# Styptic pencil and Coumadin?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/styptic-pencil-and-coumadin/359189>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [June 2, 2006, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/styptic-pencil-and-coumadin/359189 "2006-06-02T19:43:13Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 8\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![FlyingCowOfDoom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/flyingcowofdoom/32/21776_2.png) [@FlyingCowOfDoom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FlyingCowOfDoom)\
**Post date:** [June 2, 2006, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/styptic-pencil-and-coumadin/359189/1 "2006-06-02T19:43:13Z")

</div>

DISCLAIMER: I understand that any medical advice received on the boards is not necessarily from a medical professional.

My wife is on Coumadin for some pulmonary emboli she had last year. Whenever she gets a small cut, it bleeds for a long time. Would using a styptic pencil help? Is there any potential danger in using a styptic pencil? TIA!

–FCOD

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\
**Post date:** [June 2, 2006, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/styptic-pencil-and-coumadin/359189/2 "2006-06-02T20:36:46Z")

</div>

IANAD, but I wouldn’t think there would be any problem. Styptic pencils are usually just alum, and work by constricting the blood vessels at the site of the cut. Alum is a coagulant, but it is being used topically rather than systemically. Of course, you could just call your doctor’s office and ask the nurse…

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\
**Post date:** [June 2, 2006, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/styptic-pencil-and-coumadin/359189/3 "2006-06-02T22:29:57Z")

</div>

I’ve used chemical cautery to stop superficial bleeding in many of my patients on anti-coagulants. Silver Nitrate sticks are my preferred method, but I’d not hesitate to employ styptic pencils at need.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\
**Post date:** [June 3, 2006, 4:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/styptic-pencil-and-coumadin/359189/4 "2006-06-03T04:32:50Z")

</div>

My mother was on Coumadin, and carried a styptic pencil in her purse. She actually used in on a few occasions, and there was no problem.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![gabriela](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/db5fbb/32.png) [@gabriela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gabriela)\
**Post date:** [June 3, 2006, 11:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/styptic-pencil-and-coumadin/359189/5 "2006-06-03T11:24:48Z")

</div>

So glad QtM rolled in. I was just thinking I didn’t know the answer to this at all.

Some of my patients are (more precisely have been) on Coumadin, but I just let 'em bleed until they stop.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![FlyingCowOfDoom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/flyingcowofdoom/32/21776_2.png) [@FlyingCowOfDoom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FlyingCowOfDoom)\
**Post date:** [June 3, 2006, 1:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/styptic-pencil-and-coumadin/359189/6 "2006-06-03T13:28:49Z")

</div>

Thanks everyone!

–FCOD

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![vetbridge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b5e925/32.png) [@vetbridge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vetbridge)\
**Post date:** [June 3, 2006, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/styptic-pencil-and-coumadin/359189/7 "2006-06-03T14:51:20Z")

</div>

> [@gabriela](#):
>
> I just let 'em bleed until they stop.

As I often tell my technicians, “All bleeding stops.”.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![KlondikeGeoff](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3e96dc/32.png) [@KlondikeGeoff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KlondikeGeoff)\
**Post date:** [June 3, 2006, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/styptic-pencil-and-coumadin/359189/8 "2006-06-03T17:30:07Z")

</div>

> [@gabriela](#):
>
> …Some of my patients are (more precisely have been) on Coumadin, but I just let 'em bleed until they stop.

Perhaps you are part vampire on top of everything else? 😃

Seriously, don’t the autopsy tables have grooves and drains to remove the bodily fluids (every time I hear that phrase I can’t help but think of _Dr Stranglove_.