Nosebleeds and my DS

[Gizmosgremlins]

Looking for some reassurance...my DS has been getting some pretty awful nosebleeds one and off for 2 years. They tend to come in bouts and he has gone a few months at any one time with none at all and then will have 4 or 5 in the space of a couple of weeks. When it does bleed it tends to last for around an hour and is very heavy. Generally controllable by squeezing his nose but usually when we let go after the first 20 minutes it's still dripping immediately and heavily. He's had both sides cauterised...one side I think has worked but the other is still causing us bother. I'm starting to go into panic mode that it's a blood disorder such as Von Willebrands. Has anyone else experienced nosebleeds as long lasting and severe as these? My DS is 11. Thanks!

How do his cuts clot in other body parts say if he grazes a knee?

Are you still under the doctor for these and keeping a record. An hour is extreme and generally an A&E visit is recommended for anything more than 20 mins unless otherwise under the GP. It is also the main cause of anaemia in boys so worth getting bloods done if having them for a regular spurt of time.

grew up with my mum having severe nose bleeds and she has a blood disorder.

definitely worth getting this checked more in depth, extensive cauterisation can be really damaging

I've got a Dr's appointment to get his blood iron levels checked. The time it takes to stop worries me, it can't be right for it go for so long but I feel like all the doctors we've seen have been really nonplussed about it and it makes me feel so unsure of how worried I should be and what 'normal' is.

He has had some almighty bruises in the past but I can't remember any occasions of worrisome bleeding anywhere else...I think he's only ever cut himself very rarely.

Was it chemical cauterisation? This often doesn't work as well, so they can go for the burning option if that hasn't been done. My chemical one failed. Probably because I was a child and picked at the scabs. Does he end up coughing or nosebleeding any clots?

Yes it was the silver nitrate stick up the nose. He does end up spitting out 'blood slugs' as he calls them which are clots after it has stopped...again I don't know if that's a good sign or a bad one...I will add it to my long list of Q's for thr dr. Thanks for replying.

It sounds like blood is clotting at some point then, which is a good thing. I would ask about getting it done properly. I can't for the life of me remember what they call it, as it was so long ago!

For me, it didn't stop nosebleeds completely, but did drastically reduce number and duration. It was fine enough to live with, so didn't want to risk potential complications if they repeated the procedure.