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DVT

Posted , 4 users are following.

Minnie64
Minnie64

I have been recently diagnosed with DVT!!  sad Needless to say I am shocked and devastated!! I had just undertaken a 16 hour air journey and seemed fit as a fiddle!! The next day I felt I had a cold coming on. My throat was really bad and I was coughing away like crazy! Deep coughs with phlegm. Two days later my left foot and leg became so painful I could not walk at all! In fact putting weight on that leg was so painful I was literally hobbling my way around the house. I could feel a cramping pain in the affected leg. I went to the ER and was told by the attending doctor I had arthritis and plantar fasciitis. I told her I could tell it was not bone pain but muscular pain. She refused to believe I could have DVT even when I voiced my concerns and told her about the 16 hour long plane journey. She reluctantly asked me to do a venous doppler after I persisted. She told me it was not DVT !! Anyways , I met my family physician and he told me to get the doppler done and they found two clots. One big one behind my knee and a smaller one below it. Now I have been put on anticoagulants for the next 6 months. My concern is since my cough still persists (I was given Amoxycillin 500 mg for 10 days) should I tell my doc I feel a CT scan is warranted? I think he should have recommended one himself! I do feel very weak and get winded when I climb stairs!! What should I do?

1 like, 12 replies

12 Replies

  • supercargo
    supercargo Minnie64

    Posted

    Hi Minnie

    August 2015 I was diagnosed with DVT (behind left knee) found by Ultrasound.

    First had Clexane injections, now on Warfarin 2 - 3 mg/day for 6 months, to maintain INR 2 - 3, and blood test every 2 weeks.

    Unfortunatley I was due Hip replacement in September, but cancelled due above.

    • supercargo
      supercargo

      Posted

      Forgot to mention I have to wear support stocking.
  • sheila91262
    sheila91262 Minnie64

    Posted

    Hi Minnie, sorry for your DVT.

    I would certainly get checked for the possibility of a PE, Pulmonary Embolism. Are you in UK? You can go to A&E ( or ER) and tell them your history as even though you are taking Anti coagulants you can still have a part of the clot break off and travel to your lungs. The patient info here is imformative. Shortness of breath and coughing are amongst the symptoms of PE.

    Take care and good luck.

    Sheila

     

  • Gate_Keeper
    Gate_Keeper Minnie64

    Posted

    How long have you had the cough Minnie, did you have the cough pre or post flight. You asked if you should have a CT scan?

    We are all similar one way or another and it is life changing. A few weeks ago, I had an angiogram of the abdomen and pelvis, all of the blood vessels, big and small in the legs and feet. Following a flight from London to Nairobi and back, I developed 3 blood clots in the left leg and left foot, an aneurysm and blockage behind the knee. I am on an anti platelet drug called Clopidogrel and walking therapy, the walking forces the body to make new capillaries around the blockage - collateral veins.. Currently under review by the vascular surgeons to have a femoral-distal bypass to restore the supply of blood and oxygen to the foot. I have been referred to the pain clinic. There is a waiting list of 110 days.

    It would be prudent to have your chest/lungs screened, given your history and to give you peace of mind.

    I am sorry to read about what happened to you. Please do keep posting and let us know how you are doing. Thank you.

    • sheila91262
      sheila91262 Gate_Keeper

      Posted

      Have you seen the Haematology and vascular Consultants at St Thomas's Hospital London to discuss latest treatments?

      Sheila

    • Gate_Keeper
      Gate_Keeper sheila91262

      Posted

      I won't be going to St Thomas, as I am under the care of a world leading hospital and have received the latest most to date advice from 3 vascular consultants, NHS and private. Thank you,
    • sheila91262
      sheila91262 Gate_Keeper

      Posted

      I am glad to hear that and to a certain extent I think you have been lucky.  We have been under St T as they are the only ones in the UK doing the specific treatment that my son needs, ie stenting to alleviate Post Thrombotic Syndrome  symptoms.

      I have heard Mr Stephen Black and Prof Beverley Hunt say that hospitals are not good at sharing and so patients don't always get the treatment or advice they need. It is a shame that we need to do the research ourselves in order to get the best out of the NHS. The trickle down effect of information about latest methods etc is very slow. NHS choices dont even include a comment until the treatment becomes embedded and sometimes that is an unacceptable delay.

      That is one of the reasons I still post on several forums as at first it was to get information and now I want to share what we have found out and has been succesful us. Good Luck.

    • Gate_Keeper
      Gate_Keeper sheila91262

      Posted

      Thank you Sheila for your good wishes for being an advocate for the best treatment available only at St. T, stenting to alleviate post thrombotic symptoms and hopefully this in turn will also save many lives and further suffering . I do not know why trusts do not share the latest research.

      I am not doing so well. Several months on, I still have pain at night and cannot walk past 50 yards without getting calf pain. On 9 December I am having a big operation to completely tie off the occluded popliteal aneurysm and to also have a femero distal bypass. Hopefully the operation will do the job and get me back on my feet again. I am a bit scared, but will have to man up and get with the plan.

    • sheila91262
      sheila91262 Gate_Keeper

      Posted

      I wish you the best of luck in your surgery and hope that it results in an improvement that makes the medical discomfort worthwhile. That is all that we want really, specific treatment that makes life easier and makes the future better. My son is 29 now and a sportsman and coach so his treatment now will last for many years and hugely effect not only his leg but his circulation and his future total health. Thank goodness that these innovative, pioneering treatments are being developed and improved now not in 10 years time.

      Really tmely discussion as we were at St Thomas' Hospital for his surgery on Thursday and home with anti coagulants Friday. He has 3 stents in his left leg, illeo femoral vein, totalling 32 cms. All went well, scanned on day 1 and will be scanned again on day 14 to check not clotting up.Two hour op, general anaesthetic, some backpain but walking almost  straight away. Feeling lucky. there are no guarantees but expecting a big improvent in swelling and pain and reduced mobility from PTS. Will keep you informed on the results. Hope to hear good news from you too.

      sheila.

       

    • Gate_Keeper
      Gate_Keeper sheila91262

      Posted

      Thank you Sheila. Clearly your son needed a lot of work doing on his leg and he received the latest treatment.

      How is he progressing?

      I had the femero distal bypass and aneurysm in the knee tied off on Wednesday 9 Dec at The Kings Oak Hospital in Enfield. The op lasted 5 and a half hours. I remain in hospital, on daily injections of Clexane. Today, I walked up and down 2 flights of stairs with Physio. The cut is long from the groin down to above the ankle and tonight it has been marked to see if the inflammation around the cut gets any bigger or not. Apart from that and the post op pain I am doing okay. The foot / toes are warm - improvement and the leg has doubled its size. I am told this will improve.

    • sheila91262
      sheila91262 Gate_Keeper

      Posted

      Hi, sounds like you have had the full works, but if it does the job and improves your quality of life then it is worthwhile. I wish you lots of luck and keep up the good work.

      Son is back in StT hosp today as is having a clot removal at one of the stent sites that they detected by scan. Should be by local anaesthetic and injection and balloon into the vein. Fingers crossed he will be back out today. They said about 1/3 need clot removal in the first 6 weeks which is why they scan 2x in that period. After 6 weeks the theory is that the body recognises the stents and all should be good. Fingers still crossed. 

      Have a good holiday time everyone.

      sheila

       

    • sheila91262
      sheila91262

      Posted

      Hi All, Son back from hosp and has had a stent cleaned out where a clot had started. Seems good and he is back in 2 weeks for a check up scan. He is fine and has no pain or swelling, long may it last. seems incredible that in 2 years he has had severe ulcerative colitis, major DVT, reversal surgery to form an internal j pouch, and 2 lots of DVT stenting surgeries. He looks well and is fit again and able to play sport as much as he wants. If his general hosp hadn't neglected him there would have been no DVT and no DVT treatment and life would have been easier and less painful but at least he has come through it. Fingers still crossed. xx

      Sheila

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