is it normal to have blood in semen after a long 15-hour nonstop flight?
 

is it normal to have blood in semen after a long 15-hour nonstop flight?

I sometimes get that.... the first that it happened, my lady friend and I
freaked out and went to the emergency room near the airport. The ER
doctors checked me out and said I was fine.

After I returned home, I went to my regular doctor who did the usual
test.... physically examined my private areas... and ordered other
additional tests.(blood, urine, ultrasound, etc)A couple of weeks later,
she called me and I went in... she basically told me that I was perfectly
fine. I've had the same doctor for 20 years. Not that I didn't trust her,
but I went behind her back and made an appointment with an urology
specialist. I chose this doctor because he was also the professor at a
large medical school. It was out-of-network and I ended up paying
nearly $700. He performed almost the same tests. Again.. nothing
was found. That was 4 years ago. By the way the blood in semen
always goes away after about a week or so after the flights. It NEVER
happens if I don't fly on a really long flight... usually 15 hours nonstop.

Now whenever I fly really long nonstop flights, I get this problem.
I still get regular check-ups 6 months or so from my regular doctor.
I mentioned to her that I was still having this problem. She again
checked me, but sill nothing to be found. I went back to the urology
specialist last month... and also nothing. He said it was normal for
some men to have this issue, but it's nothing to be concerned about.

Am I being paranoid? I'm thinking about getting a 3rd opinion. I
know nurses who know people at Mayo and Cleveland Clinic and
they shoudl be pretty good, right? I'm asking right now because it
happened to me again last week after a 14-hour flight. (actually,
it was 14-nonstop, then connecting to a 7-hour nonstop)

No I wouldn't say it's normal. :confused:

well... this is a weird thread to stumble upon. I think the obvious reason must be pressure differentials, my concern would be if you've got a vein/artery popping in down there what if it happens somewhere more dangerous like your brain... not to be alarmist

please be an alarmist... that's exactly the kind of comments I need... because my doctors and I are out of ideas..

going through a FULL 5-hour urology exam was no fun... (which found nothing)

I would trust the two doctors who say you are fine more than some posters on a frequent flyer website. YMMV.

+1

Anyone who checks their symptoms on the internet to self-diagnose invariably ends up concluding that they have some terminal disease, when it's probably a cold.

is it normal to have blood in semen after a long 15-hour nonstop flight?
 

Most of the causes for hematospermia are benign and self limited but this does not constitute official medical advise. You should consult with both your primary health care provider and your urologist, discuss your concerns with them and they can provided a better explanation. It sounds like they have done a thorough evaluation of your symptoms.

When this happens is there blood in your urine as well?

Yeah--if you can spontaneously bleed from one place why only one place???

why would you even post this on a message board where you have no idea who is responding and what their creds would be. No matter what anybody says here take your MD's advise not some random posters opinion on what is medically normal or not.

Are you certain is it actually blood? There are some dietary changes and medications that can cause a reddish brown color in semen and urine. Even an excess of alcohol or caffeine beyond what you are used to can cause color changes. The only way to know for sure that it is blood would be a test while it is happening. Like others here, I suggest you take advice from your doctor, not strangers on an internet message board.

Do you take any medications prior to long flights/trips (ie. anticoagulants like heparin or aspirin that might cause bleeding, or antibiotics like metronidazole, rifampin, isoniazid, or sulfasalazine)? I doubt that there's enough quinine in tonic water to cause it, but theoretically quinine can stain body fluids too.

Could be that it's not blood, but a drug related discoloration.

?

Never in years of excessive alcohol consumption has my urine changed color...

Since the OP posited this as related to travel, I'll move to the Travel Health & Fitness forum for more discussion. Ocn Vw 1K, Moderator, TravelBuzz.

As a member, I'll echo the views of others who would caution the OP to rely on internet discussion for aid to a specific, complex medical problem Ocn Vw 1K, Moderator, TravelBuzz.

obviously I wouldn't seek actual medical advice from the internet. :)

I just figured that my condition only occurs after a flight, there might be others who have had this thing? :)