Sharp Pain & Chills
Posted , 3 users are following.
I woke up with sharp pain on the right side (rt lung PE) when I breathe in deeply and have chills. I don't know if this is serious or not...called my doctor's office 3 hours ago to find out if I should be evaluated & I'm still waiting for doctor to call back. I haven't had this pain since before I was diagnosed. It's not as bad as it was then, but it's new. I'm afraid the Xarelto is not working and there's a new clot or bigger clots?? And, I've had the chills on & off since I had the flu in December. Not sure what that's all about.
Any ideas? What should I do? THANK YOU.
0 likes, 7 replies
carrie27300 graceCO
Posted
graceCO carrie27300
Posted
Carrie, thank you for replying. Since I posted, my doctor called and said the pain is likely caused by the clot (I had 2) that is in the lower right portion of the lung, which lines up with the pain location. He said if the sharp pain continues, or if a new pain appears, to call him right away. But, he thinks this is the natural process of the clot clearing and sensitivity against the wall of the lung (paraphrasing him!) as scar tissue forms. Said it takes awhile to resolve. He did put my mind at ease.
So, I'll keep vigilant and call him again if this pain persists. It sure is scary stuff and hard to tell if what I'm feeling is a new & potentially serious clot. I take nothing for granted, i.e. can't get a new clot on Xarelto, thanks to this forum.
peter54321 graceCO
Posted
Hi Grace,
Sorry to hear you are still having some troubles. The xarelto you are taking will be reducing the ability of the blood to clot. It means that the blood still can clot (you still need that) but it takes longer. It also means that the blood is much less likely to clot in places where the blood circulation is poorer (like in my legs, when I am sat on my ass with my legs crossed, engrossed in a book
.
What all this means is that you are much less likely to have a clot and, if you did, the clot would be much smaller.
It's probably one of those post PE random pains, but the hospital won't shoot you for going back in to have it checked out - I did early on and it was a false alarm....but they were lovely and said "better safe than sorry".
Let us know how you get one.
All the best
Peter
graceCO peter54321
Posted
Hi Peter,
You are exactly right--that's what my doctor said, too! Part of the healing process...But, I have read here that people were getting new clots even though they were on Xarelto!! That stayed with me and this pain was so new and unexpected that I thought for sure I had a new clot.
In time, I'll settle down--this is all so new and scary still. Now that my doctor has found an underlying cause, I'm in for more testing to get a resolution on how long my treatment will be. He's talking possibly Warfarin may be in my future, which means my margarita Fridays are out of my life
But, at least I'll be alive.
peter54321 graceCO
Posted
Yes, it is possible to throw another clot, unlikely though. I am not sure xarelto is any worse or better than the others at prevention. I think they are all in the high 90 percentile.
On a lighter note I may have some good news on the margarita front. I thought drinking was restricted on warfarin, but it turns out it is not and the limit is the same as anyone else (14 units a week). There is a LOT of misinformation about medical matters and the no drink on warfarin is one of them (smoking is a no no though, as it causes the blood to thicken). Not sure about xarelto, but I wouldn't be staying on that anyway.... Also, I would definitely wait until you are back to normal. I probably didn't touch a drop for well over a year....shocked a few friends did that
graceCO peter54321
Posted
Oh, Peter, you just made my day! All I've been reading online is that alcohol is strictly forbidden on Warfarin, especially. I'm in no mood to drink anything right now, and it will be a very long time until I do, but it's good to know I don't have to give up Friday-night margaritas, wine with dinner or champagne over the holidays. Some things do make life worth living...not at the top of my list, but definitely on the list
I was never a smoker, so that's not an issue. In fact, I asked my doctor why so many non-smokers are getting clots and lung cancer? I've lost 2 non-smoking friends to lung cancer in the last year. They were both baby boomers--healthy, in shape runners--who suddenly got sick. Radon was the cause for one...but it's so unfair and perplexing. Just like those of us getting blood clots at all ages and with no apparent reason!
I'm slowly settling in to whatever is in store for me re/management of these clots going forward. I have such strong family history that I may get peace of mind being on a lifetime of blood thinners. I'm assuming after some time, there is a new normal and we all get back to our lives, traveling, hiking, etc.? I will miss skiing. We do family trips every year & I just bought new boots/skiis...that is a loss.
I'll stop rambling...thank you for the good advice and encouragement! So happy about the margie news!
peter54321 graceCO
Posted
To be honest, neither the PEs or anticoalulants should stop you from doing anything, as long as you think about the implications and plan accordingly. The biggest nuisance with warfarin used to be the regular testing - it only takes seconds, but you had to go to the nurse for it. Now you can ask your GP for a home kit.
Must rush - I am late for my knife juggling class.......