1. Community
  2. Blood & Immune System
  3. Deep Vein Thrombosis

Long haul flight 2 months ago

Posted , 2 users are following.

jennifer_05102
jennifer_05102

Hey everyone! I visited my family in Canada from Tokyo about two months ago and had to endure two 14 hour flights. I'm 31 and had never thought about DVT or clotting before. I'm 100% healthy, on no medications, eat well, and have never had a problem. Have seen people getting up and moving around the plane while I sat and just got up to use the washroom once every couple hours but that's what most people do. Anyhow, when I got back to Tokyo immediately in the airport I felt a cramp like pain in my left calf that I thought would go away. It didn't, it got worse. Of course I Googled the symptoms and got completely freaked out. I went to a "blood doctor" who took a d-dimer and general blood test and some other test. He said that I was all clear and there was nothing to worry about but I was still concerned. He gave me some blood thinners for a few days, and I had a bizarre anaphylaxtic episode to a sesame rice cracker that I'd never had in my life. Perhaps some strange interaction. Nothing got better, I went to a muscle doctor who told me it was a bit swollen and to get an MRI which cost $100. I didn't go, instead went to another doctor who finally did a doppler ultrasound of my calf and saw nothing but "beautiful muscle fiber"

I still have pain two months after that plane ride and everything seems to point to DVT. But there's no way it could get past all of those tests right?

0 likes, 2 replies

2 Replies

  • MeerB
    MeerB jennifer_05102

    Posted

    If a d dimer comes back negative, then you do not have a dvt. Plain and simple. Even if a d dimer comes back positive, they still have to rule out other conditions which can also return a positive result. 

    Why you were given ‘blood thinning’ medication is most bizarre. In any case, these medications do not thin your blood as in diluting. They alter the blood clotting time. 

    The ultrasound also proved negative not surprisingly. 

    There is no dvt. 

    Pete

    • jennifer_05102
      jennifer_05102 MeerB

      Posted

      Thanks for the reply.

      I think the only thing that's confusing me is that all of this happened after two long haul flights, and I'm still experiencing really bad muscle cramping pain to the extent of limping. It's been three months now and the doctors don't know what's the matter.

      I didn't do any strenuous physical activity to strain the left calf muscle. It just happened when I got off the plane.

Back to top

Report or request deletion

Thanks for your help!

We want the community to be a useful resource for our users but it is important to remember that the community are not moderated or reviewed by doctors and so you should not rely on opinions or advice given by other users in respect of any healthcare matters. Always speak to your doctor before acting and in cases of emergency seek appropriate medical assistance immediately. Use of the community is subject to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and steps will be taken to remove posts identified as being in breach of those terms.