Mallory-Weiss Tear - Blood in Vomit

[seychelles311]

4 days ago I ate some food that didn't agree with me and dry heaved / vomited very hard and ended up vomiting up some blood. I went to the doctor and she told me I had a mallory-weiss tear, which is basically a tear in my esophagus from hard / intense retching.  She told me to take some prilosec and eat soft foods until it heals. It's been a few days, and now I'm getting random chest pains and stomach pains off and on. I'm so scared that there's a hole in my esophagus, not just a tear. She assured me it would heal on its own and be fine if I just took it easy, but there have been a few times I've eaten some crunchy foods and I'm afraid I ripped the tear more somehow. Has anyone else ever vomited or coughed super hard and had blood come up? I have such bad anxiety and I can't tell if my chest / stomach pains are from acid reflux and the stomach issues caused by the bad food I ate, or if it's because I have a hole in my throat or stomach. Please, I'm so anxious! Anyone that can relate or has had a similar problem I'd love to hear from you. I also keep feeling as if I can't breathe, so it's making my anxiety about having a hole in my throat worse.

[WyattsMomma]

Every single time I throw up, I spit pure blood, sometimes for days. I have since I was a teenager. Nothing to worry about, just not fun to deal with :)

[seychelles311]

I don't wish that upon anyone, but it did make me feel better to know I wasn't the only one. That's exactly what happened. A little blood came up at the very end, and then I spit up more when I was finished, while I was rinsing my mouth out in the sink. I wonder if the chest / stomach pain could just be from getting sick and having acid reflux from that food. I don't know why I feel like I can't breathe. Maybe its just anxiety, but it feels so real and my imagination just goes crazy and I picture a hole in my throat. Thanks for letting me know I'm not the only one. If you're still alive and well, that's a good sign.

[trainwreck]

Sey, if you had a hole you would be streaming blood.  It is very very common to do what you did.  And it will take a bit to heal.  But is an injury, not a disease, so you will be fine very shortly. 

[seychelles311]

Ok, that's probably true. I suppose if I had a true hole that went all the way through, I'd probably feel a lot worse. I don't feel good, but I'm getting by. I'm trying to think about this logically, so it helps to know it's common and other people know about it or have had it happen to them. I guess I need to work on accepting the diagnosis, it's just so hard when you go to the urgent care because it feels like they're just trying to get you out as fast as possible. I've been trying to avoid taking a xanax but in this case I might need one to calm down a little. Thanks guys.

[WyattsMomma]

Chest pains could be from muscle strain. When we vomit (esp if it is violently) then you can pull muscles from your stomach to your chest, neck, jaw. And don't freak out if you spit blood for a few days. I literally bleed like crazy, pure red and LOTS of it after vomiting. The next day less, and usually the 3rd or 4th day just pink spit. It happens, some of us just have sensitive capillaries  and throats.

[seychelles311]

Ok, thank you so much WM. I vomited really hard, so muscle strain would make a lot of sense. I'm feeling better this morning than yesterday, and I suppose if I really had a serious internal injury I would know it, and it would be getting worse and not better. Thank you, your reply helped me get some sleep last night. I would've been up worrying all night otherwise. :)