Coughing up a very small amount of blood

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Back ground first.

Started having poorer Lung function early 2018, eventually Doctor sent me for an X-ray, November 2018, all clear, in the summer 2019 Doctor suggested it was nasal drip, by February 25th 2020 Lung function worse, I insisted he send me for another Xray, I was taking Citalopram for extreme anxiety and flash backs from abuse which happened decades ago, the Doctor that day increased my Citalopram to 40mg, next day I coughed a bit of blood up not much, but enough to worry me, went for the Xray next day thought it was probably linked to the high dosage of Citalopram, turned out Squamous Lung Cancer, not operable T2a N0 M0 also a couple of indeterminate 2 mm nodules, one in the left lung, other right lung, Had 20 fractions of 2.75 Greys radiation per session, 55 Grey's in all, Radiation treatment ended on the 9th June 2020, had CT scan November 2020, this showed  my Lung tumour had shrunk by more than 50%, the Oncologist said they would make a further appointment for February 2021.

Three days ago I coughed up a few specks of blood tiny just strands, yesterday slightly more, today a little more, still not that much that it worries me too much, just I have not coughed up any blood up since the 25th February 2020, been coughing specks of what I think must be tumour since my Radiation therapy, they are tiny mainly around 1 mm occasionally a little bigger,  just wonder if I should try and get in touch with the Lung nurses, not an easy task that in its self,  never mind trying to speak to an Oncologist.

Just thought I would ask, if it is worth bothering trying to get in touch with the Lung nurses,, my Doctor is pretty useless, as he did not even know I had Lung Cancer last time, I spoke to him, after making a  telephone appointment with him, he has been my doctor for 17 years.

  • Hi BGJ, yes it is worth trying to get in touch with the lung nurse. This could be nothing. It might be an infection. But we don’t know and it will only worry you sick not knowing. I don’t have faith in my GP either, go straight to the lung nurse. 
    Let us know how you get on. 

    Chelle 

    Try to be a rainbow,in somebody else's cloud
    Maya Angelou

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  • Totally agree with Chelle.  If you can’t get hold of the lung nurse phone 111 and tell them - they will contact a&e and you will be seen.  Sometimes you have to wait for quite a while even with cancer but they will be thorough- DO NOT LEAVE IT - let us know how you get on xx

    I woke up this morning - result!!

  • Thanks Chelle, have not spoken to a Lung nurse since, I got extremely bad side effects from the Steroid Prednisolone in October, I was put on those for Radiation Pnumonitis I had problems then getting in touch with them, as just an answering machine, says they will get back to you, trouble is they do not, some times they will,  they kept saying there was nothing else except Prednisolone, eventually got to speak to an Oncologist,  who agreed with me that I was better to carry on taking Ibuprofen rather than even try to carry on with the steroids, side effects were so bad from those steroids, took me a month to slightly improve, am still not right yet after those, I have a deep Beau line on my right forefinger of about 3mm and a lesser one on my right thumb, had these Beau lines after Radiation treatment as well, only on my forefinger and thumb though, Steroid ones are a third away from growing out now, checked into what nail Beau lines are, usually means your body has stopped making Keratin for your nails, as more urgent stuff to do, finger nails grow roughly 0.1 mm per day, distance up your nail means you can put a date to the Beau's lines, the width of the line gives you a time duration of when Keratin production was slowed.

    Will ring the Lung nurses and leave a message doubt they will get back to me before Tuesday that's if they do then, may be surprised, not sure if it's enough blood to ring, 111 MazLC only a slight bit, just it is noticable, normally if you do not have Lung Cancer they would say, it's normal to cough up specks of blood, been sleeping longer duration last few days which means my Pnumonitis is flaring up a bit, as Ibuprofen only works for around 4 hours I know about it when I wake up if Lung nurses have not got back to me by Sunday I will ring 111.

    Thank you Chelle and MazLC for your speedy replies. And all the best.

  • Rang the Lung nurses this morning, usual answering machine, as I expected, coughed a little more blood up today, twice after I woke up, nothing to right home about though, I had slept around 7 or 8 hours,  so the Ibuprofen will have worn off around four hours before I awoke, I was aware of Pneumonitis inflamation when I awoke, normally sleep around 3 to 5 hours, must be catch up time on sleep at present, once I had taken a couple of ibuprofen I was OK again.

    Have Felt a bit chesty over last few days, probably myself to blame,  as I have been out on my Electrically assisted bicycle, just to get a bit of exercise, and get out of the house, got drowned wet through, on the last few occasions,so that could be the cause and effect, my electric assisted bicycle has a high torque motor, to get me up the Pennine hills around here, so am not exactly healthy in that respect, but still pedal as much as I can within reason.

    Will ring 111 tomorrow, see what they say, that's if the Lung nurses do not get back to me, doubt they will though.

    Thanks again, will keep you posted.

  • Been to A&E took my bloods, seems as if they may have drafted the military in, Sargent major type on triage, and and the doctor had no people skills..

  • And???  Was that it?  They didn’t x-ray etc etc

    I woke up this morning - result!!