Blood in mouth

[HerIndoors]

Hi, hubby is 18 months post total gastrectomy and 12 months post ECX chemo after the operation. In the last few weeks/months he has ocassionally woken to find a small quantity of blood on his pillow or shirt if he has fallen asleep in the chair. Unfortunately I haven’t been there when this has happened so only seen the results, which I would say were about 1 tablespoonful in amount. However, this morning hubby was awake early and, his words, suddenly he had a strange taste in his mouth and then blood came out that was far more than has been the case previously. He said it didn’t feel, or he wasn’t aware of it coming up from his gastric tract. Until today it has always been a little bit that one tends to forget about. It’s a nuisance because a shirt or pillowcase has to be changed, but not so much it sits in the mind and worries.

Further, he is still suffering with the ability to eat. He often vomits after food, although many times it is a case of hanging over the toilet and hoping to vomit to alleviate the discomfort in the abdomen from the food in the digestive tract. Also, at times he can only eat a few mouthfuls before feeling full, or uncomfortable.

He is booked in for a scan with contrast and an endoscopy because of his problems with eating and his weight loss, which has continued to fall ever since treatment Howevet, even on a cancer timescale setting it all seems to take so long (in the mind at least) before any answers are forthcoming. This timescale was also extended by a week because the scan was cancelled due to the weather last week.

I know it’s probably a bit obscure/a long shot, but I wondered if anyone else had come across/suffered from this problem.

[liz_crisp]

Hi,

I really don't know but my son when he was 18 went through a phase of blood on his pillow and coughing up blood early mornings which is as you say, very worrying, we discovered eventually his problem came from him having a nosebleed in the night and the blood running into his mouth and down his throat, or him swallowing it in his sleep. I would definitely get it checked by a doctor as a tablesoon is quite a lot.

The feeling of wanting to vomit to ease the pain is one I know well and found smaller portions or just grazing throughout the day helped if I tried to eat a full meal I would be vomiting it back up. It has taken years to get to the point where I eat a nearly normal sized meal and even then I fall asleep after it like you do after Christmas Dinner. 12 months since end of Chemo after the OP is no time at all really looking at my diary I had put on about 5kg since the op at most. I am 8 years on now and have finally put on weight in the last 2 years before it was a little bit on and then it would come off again.

Hope the scan goes well

Lizzy

[Golf1910]

I had a total gastrectomy coming up 6 years this June but haven't had blood come up although did have a nose bleed the other day a very unusual happening for me, have had other stuff at night with bile reflux but happy to say that has eased off over the years but have to sit up more cant lay flat, have an adjustable bed that does all that. I still suffer badly at times with bile reflux retching that is very painful plus at times I bring up the first 2 or 3 mouthfulls of food after which I can finish what I am eating, the pain in the oesophagus and below when swallowing either food or fluids is still there and presently awaiting an endoscopy to have a look see whats going on if anything.

When I had my op I was around 15 stone, have been keeping around 10 to 10.5 stone over past few years so losing weight is not unusual, just becomes expensive moving down from XL to S, some of the people who go to our patients group meetings with same issues have put weight back on so each case is so different even with same operation.

Not sure if any of that helps but hope hubby improves soon

Rob