to rectify or slow hubbies cirrhosis, his is due to auto-immune hepatitis (they think) but his has been and done its damage before it could be treated or stopped. The massive bleed was indeed a shocker, the week before we'd been a long walk in Yorkshire on holiday camping, two days before he'd been with me humping huge amounts of battle re-enacting gear into and out of a school and doing a school talk and the next thing he's in A&E and then High Dependency Unit on drips and all sorts and a nurse tells me he's got advanced liver disease. Would never have imagined it in the world!

So that was April 2012, referred to TP unit in June 2013, assessed for TP June 2014 and listed for 10 months before removal from list 'cos bloods improved a bit. Now just waiting, trying to live life the best we can. TP may come back onto the cards or may not. Being monitored and carrying on.

Hope your hubby can stay off the booze and give himself the very best chance of recovery because he won't even have the chance of transplant if he takes any alcohol - they can/will just refuse to either put him forward for assessment or will strike off list.

Stay in touch, this forum has been a godsend for many of us, a good place to rant, rave, bounce ideas about and get support from loads of others who are going through the same.

Katie xx