I just ended up taking 2 ambulances to the best hospital in Vienna and wanted to give other travelers some information that would have helped me.
It was only a bloody nose,but I lost a lot of blood. There are two groups that tend to get bloody noses. Children where it is almost always not serious and heals itself and adults over 50 where it is almost always serious and a trip to the hospital is usually needed. It can even be fatal...much to my surprise, in this age group.
I normally take no medicine at all, am healthy and have low blood pressure, so I was shocked when the first doctor said I was a bleeder and wondered if I was on coumadin or other blood thinner. It was a high artery that was affected as usual with adults ( compared to a small vein that is more typical in the child pattern).
I had taken nothing in two days, but the week before I had very carefully taken 4 advil pills. I took them on a full stomach and a day with nothing in between them.
Like many travelers I take them occasionally because I have a bad knee from an old injury and they help the inflammation so that I can walk a little longer.
I had not taken any in many weeks, but Prague is a walking city, and there was much that I wanted to see, so I took a little.
I have never had a nose bleed in my life before this. One morning in Prague ( after the first advil dose), I woke up in the morning shocked to find out I had blood all over because I must have had a nose bleed during the night.
I was dumbfounded as I felt fine and it had never happened before. We cleaned it up and we went on to tour thinking little about it as our thoughts about nosebleeds was the non serious kind that children have.
I did have a mild cold and we had to use heat as it was chilly at night. These are two things that contribute to possible nosebleeds.
About four days later in Vienna, I barely touched my nose our first morning and it began gushing like nothing I have ever experienced before.
The treatment for a bloody nose in an over 50 is to put cold water or ice on the back of your neck and lean forward and pinch the nose.
If it does not stop in ten minutes , get to the hospital!! We had to go to two, so it is better to find one that is big enough to have a nose specialist.
Mine bled on and off all day and we and the lay people around us did not realise how serious it was until it got really bad.
The specialist did stop the bleeding with a painful electrical probe and packing and each day I get a little stronger, but it is a much slower healing than I expected. Sometimes hospital stays are necessary.
So please be extra careful with advil, motrin or any ibropropen or aspirin. Be aware of the possibilities and take it very seriously if you are over 50.
I don't think I will take it again if I can help it.
Whoa, WT, so glad to hear to get good care. I am aware that certain medication - including over-the-counter and very often prescribed kind - can cause big coagulation problem, as I suffered from it once. There was a time when I could scratch my forehead ane blood would trickle down my face, because of the medication I was taking. -- Nothing serious like WT's bout, but it really shocked the people around me... It never hurts to - but most of us don't - read carefully all the fine print of the medication we take - even and especially the kind of medication that we consider mild. There's often some surprised contained. WT, you keep turning up in my fave spots. Preserve your health. I am always delighted to read your farflung posts.
What a scary thing to happen. Glad that your problem was properly taken care of.
At "our" age, you cannot take anything, even a nosebleed, for granted, so it was good that you got to the hospital.
Joe38 is right - Tylenol is ok, but the other drugs mentioned ARE NOT, in larger or more frequent doses. Sure, they're okay for the occasional ache, but always be careful taking them on a regular basis. And at the first sign of abnormal bleeding, please immediately stop taking these drugs. What they do is reduce the efficiency of your platelets, which are key to clotting properly.
I always get freaked when I read about other peoples' emergencies and visits to foreign hospitals. Besides a possible language barrier, you have no idea who is taking care of you, or if you're even at a reputable facility. I'm glad you got the care you needed, WT. Take it easy, and heal well.
I could scratch my forehead ane blood would trickle down my face,
Yuk! Something like that happened to my step father on coumadin. Scary stuff, I could not believe how much warm blood came gushing out my mouth and both nostrils, as I barely swiped my nose.
The scariest part is I was all alone when it was at its worse and would not stop, because my husband had taken our child out to play as I seemed to be on the mend. Luckily the blood trail led them to me before the ambulance took off.
Wait until you see the pics on the blog! Actually I will try to leave out the most gross but I am glad that my husband documented the experience in hopes the information may help someone else.
This is Sunday night and it happened on Tuesday and I am still not quite myself,so the slow recovery has really surprised me. I am almost back to my ornery self though and even took a few pictures today and walked in the sunshine. I am a very hearty type, so not use to feeling so weak.
Does anyone know how long it takes to get the advil out of one system?
I wonder if it was cumulative from what I have taken over this trip and not just those four pills. I have always taken them very cautiously and rarely as I had a friend who got an ulcer from them many years ago.
quote:
Besides a possible language barrier, you have no idea who is taking care of you, or if you're even at a reputable facility.
Well that is true when you travel in the U.S. and really at home too, as most people are not fully aware exactly how good or bad thier hospital or individual doctors are. I use to be a nurse and you get some real inside looks at things that way.
We have had a few medical emergencies in 3 countries on this trip and so far we have been very lucky and have gotten wonderful treatment and people spoke English every time.
It has also been AMAZINGLY cheap. The people in the ambulance and hospital were great...even gave us a gift and allowed Mozart and my husband to stay with me.
The ambulance cost 34 euros!! I remember an ambulance I had to take when I crushed my knee while running in the woods many years ago that was in the thousands for a five minute trip.
I was in the best hosptial in Vienna, the largest in Austria and I felt very confident that I was going to get good care. Perhaps I have been very lucky, but thus far my experiences in Europe have seemed similar or better than home.
That has been a surprise. Of course there are some places that I have been that I probably would not feel as confident about.
I suppose there is never a good place to get sick or have an emergency, although some are certainly worse.
Thank you Americana in Parigi, Terri and Denise for your kind words!
olalalalala, WT, you feel weak because you lost a lot of blood, remember ??? Your weak feeling is normal. Don't push it. Rest is one thing you cannot accelerate, even though I wish you... a speedy recovery.
WT, so sorry to hear about your incident. Advil can creep up on the platelets in you body, making you bleed very easy. Take care! I love your blog by the way!
Advil is my drug of choice and I use it monthly as I get terrible cramps. It is basically the only thing that works for me and is a wonderful anti-inflammatory.
Their is a risk with all drugs including Tylenol. Their have been people who have died taking Tylenol. Liver problems particularly especially if you drink and I am talking only moderately.
Posts: 1366 | Location: Seattle - next is Isla Mujeres,MX in December, then its Paris in March, then hopefully England! | Registered: 02 May 2005
Their is a risk with all drugs including Tylenol. Their have been people who have died taking Tylenol. Liver problems particularly especially if you drink and I am talking only moderately.
You ain't kidding. I'm not allowed to take any of those medications anywhere near the time I may have a drink (yes, I mean a single glass of wine) b/c a few years ago, I had some elevated liver enzymes. The doctor told me not to drink if I'm taking any pain meds. I rarely drink more than a glass of wine or two at a sitting and rarely more than once or twice a week - so this was a surprise. Anyway, I listened to him and everything returned to normal.
So now, on a Saturday afternoon, if I get sore from a long bike ride and Chris says, take some advil, I say, "No way." I didn't ride all those miles to have some advil, I rode them to enjoy a glass of red with dinner!
Originally posted by lesfaye: Advil is my drug of choice and I use it monthly as I get terrible cramps. It is basically the only thing that works for me and is a wonderful anti-inflammatory.
Have you tried Aleve? My OB/GYN husband thinks it works better for cramps than the others, but that is all very personal. I wouldn't take it on an empty stomach nor too late in the day as it can cause stomach upset.
Pat
Posts: 1099 | Location: Rochester, NY and Bonita Springs, Fl | Registered: 18 September 2002
Originally posted by lesfaye: Advil is my drug of choice and I use it monthly as I get terrible cramps. It is basically the only thing that works for me and is a wonderful anti-inflammatory.
Have you tried Aleve? My OB/GYN husband thinks it works better for cramps than the others, but that is all very personal. I wouldn't take it on an empty stomach nor too late in the day as it can cause stomach upset.
Pat
Yes I have and it doesn't work for me. That's Motrine I think, don't know why but it does not do it for me.
Posts: 1366 | Location: Seattle - next is Isla Mujeres,MX in December, then its Paris in March, then hopefully England! | Registered: 02 May 2005
Advil is my drug of choice and I use it monthly as I get terrible cramps. It is basically the only thing that works for me and is a wonderful anti-inflammatory.
AMEN! Between cramps and sinus pain due to allergies I couldn't LIVE without my Advil. It is the only thing that relieves my nasal swelling. And it's actually a good thing to take before a flight as it does help thin the blood and this can aid in preventing deep vein thrombosis or economy class syndrome. Yep.
Aleve doesn't do poop for me. The same with Tylenol. I might as well white knuckle it as it has the same effect.
Advil (Ibuprofen as I often buy the generic stuff) is my friend.
"Does anyone know how long it takes to get the advil out of one system?"
Don't know exact answer to that question but I do know that Vit C is a natural detoxifier; I've been on cancer support teams a couple of times and we always recommend that when they prepare the patient IV pre-surgery, they put Vit C in it because many people's reaction isn't so much to the surgery as it is to the anesthetic. Sometimes we've gotten a "but Vit C hasn't been proven to have any beneficial effects" response and we just say that we're not there to debate it, just do it. And they do. No ill effects ever. Of course, we would have discussed this with the patient first for their permission (and have had an ongoing relationship with the patient). And, anyone with an allergy to Vit C would of course not even attempt this.
So, exclusive of IV's, I would start by taking 1000 mgs. of C twice daily WITH FOOD and gradually build up to 6000 mgs. a day over a period of about a week; sooner if you feel no adverse effects - too much C too soon can cause gut discomfort and/or loose bowels - each person needs to experiment a bit with the dosage. I will eat a banana each time I take the C myself. At any rate, this is a 'slow medicine' kind of way to assist one's body in ridding itself of toxins, doesn't cost much and in general any Vit C your body doesn't need will simply pass through in urine.
As always, 'take what you like and leave the rest.' Everyone's body is different, but personally I've found his helpful over the years.
Originally posted by lesfaye: That's Motrine I think, don't know why but it does not do it for me.
Actually, Motrin and Advil, both Ibuprofen, are the same, but Aleve is another drug, Naproxen Sodium. Well, no two drugs are exactly the same, as the buffers and other ingredients might vary, hence one may do better than another for you.
But then again...I'm only the doctor's wife, so my opinion is worth just what you paid for it!
Pat
Posts: 1099 | Location: Rochester, NY and Bonita Springs, Fl | Registered: 18 September 2002
Wow, WT. I came to this thread by looking for recent posts from you to check on how things were going, and now I see :-( I'm so sorry you had to go through this terrifying thing. I had a series of nosebleeds a year ago or so, and there's nothing quite so frightening. Glad you're on the mend.
This subject is near to my heart, or perhaps I should say stomach, as I'm convinced my episode with esophageal cancer in 1999 had to do with overusing a mix of Excedrin, Vit C--(OD'ing on 10 grams a day with grapefruit juice)--and Diet Coke to stay awake/perky while working long hours, then relaxing with vodka soda's a the end of the days. (Full story can be seen here).
In my case, the Excedrin was just one element of a very acidic set of 'lifestyle remedies' I was addicted to. It is sobering to see how even those whose use of such things--sold in US by bottles of 100's, but only available in France in tightly, maddeningly wrapped foil packets of 10 or so--is moderate to low can have such scary episodes.
As someone above said, take it easy! Rest will be very important for returning your blood to normal. The hoards of us loving your blog can easily wait for future installments!
Thanks all! I am happily back to myself again and feeling healthy and strong. We managed to still have a wonderful ten days in Vienna, but we did not get to see all that we wanted to see because I spent a week recovering.
We did have a wonderful music night last night and we loooove their gorgeous zoo ( oldest in the world) and new baby panda.
To clarify, I did NOT say that advil is bad or not to take it. My warning was just to other 50 plus folks who travel in Europe to be be VERY careful of the advil, motrin or aspirin that they take.
Like me, they may be very cautious, but may take more in Europe where long days of walking on cobblestones, standing and steep narrow stairs can cause an older body ( with former injuries that have gone arthritic) to ache.
In a weeks time I only took FOUR advil. I had not taken any in over a month. I took a single dose after my largest meal at lunch and took them every other day, never two days in a row.
I rarely drink wine or anything alcoholic, so I had nothing to drink during that time. I have had maybe five glasses of wine total in the last seven months.
I was taking no other medicine, eat healthy, have low blood pressure and low chloresterol.
I was aware of the problems with advil so took it very cautiously. I have taken almost no medicine including advil or aspirin my whole life.
That said, I have taken more advil this year than I ever have. Like the person who takes them once a month, I thought I was being very careful. I only took small amounts on rare occasions.
I was stunned to find out that FOUR pills taken very carefully could lead me to the kind of bleeding that could have killed me if I did not get to a good hospital.
I was astounded when the doctor said I was a bleeder and thought I was on cumadin, as I have never had a bleeding problem in my life.
If I just save one person from going through what I did, then I think the warning has been useful.
Being extremely careful with advil, motrin,aspirin etc was just one of the warnings. The second was to not take a bloody nose in a 50 plus year old in the same way one does with a child.
Had I gotten to the hospital sooner, I would not have lost so much blood. I also wasted time at the first hospital and waiting for the second ( while continuing to bleed). Warning three is get to a big hospital with a nose specialist.
The good news is I could write and sit while I recovered some, so I got ten more posts up on the blog. Grin.
Worry not, just think of my story or my friend who almost died from an ulcer from advil, or the many who do die from it every year, the next time you take it. Tread thoughtfully and carefully. Just know the possibilities and do what works for you.
Getting a drug out of your system, such as Advil, takes approximately 2-3 days, depending on how much one uses it and how your body absorbs the medication.
Also, taking NSAIDS (or anti-inflammatories)can raise blood pressure in some people with regular use, and increase liver enzymes.
Please, talk to your MD before taking these types of meds on a regular basis. Just because they are over-the-counter, does not mean they are 100% safe.
One further effect which can result from mega doses of Vitamin C: insomnia, of the worst kind. In 2000, I was getting injections of B12 and Vitamin C from my naturpath in Germany. The first C injection was 10,000 mgs. It was three days before I slept again. The next time, she lowered the dose to 5,000, injection form. The same thing happened. We scratched the vitamin C injections.
WT, man, your report really got my attention. Thanks for posting it, we really need to be aware of what is going on with
