Dis docs and nurses, please

[Liberty Belle]

Since yesterday eve, my husband has had a pretty bad pain in his leg. He says it feels like it starts in his heel, but goes all the way up past his knee. He says its more of a really bad ache than a cramp or sharp pain.

He took four ibuprofen and he said it didn't help, so then he took two Tylenol. Not long after that, he fell asleep, so it must have helped a little, at least. He said this morning it felt a little better, but had to tour a new hospital at work today and after that its just as bad as ever.

I tried to convince him to go to the ER or UTC, but he refused. I just talked to him and he said if its not better by tomorrow, he'll call his doctor. I'm on my phone and can't do smilies, or else I'd be rolling my eyes about that.

He says he doesn't remember any injuries and said it started hurting after work when he changed clothes (and took off shoes).

Any idea what it could be? He says he hasn't felt this before and it's pretty bad.

TIA!

 

[Liberty Belle]

Something else - he's not done any strenuous exercise or activity in the past couple of days, that he remembers.

 

[Breezy_Carol]

He could have done something in his back that caused the radiating pain in his leg. It can be a simple as twisting and bending at the same time, like taking off shoes.

DH hurt his back getting a soda out of a small person fridge in his office.

 

[Liberty Belle]

He could have done something in his back that caused the radiating pain in his leg. It can be a simple as twisting and bending at the same time, like taking off shoes.

DH hurt his back getting a soda out of a small person fridge in his office.

I don't think it's his back because it stops above his knee. I have two herniated discs and have had leg pain from them. I guess it could be, though, but he was pretty sure it started in his heel or behind his heel.

 

[minkydog]

Two thoughts
1) Achilles tendonitis, which is very painful and gets worse with walking, or
2) Deep vein thrombosis, which often presents as an achy, sore calf

Either way, it needs to be looked at. Both are easily treated and both have some pretty severe consequences if left untreated. His regular doctor should be able to handle this.

 

[smitch425]

If the only real symptom is pain, then I highly doubt it is a blood clot. DH gets those a lot, so I know all about those. Is there any swelling?

 

[Liberty Belle]

Two thoughts
1) Achilles tendonitis, which is very painful and gets worse with walking, or
2) Deep vein thrombosis, which often presents as an achy, sore calf

Either way, it needs to be looked at. Both are easily treated and both have some pretty severe consequences if left untreated. His regular doctor should be able to handle this.

Thank you. I'll share that with him.

 

[Liberty Belle]

If the only real symptom is pain, then I highly doubt it is a blood clot. DH gets those a lot, so I know all about those. Is there any swelling?

I don't know, but if there is, I don't think it's huge swelling. I was afraid of a blood clot, but I was thinking the pain would be sharper?

 

[GigglyFigment]

He could have injured his foot or ankle and it was stable until he took his foot off. My foot/ankle pain radiates above my knee and until I went through tests to figure out what it was, I was being given scripts for tendonitis in my knees but they were actually fine and not the problem at all.

 

[Christine]

This happened to me last October.

I never injured myself but shortly after I "inelegantly" removed my sneakers, I felt a pain in the back of my calf. It took me a few days to realize it came on after the removal of my shoe. It then started radiating all over the place.

I told a couple hypochondriacs about it and they diagnosed me with DVT. Scared me to death. I went to an orthopedist because I still swore it was a calf pull and he agreed but had me do an venous doppler ultrasound just to be sure.

It was my calf muscle and took about 6 weeks to fully disappear.

 

[Lorix2]

If the only real symptom is pain, then I highly doubt it is a blood clot. DH gets those a lot, so I know all about those. Is there any swelling?

I think it's very possible it could be a DVT, my DH only symptom was pain. He had a clot in his peroneal vein. he has permanent nerve damage in his leg due to this. Dr didn't diagnose for 2 weeks until I insisted they due an ultrasound, but that is a different story. The Dr said clots are not painful, but we proved that theory wrong.

Op - how is your dh?

 

[Katie Dawn]

He could have injured his foot or ankle and it was stable until he took his foot off.

No ideas for you OP, but I do not suggest he take his foot off.

 

[Liberty Belle]

Well now he says its concentrated in the bottom of his heel, the pain no longer goes up his leg and he has not called the doctor.

I appreciate all the info. I wish he'd just call the doctor and find out for sure.

 

[Liberty Belle]

No ideas for you OP, but I do not suggest he take his foot off.

Lol I missed that.

 

[ENSOCK]

it sounds like my planter factisis (sp?). It gets worse at night and after walking. It is easy to treat but takes long to heal, the longer you wait.

 

[smitch425]

I think it's very possible it could be a DVT, my DH only symptom was pain. He had a clot in his peroneal vein. he has permanent nerve damage in his leg due to this. Dr didn't diagnose for 2 weeks until I insisted they due an ultrasound, but that is a different story. The Dr said clots are not painful, but we proved that theory wrong.

Op - how is your dh?

Any doctor who says clots are not painful should not be alllowed to practice medicine. DH can tell pretty quickly when he has another clot. He's had several in his right leg and right pelvis area. He has a lot of damage, too. He has permanent swelling in his right leg. Every day after he works out he asks, "How does my leg look?" My responses vary from, "same size as usual" to "I think you need to measure it". Sometimes a simple measurement will let us know the onset of an issue.

With OP's hubby starting (and now ending, it seems) with heel pain, I don't suspect it to be a clot. There are a lot of foot related illnesses. Could be planters, could be the onset of a heel spur. There is just no way for anyone here to know for sure.

OP, I'm glad your DH has shown a little improvement, but please encourage him to get checked out. Good luck!

 

[rwdavis2]

Two thoughts
1) Achilles tendonitis, which is very painful and gets worse with walking, or
2) Deep vein thrombosis, which often presents as an achy, sore calf

This was my first guess since I'm dealing with it right now. Does the Achilles hurt to just touch it? Is there a bump there as well? Those are 2 obvious symptoms. He still needs to see the doctor. Until then have him put heat on it and some very mild stretching of the calf muscle.

The treatment is physical therapy and it takes a while to get better.

 

[TLSnell1981]

Symptoms are consistent with plantar fasciitis, but don't rely solely on a DIS diagnosis. Although, I suspect the pain, will convince him to seek treatment. JMO

Wishes for a speedy recovery!

 

[Buckalew11]

He should probably take the ibuprofen (like 4, 4x a day) at regular intervals to help the inflammation. A pill here or there will not help. Of course, you do not want to keep that dose up so he needs to see a doctor.

 

[Liberty Belle]

Thank you all. I'll keep bugging him about the doctor. He's so stubborn.