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        New Message Board Archives >> 2005 General Board Posts >> Lizzie2 and Kudzu
        
(Message started by: Alien Space Babe on Apr 19^th, 2005, 10:59pm)

Title: Lizzie2 and Kudzu
Post by Alien Space Babe on Apr 19^th, 2005, 10:59pm

Hi all,

I just heard from Lizzie2.

Apparently there can be some complications from kudzu use. She's been using kudzu for about a week. Last night she had extensive bleeding .... they had to do the sinus surgery again this afternoon. The docs said the inside of her nose is mush, and that kudzu is probably the culprit because it is a vasodilator.

So, this post has 2 purposes:

1. be careful with kudzu if you're using aspirin or any other blood thinner

2. vibes for Lizzie2

Title: Re: Lizzie2 and Kudzu
Post by cootie on Apr 19^th, 2005, 11:07pm

OMG.......get better vibers for Lizzie........wow........good info to keep in mind too. Hope she is feeling better and gets over this step back. Forward motion Pam

Title: Re: Lizzie2 and Kudzu
Post by broomhilda on Apr 19^th, 2005, 11:39pm

Oh yukkkkkkkkk... :(

Big hugs and feel better wishes on over, ty Lizzie for letting us know, thinking of you Carrie and be careful out there folks.

[smiley=hug.gif]

Title: Re: Lizzie2 and Kudzu
Post by nani on Apr 20^th, 2005, 12:01am

Yikes! :o Big vibes and lots of prayers going out for you Carrie!!! Get well, sweetie. [smiley=hug.gif] hugs and love, nani

Title: Re: Lizzie2 and Kudzu
Post by taraann on Apr 20^th, 2005, 12:03am

Oh how awful Lizzie2 Big Hugs!

Title: Re: Lizzie2 and Kudzu
Post by Kevin_M on Apr 20^th, 2005, 12:18am

Thinking of you Lizkid.

Kevin M

Title: Re: Lizzie2 and Kudzu
Post by LeLimey on Apr 20^th, 2005, 4:20am

Oh Lizzie [smiley=hug.gif] You don't have much luck do you?? Remind me NEVER to get in the same room as you and Zaira 'cos I wouldn't fancy my chances much!
Let me know if there is anything I can do or if you want to chat im me your #
lots of love
Helen

Title: Re: Lizzie2 and Kudzu
Post by clarence on Apr 20^th, 2005, 8:07am

Prayers for you Carrie. :'(

Casey

Title: Re: Lizzie2 and Kudzu
Post by Frank_W on Apr 20^th, 2005, 8:16am

Get well soon, Carrie! :-/ [smiley=hug.gif]

Title: Re: Lizzie2 and Kudzu
Post by Ruth on Apr 20^th, 2005, 8:29am

That is horrible news, I hope everything is going to be ok and you get well soon.

Ruth

Title: Re: Lizzie2 and Kudzu
Post by Langa on Apr 20^th, 2005, 8:30am

Damn…the surgery again? That’s awful… :(

Wishing you a speedy recovery Carrie and hoping you don’t have to visit another hospital for a LONG time!

Langa

Title: Re: Lizzie2 and Kudzu
Post by Lizzie2 on Apr 20^th, 2005, 5:11pm

Thanks for posting this, Lizzie.

Yeah big problems. The ENT nurse practitioner wants me to write an article on what I went through because of how dangerous it was.

Keep in mind, my sinus surgery was March 8. My ENT attending told me that he has only had like 3 patients out of 3000 have a bleed this far out after surgery.

I worked in the ER on Monday night from 3-11. I laid down after that, and at around 12:30, I felt what I thought was just sinus drainage. I got up and began having a massive hemorrhage.

I went through an entire thing of tissues, 3 wash cloths, washed the sink out 4 times from all the blood everywhere. I called my best friend to come over from the ER to help me get there.

I got to the ER and once taken back to a room, the bleed got even worse. Huge clots were coming out. I was choking and coughing up huge clots even. I went through an entire package (big pack!) of 4x4's and filled a bin with them saturated with blood and the clots.

At one point, a nurse in the ER rolled up a gauze pad and put it in the left side of my nose. All the bleeding kept going through it and down my throat, too. The resident came in awhile after that and said he had to see, so he handed me some gauze to hold under my nose, and he pulled it out...telling me it was going to be okay the entire time as I was gagging on all the bleeding and clots. Blood was going everywhere.

So an ENT resident came down. He went ahead and tried suctioning out some clots to see where the bleed was coming from. Let me tell you how that's not a fun experience.

Finally he got it more or less controlled with some dissolvable packing, and I was admitted.

It dripped most all day yesterday, but not bad. I was taken to the OR in the early evening. Apparently the surgery was quick. They couldn't find a single burst vessel...apparently there was oozing everywhere, so they cauterized several places.

They kept me overnight last night because of the timing of the surgery, etc. I had a little more bleeding last night. I've had nurses, pharmacists, doctors, etc in on the search for info about Kudzu and bleeding. It isn't just a matter that I had surgery recently, because it was over a month and a half ago.

Turns out, although it won't show up in any clotting time studies, this stuff can make you bleed like crazy. The vasodilation properties combined with someone who may be susceptible make it a pretty high bleed risk.

The docs were adamant that I not take it again (which sucked because it was actually helping a little), and then they said they really hope more people will be more careful because even if you're on a baby aspirin, a bleed could be a big risk. Thank goodness it wasn't intracranial...cuz that would've been the end.

I know most of you feel pretty adamant that it's safe, but just remember that herbs are drugs without FDA approval. The hematologist was angry that I had taken it. I heard him saying that he has arguments with the alt med practice about prescribing herbs for treatment because of this sort of thing. There's no warning out there that it can cause that sort of bleeding problem.

Ah well... what can you do? I'm home, although very war weary at the moment. Had a pretty bad asthma attack in the hospital today, which turned into vomiting. Not to mention they dropped my pressure last night with too much BP meds at once. Then the nurse I had today (despite how wonderful everyone else was) was a horrible one! She told the resident that he must be my favorite because he would give me morphine for the pain I was experiencing. Lovely. She basically just threw my discharge papers at me and got mad that when she removed my IV, my arm kept bleeding awhile.

So...just be safe!

Thanks for the thoughts and vibes.

Carrie/Lizzie2

Title: Re: Lizzie2 and Kudzu
Post by Tiannia on Apr 20^th, 2005, 6:21pm

Carrie - Glad you are ok. That is very frightening.

Everyone should be discussing with thier docs what herbal supliments they are taking. Including Meletonin, as I know many here are taking that as well.

Title: Re: Lizzie2 and Kudzu
Post by pubgirl on Apr 20^th, 2005, 7:02pm

Carrie

I'm really sorry this has happened. Please God you have a quieter time soon.

Wendy

Title: Re: Lizzie2 and Kudzu
Post by don on Apr 20^th, 2005, 7:22pm

The dark side of the Kudzu begins to appear.

Title: Re: Lizzie2 and Kudzu
Post by Bethany1 on Apr 20^th, 2005, 8:06pm

Carrie, glad to hear your home, but what a freakin nightmare girl!

hang tough and I don't think I will be trying kudzu anytime soon as I have had my nose coterized (sp) 15 times. Probably not a good idea.

hugs to you [smiley=hug.gif]

luv-Beth

Title: Re: Lizzie2 and Kudzu
Post by Lizzie2 on Apr 20^th, 2005, 8:12pm

on 04/20/05 at 20:06:43, Bethany1 wrote:

LOL Yes Beth...that is a VERY good reason to stay away! They surgically cauterized last night. So far, it's just bleeding a little here and there, but they said that my nose really needs to heal by staying away from anything that causes bleeding. We'll see!

I have to call out of work this weekend because I'm not allowed to do any physical activity or lift anything weighing more than 5 pounds. That rules out most of the infants in the regular term nursery...as well as the mom's! It was my last weekend working in maternity, too. :( Ah well....

Shit happens sometimes!

Hugz,
Carrie :)