OT: Blood clot in leg

[Schachteles]

That is scary business...this happened to my friend last year...she fell on the ice and broke her leg, got a blood clot from it and was hospitalized for some time with it. Hers did the same thing as you, they thought that she was better but then she had pain and swelling...CALL YOUR DOCTOR...better safe then sorry!! I will be thinking of you!

 

[aanderson5]

Not to scare you but my grandfather died of what started as a blood clot in the leg. I would go to the ER. It is better to be safe than sorry.

 

[moopdog]

I guess I can join the forces and urge you to call the doc or go to your ER. My first question is: where was the clot in your calf? Did they refer to it as a deep vein thrombosis or superficial thromobophlebitis? I'm betting it's dvt if they have you on coumadin. If that does ring a bell, did they tell you which blood vessel it was in (peroneal, popliteal, posterior tibial, gastroc or greater saphenous sound familiar)? Reason I'm asking is because it would make a big difference as to the urgency of the matter.

Did they tell you what to watch for and when to call? Out of curiosity -if you didn't have swelling at the time - how did you know you had a problem?

Enough questions for you?! Sorry, it's just a pretty complicated subject. I perform doppler ultrasounds for a living and find a blood clot in someone almost every day, it's a scary thing - for good reason. Please call your doctor ASAP.

 

[LeslieG]

Just to be safe, and with all your helpful advice in mind, I am heading to the ER now. Better safe than sorry sounds like the best advice.

Hopefully, all will be fine and I can post an update later.

To the poster who performs doppler ultrasounds, thank you. I will ask some more detailed questions. I don't know all the answers I should.

 

[disney1990]

When I had a blood clot in my leg, they sent me straight to the hospital. Total bedrest & coumadin. I was there for 10 days.[/QUOTE

Oh, wow. Was yours above your knee? They told me they wouldn't have let me leave the hospital if it would have been above the knee.

Yes, (deep vein thrombosis) it was above the knee, 2 weeks after I delivered my daughter. I didn't know what it was at first. I thought I had just badly bruised my thigh. One day I went to get out of bed and the pain was so bad I couldn't even put any weight on my leg. I went to the doctor's and he sent me straight to the hospital.

 

[Bibbidi]

Just to be safe, and with all your helpful advice in mind, I am heading to the ER now. Better safe than sorry sounds like the best advice.

Hopefully, all will be fine and I can post an update later.

To the poster who performs doppler ultrasounds, thank you. I will ask some more detailed questions. I don't know all the answers I should.

After reading through this thread I'm so glad you went to the ER. Here's hoping you get some truly helpful information at the ER. Will be looking for an update.

 

[LeslieG]

I'm back from the ER. The doctor thought everything was fine and that the swelling I was worried about was normal. I think I'm going to follow up with the vascular surgeon who read my doppler ultrasound. My family doctor said it would probably clear up in about two weeks, but this ER doctor said it could be two months! I hope I'm not limping around for that long. Thank you everybody for your advice and concern. I appreciate it very much.

 

[JacobsMommy11002]

I'm back from the ER. The doctor thought everything was fine and that the swelling I was worried about was normal. I think I'm going to follow up with the vascular surgeon who read my doppler ultrasound. My family doctor said it would probably clear up in about two weeks, but this ER doctor said it could be two months! I hope I'm not limping around for that long. Thank you everybody for your advice and concern. I appreciate it very much.

I am so glad to hear that it wasn't any worse. Blood clots can be so serious, I wouldn't want you to take any chances.

 

[Sammy]

Your situation may be different, but in November my MIL developed a post-surgical clot in her upper thigh. She was started on Coumadin and they told her that she would be on the meds for 6 to 9 months.

 

[CindyD]

The length of Coumadin therapy varies from patient to patient somewhat based upon analysis of various risk factors, but 3-6 months would be within the normal range....Make sure you understand the side effects of the Coumadin, including the MANY drug-drug interactions and how it can affect your INR (dietary changes will affect INR value also).

I'm not trying to scare you, but you need to understand the signs/symptoms of an elevated INR and any bleeding risks.

Most people do not take the time to understand the medication they are on and this is one of those medications that while provide a Great benefit, does indeed need to be closely monitored....

 

[Disneynutbsv]

Oh, I know exactly what you are going through. When I was about 10 weeks pregnant, my leg was hurting. I went to my doctor and she told me to stay off of it. Later on that night, it swelled up incredibly and it turned purple. I went to the emergency room and found out I had a blood clot in my leg.
They went to do an ultrasound on my leg and they said they would also check the baby as well and that is when I found out I was having twins, lol.

Anyhow, I was put on Lovenox, two shots, twice a day for the remainder of my pregnancy and after that, coumadin for the next 3 months. I have never had a problem since.

That leg is always weaker for me and my doctors said it probably always would be...not sure exactly why.

 

[goodcook5]

"That leg is always weaker for me and my doctors said it probably always would be...not sure exactly why."

It is post thrombotic syndrome. Once blood backs up behind the clot the vessels are distended and the tissues engorged. Every case is different. Some people have almost no change in the leg afterwards. Some always have the leg a little larger and may not return fluid and vein blood up out of the leg as quickly as the other leg.

Some of it depends on your age, location in the leg of the clot, how long the clot takes to resolve, and how active the person is later.

Most people do very well on blood thinners for a while (some higher risk folks may take blood thinners for life).

 

[ClarabelleCowFan]

So glad you went to the ER. I have a genetic clotting disorder and have had clots in my leg before - nothing like getting heparin shots in your abdomen while pregnant to break up a clot!

Find a new doctor ASAP. There is no reason for that doctor to have spoken to you that way. Blood clots are very dangerous things.

You will have to have your levels checked often as long as you are on Coumadin so they can adjust your dosage. Good luck!

 

[LeslieG]

Now I'm beginning to worry about my Disney cruise in May. Hope I'll be able to go. I do have trip insurance though.

 

[Kickapoo Joie Juice]

Well, I called the doctor. The only thing I found out for sure is that I need to get a new doctor. She seemed annoyed with my call and acted miffed about a conversation I had with her nurse yesterday double checking the dosage of medication I should be on. She offered me no advice really except that if I was concerned I should go to the ER, she couldn't examine me over the phone. I understand that of course, but her tone was out of line.

What a jerk your doc is! Please go to the ER, my father in law was nearly killed by one ten years ago, it broke free of his leg and went to his lung. He's ok now, but if he hadn't been in the ER at the time it happened they might have lost him.

 

[Kickapoo Joie Juice]

I'm back from the ER. The doctor thought everything was fine and that the swelling I was worried about was normal. I think I'm going to follow up with the vascular surgeon who read my doppler ultrasound. My family doctor said it would probably clear up in about two weeks, but this ER doctor said it could be two months! I hope I'm not limping around for that long. Thank you everybody for your advice and concern. I appreciate it very much.

Just caught up. Glad you went and got clearer info. Take care of yourself .

 

[SleepingBeautyMom]

Hi LeslieG:

I too have had blood clots in my legs. I had my first ones in 1985 after a car accident. Then I had some in the other leg in December of 2006. Both of them broke off and travelled up to my abdomen but luckily none reached my lungs. My brother just had clots in his legs last Spring and ended up with 3 pulmonary embolisms. Both of us have been tested and we turned up negative for genetic clotting disorders but my doctor says that they just don't know what all to test yet and that there is defintely a predisposition to clotting in our family.

I would definitely get a new doctor. My doctor was great during my clots. I also had tremendous swelling and pain and ended up having to use crutches for a few weeks due to the pain. The ultrasound tech said he had never seen blood vessels that were so engorged.

I'm glad that you went to the ER. Please be careful and either call your doctor or go back to the ER if anything changes. Blood clots are life-threatening and need to be treated as such.

I also had post-thrombotic syndrome where I felt pain in my legs afterwards. My doctor prescribed Metanx and that has helped tremendously. If your doctor hasn't prescribed Jobst Support Hose, he/she probably should. I don't wear mine all the time but when my legs ache I wear them and they do help. My doctor also prescribed NAC ( a supplement but I couldn't find it and need to have the pharmacy order it).

The doctor was hoping that I would only be on coumadin for 6 months but it now looks like I will be on it for life, which means ongoing blood tests to monitor my clotting levels. Getting all the blood tests is a pain but the alternative of not dealing with the clots is worse!

I hope all is well for your Disney cruise. Try keeping your leg elevated as high as it will comfortably go (including at night...I slept with my leg on 4-5 pillows and it really did help). This will help the swelling go down. Hopefully the blood thinners will work soon so your levels get into the therapeutic range and remain there. I went to Disney in February or March after my last clots and was fine but by the end of the trip, my leg really swelled up.

If you're flying to Florida for your cruise, here's some flying advice from my doctor and vascular surgeon:
1 - Drink LOTS of water
2 - Get up and walk to the restroom on the plane (multiple times on longer flights)
3 - Don't sit in the window seat, evidently the ventilation system blows more air on that seat than the others.
4 - My doctor had me take a single aspirin before the flight (in addition to the coumadin I was already on). Ask your doctor about this as aspirin and coumadin shouldn't normally be taken together.
5 - Do leg exercises while in your seat - there are sites out on the web that show various exercises that can be done easily while flying.

If you're driving to Florida - please take lots of breaks and get out of the car and walk around and also drink lots of water.

Sorry this is so long. Please take care of yourself. I'm sending some pixie dust to you and hoping that you have a great vacation!