Terrified of DVT

What symptoms did you have??

I had a hard area in my calf, it was red and painful to the touch. They said it was nothing to worry about a minor clot not in a surface vein, they gave me antibiotics as they said it could get infected otherwise and that it would get worse before it got better.  Well it did get worse and I foolishly didnt go back because of the advice they had given me, I ended up three/four weeks later in Stoke Mandeville.   The pain you describe in your buttocks is typical of sciatica.  

What symptoms did your daughter have??

Hi Alex

It started with a pain in her groin which she put down to sleeping in a funny position on the plane ( she did a long haul flight)

Then her leg started to swell and went a really weird  purple colour and she felt like she had pins and needles.  

It was discovered she had a very extensive clot from her calf  to her groin. 

Unfortunately it was very serious. Nevertheless a few years later and due to her determination to keep exercising  - she began with gentle swimming and lots of walking, the scarring is fairly minimal. Her leg swells in the heat and she wears a stocking at night. However, given the prognosis she originally had, she has done remarkable well. 

Her best advice to anybody is to get it checked as early as possible. There are now clot busting treatments being done which means long term damage can be kept to a minimum. And any signs of shortness of breath, pain in the chest, feelings of panic or you cannot draw breath etc go straight to A&E. She was walking around with a clot for over 3 weeks , any time during which a bit could have dislodged and become a pulmonary embolism.  We were very lucky.

Hope that helps. If you want any extra info the FB Page thrombosis U.K. is great.  Or look up clots.  

Karin x  

I’m very sorry she had to go through that. I’m glad she is recovering and doing well though. how severe was her leg pain ?? And after how long did the swelling/ discoloration dvt symptoms start??

Hi Alex thank you will pass it on

The pain was there but not too severe at the start, which is why she didn’t go to the GP originally . It got very severe when her leg swelled. This was about two weeks after her flight and was because she tried to go for a run.  She had travelled to France ( gap year) and was all alone at the time so doubly scary. However the care she got from the local hospital was great. She told them she thought it could be a clot because she’d also gone on a long coach journey as well as the flight and had got dehydrated. 

Anyway the lessons learned; the combined pill increases your risk, as do long haul flights and long periods of inactivity and no drinking. If you have any doubts go to GP/ A&E and dont let them tell you it’s ok until they’ve done tests. There is something called a DDimer test and ultrasound also shows it up.  And just because you’re young and active, doesn’t mean you can’t get them. 

Good luck with everything. 

Kxx

Hi Karin!!! Did your daughter get a d dimer?? Im having symptoms of PE... And have been to 2 er doc and cuz my d dimer was normal they don't want to give me a ct scan and Im soo scared!

Hi Christina 

Yes she did and it was positive. I know the test is not 100% though but it is a good indicator.  

However if you begin to have problems breathing or have any of signs of a pulmonary embolism or it gets much worse then please return to A&E.  Additionally if there is a family history of clotting that can also be a factor to consider.  But please don’t panic. Even with the very worst case they’d seen in the hospital, my daughter is now leading a normal active happy life.  

Sorry I just read your post again. I’m not medically trained but I was always told if you have any signs of PE to seek help particularly if your breathing gets worse