Quote:
Originally Posted by
mbravebird 
We're a bleeding disorder family over here too, and have found the same -- DHA without EPA does not cause bleeding. My son has severe hemophilia, and used to get huge hematomas even with an 1/8 tsp of cod liver oil, so it was a great discovery when we found that we could give just the DHA.
I second the Von Willebrands suggestion -- it's in so many more families than people know. In order to be sure you're getting it properly diagnosed, though, you need someone who's really really familiar with bleeding disorders. Things like stress can change the test results significantly with VWD, so you need a hematologist who really knows what they're doing for diagnosis. Most of the time, those hematologists are found at Hemophilia Treatment Centers, in hospitals across the US. Here's the list to find one near you:
https://www2a.cdc.gov/ncbddd/htcweb/Dir_Report/Dir_Search.asp
She's right, if you have a center near you, go there. If not, you may find a good one in an oncology place, strangely enough, as they are often hematologist/oncologists.
FWIW, I don't have heavy menstrual bleeding (sorry if TMI), but I definitely bleed in other ways - nose, mouth, all over bruises. So don't let them tell you that you don't have a bleeding problem if your menstrual flow is normal or even light. My von Willebrand's didn't show up on the first test I had, it only showed up on the second test. And I'm lucky it did, as it hasn't shown up on the handful of tests I've had since then. It's all in the timing of the test if you are borderline. If you are getting tested, you might want to coordinate your first visit (and therefore first blood testing) with the first 3-5 days of your cycle, to show the relatively lowest quantitative levels it can show. If you are borderline, that can make the difference in getting a diagnosis sooner.
Also, the first thing the doctor offered me when my von Willebrand's was discovered was contraceptive pills, because the hormones in them mask the bleeding symptoms in mild cases. I refused the pills, however, and instead decided to manage the bleeding other ways, and with the non-contraceptive prescription medication for emergencies. Just wanted to give you advance notice.
