Haemoptysis - numbness

Question

Good evening! I am 23 years old and suffer from CF with df508 mutation. I have many bronchectasies and since some time ago I cough out blood every day, even in small quantities in my sputum, or on its own. The last 1,5 year something strange came up. Sometimes I cough, I have haemoptysis, even a little, and then my whole body goes numb and I feel paralyzed for 15 minutes. I do not lose consciousness, I am diabetic, but my glucose levels were normal during the “seizure”. My oxygen was down!. In general, my oxygen varies from 92-96%. Can someone tell me what may the cause of all this and how it can be treated? What kind of testing is available? My head MRI was clean.

Answer

Dear friend,

You shouldn’t despair and panic.
The blood in the sputum (blood streaked sputum) and haemoptysis are a common finding in patients over 16 years old and are a result of bronchrectasies in CF. I don’t think there is any connection between the haemoptysis and the numbness and paralysis you are feeling.
1. For a little blood in the sputum usually you don’t have to do something. For blood streaked sputum with increased cough and sputum and a reduction in oxygen saturation oral or intravenous antibiotics is recommended, depending on the kind of microorganism that is found in the sputum.
2. Small or medium sized haemoptysis are an indication of exacerbation of chronic pulmonary disease and usually intravenous treatment is recommended.
3. For extended haemoptysis, that is haemoptysis where the quantity of blood exceeds 240cc, or for any recurring haemoptysis within 7 days, with at least 3 haemoptysies over 100cc each, in addition to the intravenous treatment bronchial embolism is recommended.

Yours friendly,
Dr. Stavros Doudounakis

18.11.2010

18.11.2010 Please find further information on this under "Topics"-->lung-->haemoptysis
D. d'Alquen