1. Community
  2. Mental health
  3. Alcohol Consumption

bleeding nose and headaches

Posted , 5 users are following.

monique_93857
monique_93857

my sister recently was in the hospital due to her drinking problem she almost died she has a fatty liver swelling of her legs hep c so many other probles due to her drinking she was a binge drinker she has been out the hospital for almost a month but she has developed a bleeding nose all the time and headaches is this normal i am very worried about her 

1 like, 8 replies

8 Replies

  • PaulJTurner1964
    PaulJTurner1964 monique_93857

    Posted

    It is common for people who drink too much alcohol to get a lot of burst blood vessels. Sometimes you can see this on the face, particularly the outside of the nose, but those inside are weakened by drinking, too.

    The nosebleeds themselves are not dangerous but, because these are indicative of an underlying health condition (in this case, excessive alcohol consumption), which can cause other more dangerous symptoms, she needs to do something about her drinking. I'm sure I didn't need to tell you that.

    It is worth looking into The Sinclair Method of which there is plenty of discussion in this forum. Other threads about The Sinclair Method have titles containing the names of the drugs used for it, naltrexone and nalmefene. You can also Google 'The Sinclair Method' or Google 'C3 Europe' which is a website raising awareness of The Sinclair Method (the person who runs it, Joanna, posts here too). The Sinclair Method is the most effective treatment for alcohol addiction with a 78% success rate compared to less than 10% success rate for any other method in the world.

    • monique_93857
      monique_93857 PaulJTurner1964

      Posted

      thank you so much for the advise she has only been off alcohol for almost a month i have tried over and over to get her into a rehab but no success she is now on 16 different meds due to her liver being so poor i am scared to death of losing my sister she has to take this syrup to keep her level down so she doesn't get so forgetful or wacky lord it has taken a toll on me and my family 
    • RHGB
      RHGB monique_93857

      Posted

      Also if she has a damaged liver, it cannot produce the proteins required to prevent external clotting or coagulation of the blood. It means you tend to bleed more easily and whe wound has difficulty scabbing up and drying out.

      The syrup is called Lactulose, it helps rid the body of toxins where the liver can no longer do this.In particular, ammonia, which if left unchecked will rise to the brain and cause mental impairment.

      She will be taking thiamine (b1) to help her memory and vitamin b complex/strong to try and help the liver repair. Along with her host of other pills to help her condition. Please ensure that she continues to take her medication, it will probably be for life, but they all do a specific job.

      I have seen (and heard) a patient in hospital that has complete and utter breakdown of her mental health (mad woman would describe her) and it isn't pleasant and usually non reversible.

      I take it that she was given a detox whilst in hospital? This will have stopped the phsyical cravings, but if she drinks again, they will return and it usually gets harder each time, due to a process called kindling.

      What it won't have done is stop the psychological cravings and she will have to strive hard to keepaway from situations where she might get tempted to drink. The system Paul describes is a good one I believe, but I fear your sister's liver is too far gone for that and she should abstain completely. It could work for her, but it is better if she just stops now.

      I don't want to paint a picture of doom, most of the time these situations can be pulled back, the liver is quite resillient and good at repairing itself, but only if it is given a chance. That means, keep taking the medication and stay off the booze.

    • monique_93857
      monique_93857 RHGB

      Posted

      Thank you for understanding I fear daily for her I pray more for her than I do for myself it's hard watching her she has moved back home now I had her with me for a month taking care of her but now she is able to get around shower cook etc etc etc my biggest concern is that she is home now I call a couple times a day just to check on her and to listen to her speech afraid to hear certain words that she only use when she's drinking well again thank you so much for helping me out and sharing your knowledge
    • RHGB
      RHGB monique_93857

      Posted

      Well, I have the knowledge, because I have been there and I am taking those medicines. She will get better if she keeps off of the booze and takes the medication. Also she will die if she carries on drinking and doesn't bother with the medication.

      Does she live with anyone? If not, that's a sure fire recipe for her to resort to the bottle. If she lives alone, she should really move in with someone. Someone who can see that she takes her medication and keeps away from alcohol, and most importantly, give support.

    • monique_93857
      monique_93857 RHGB

      Posted

      she was living with me for a little bit but she was ready to go home she wanted to be in her home 
    • RHGB
      RHGB monique_93857

      Posted

      I know the feeling, after two months in hospital, I told them if they didn't discharge me, I would self discharge.

      I just wanted to go to a comforting environment. Where I could get some decent sleep. I was in for a stroke initially, but then became jaundiced and they diagnosed the liver problems. I can't believe they used to wake me up at 2:00am every day, for obs, as they called it, blood pressure, pulse and temp. They did it every four hours on the dot, relentlessly.

  • h1954
    h1954 monique_93857

    Posted

    So sorry to hear about your sister. Hopefully she is now getting the treatment she needs. Nothing to add to the other's comments, but the headaches might be a symptom of alcohol withdrawal, and in that sense are a good thing, as a counsellor once told me when I moaned that I still woke with a headache even when I hadn't been drinking! Hope your sister goes on OK.
Back to top

Report or request deletion

Thanks for your help!

We want the community to be a useful resource for our users but it is important to remember that the community are not moderated or reviewed by doctors and so you should not rely on opinions or advice given by other users in respect of any healthcare matters. Always speak to your doctor before acting and in cases of emergency seek appropriate medical assistance immediately. Use of the community is subject to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and steps will be taken to remove posts identified as being in breach of those terms.