Deep breaths! That scares the heck out of ya when it happens the first time, for sure!
After I had been on warfarin for a while, I had a few spontaneous nosebleeds just like that. The first time I made an appointment for an INR for the next day, thinking my INR must be off the charts. But it was actually too low.
I have had a couple since - but they always stop...and that's the key. If it doesn't stop bleeding, then it's wise to go to the doc. Or if it' gushing. But what you've described does happen from time to time, so don't panic. If you were having this every day, it might be time to see if you have something else going on like an allergy, sinus infection, etc.

My doctor also recommended using a saline nasal spray to keep the nasal passages moist. If you continue to get nose bleeds he also recommended using a decongestant nasal spray to help stop the bleed when it starts. I found also putting pressure on the space right under your nose and above you lip helps stop the nose bleeds especially if they are pretty good ones. And of course don't blow your nose to hard. It's not an uncommon occurrence.
Hugs
ferr

Thank you for helping me understand this. Yes this was a first for me. I think I was concerned because I am not taking my warfarin right now but using lovenox as I am to have a colonoscopy on Monday. Now my INR was 2.2 a few days ago and I have done lovenox for 3 days now so the last thing I thought would happen would be bleeding. But I have learned to expect he unexpected.

I've had this happen several times too. Just had to be careful with blowing my nose too hard. My asthma/allergy guy recommended using a Q-tip soaked in olive oil to keep the inside of the nose moist, especially at night. Made me crave Italian food about 2am, but seemed to stop the nosebleeds.

Hi
Certainly scary experience. I'm actually off warfarin now but did have a couple of small nose bleeds when on it. Like Laura says as long as they stop fairly quickly should be ok but certainly good to get checked out if they continue.
I have actually had worse problems since coming off the warfarin. I'm now on aspirin. Over the past few years (since before my PE) I'd been using Beconase, a steroidal nasal spray without any problems. However when I took it last month, I suddenly got some extremely bad gushing nosebleeds. THe worse lasted over 30 minutes before eventually stopping. Investigating it, I realised that this type of nasal spray can cause nose bleeds - a fact my doctor agreed with (also discovered my uncle and a friend's daughter also had the same problem with this type of spray!)
Like most things, if you're worried do check it out - if only to get some reassurance.
Best of luck!

My daughter is not the clotter I was at her age, so her first real nosebleed scared me out of my mind. I called the doctor and they asked me how long it bled. I, in a very worried voice, said, "It took me almost 5 minutes to get it to stop!" She laughed a little, told me that my daughter was fine, and that it was a regular nose bleed.

My mother laughed uncontrollably when I told her about it (She is also a clotter). When she could speak again, she told me that nosebleeds in bleeders last longer than those in clotters (my brother and sister are bleeders, too, so she went through the same stress I did when we were young and had our first nosebleeds).

At any rate, my nose bleeds now take longer to clot than they did pre-rat poison. That's the whole reason we are on it. Docs and nurses said that it's a concern if it doesn't stop within 10-15 minutes.

I have seasonal allergies, so I have had a nosebleed already this season. I blow with more caution, now, and I don't freak out (at least not so much).

LOL Last year I actually called the ambulance because of a gushing nose bleed. It lasted about 20 minutes and was almost stopped by the time the ambulance got there. The ambulance crew at first acted as if I had lost my mind for calling an ambulance for a silly nose bleed until they realized who I was, My clotting history , and how long my nose had been bleeding and when they saw all the blood (which looked as if murder had beeen committed). They kind of changed their tune. Thats when they realized I normally would have driven myself if I could have breathed through all that blood. Turns out I had somehow nicked an artery, which even it stopped eventually on it's own. I look back now and laugh because my Hubby got home saw all the blood and said yes indeed it looked as if it were a crime scene.
LOL
Ferr