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What Causes Coughing Up Blood?

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Posted on Tue, 30 Dec 2014
Question: I am a smoker and i am 37 years old
My weight was a year ago at 66 kilos and went all the way down to 55 a month it has now recovered back up to 59 and was at 61 a week ago.
my legs and arms look bony, My hand look very boney.
I have had a cough for a year the weight loss happened over a year.
I have a dull pain in the back near the shoulder
there a rare times i will get a rapid heart rate and weight loss my wight went down to 55 but then would recover after my heart as slowed down.
I have on some parts of the scalp white hard skin my vision is a little burred with visual snow. I have been losing hair as well. But I can still see small specks of dust on the table very well and count pixels on my computer screen.
I have a few dark skin spots on my back that are 1 cm in diameter.
I do have difficulty breathing but its intermittant meaning i could have problems one hour and the next it would be fine. Some times I would feel cold when its not cold like it would be 23 degrees inside and i would feel cold.
Just this morning i had coughed up a small amount of blood it was bright red now this has happened before twice but in the winter and its caused by acid reflux from a sliding hernia. So I am not sure if it is that or not. Before today my cough was mostly dry with no sign of blood.
I have still been quite active i can still walk to the shops and do work around the house with no problems. Another thing i get is some times the tips of my fingers would be wrinkled one hour and return back to normal the next.
That is what i have been experiancing I know there is a good chance of lung cancer but how far advanced is it. Is there anything that could be done to give me extra time.
doctor
Answered by Dr. Monish De (9 minutes later)
Brief Answer:
Pet scan

Detailed Answer:
Hi

I have gone through your history.

I would advise you to do a PET scan to find the extent of the disease.

If any space occupying lesion is found in the lungs then biopsy has to be done to rule out lung cancer.

Lung cancer has the tendency to spread to liver, adrenals and bones and a PET scan will give us a fair idea of the extent of the spread of the disease.

Regards

DR DE
Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
doctor
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Follow up: Dr. Monish De (28 minutes later)
Can you tell me how long I will have? Or you have to know more. My local doctor told me that it could be a serious infection. But I think he is just being optimistic I been getting head aches as well and sometimes I am a little dizzy loss of balance. I am not functioning sexually as normal it seems to be a loss of sensation. I gess its got in to my spinal cord. I do have bad teeth and I do get mouth infections from time to time. I did feel a lump on my face but its gone now. So I guess it cant be anything else.
doctor
Answered by Dr. Monish De (20 minutes later)
Brief Answer:
Must not lose hope

Detailed Answer:
Hi

Biopsy is the confirmatory test to prove lung cancer.

When lung cancer spread to brains one can have headaches and loss of balance.

I would also advise you to do MRI of brain along with pet scan.

Brain metastasis can be treated by palliative radiation.

Average survival time for stage 4 lung cancer patients is from 6 to 9 months.

You must not worry and lose hope as nothing has been proved yet.

Regards

DR DE
Note: In case of any other concern or query related to prevention, evaluation, diagnosis, treatment, or the recovery of persons with the any type of addiction or substance use, follow up with our Addiction Medicine Specialist. Click here to book a consultation now.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
doctor
Answered by
Dr.
Dr. Monish De

Oncologist

Practicing since :2004

Answered : 2229 Questions

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What Causes Coughing Up Blood?

Brief Answer: Pet scan Detailed Answer: Hi I have gone through your history. I would advise you to do a PET scan to find the extent of the disease. If any space occupying lesion is found in the lungs then biopsy has to be done to rule out lung cancer. Lung cancer has the tendency to spread to liver, adrenals and bones and a PET scan will give us a fair idea of the extent of the spread of the disease. Regards DR DE