Blood Clot- How do you know?

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iVillage Member
Registered: 03-29-2003
Blood Clot- How do you know?
6
Thu, 06-10-2004 - 10:59am
Reading several posts in the last few days has made me wonder, how do you know you have a blood clot? Symptoms, things to look out for? I have heard about this happening, and I know its rare, but I wanted to find out more.

thanks :)

iVillage Member
Registered: 05-17-2004
Thu, 06-10-2004 - 11:22am
I have had 3 blood clots on 2 different occasions... I do not consider myself an expert but can at least let you know about my experience. In both cases, my symptoms started as redness on my lower leg. The first time it was diagnosed as tendonitis and I was given an ace bandage. They did a doppler, but only on my thigh, and the clot was actually in my calf. It was never diagnosed. (I was on BCP's at the time.) The second time was 2 and a half years later, same leg. The symptoms started the same... I had redness on my leg, which my OB/GYN apprehensivly diagnosed as superficial phlebitis, but told me to see my primary care. I had a blood test called a d-dimer done, which was high so they did a doppler, and it was determined that I had a clot. Basically, my symptoms started as edema (redness) on my lower leg, and the skin was very hot, painful, and tight feeling. Eventually the clot moved to my thigh. Then the pain felt a lot like a pulled muscle, and was not as noticable. There was no redness or swelling of my thigh like I'd had in my calf. I actually chalked it up to a strained muscle due to how I had to walk with my lower leg hurting. I eventually couldn't take it anymore (it took 25 minutes to walk about 30 feet in our employee parking garage, but I thought I was ok) and had another doppler done, and I had a huge DVT in my thigh. I was admitted to the hospital where part of THAT clot broke off and went to my lung. THOSE symptoms were chest pain, and pain on deep breathing. Shortness of breath is also a major symptom, but because I was not able to get out of bed, I didn't really notice that.

Alright, I'm rambling... I just like to get the word out because I was on OC's when this happened (both times) and because it was not caught the first time, I was put back on OC's because I thought I'd had no history of clots. If you are on OC's and have any suspicion at all that you have a clot, be pro-active and have at least the d-dimer test done. If that test is positive, it still doesn't mean you have a clot, but you should have the doppler of your leg done. Don't let doctors tell you it's just superficial phlebitis or tendonitis... I let that happen once before, then had another DVT/PE and now have to be on bloodthinners for the rest of my life. Be aware, involved, and active in your care!

I'm done. : )

~Kellie Marie in Kentucky

iVillage Member
Registered: 05-17-2004
Thu, 06-10-2004 - 11:28am
I should also add that if you do end up positive for a DVT, ask your doctor to refer you to a hemotologist or if your doctor is familiar with clotting disorders, have them order a battery of testing to see if you have any. I am homozygous for FVL, which I would not have known without the clot, and which is a huge cause of miscarriages in many women. Knowing before I plan to become pregnant is a huge relief for me... there is treatment (Lovenox/Heparin injections) and I am grateful to know this before suffering a loss. Ok I'm done! : )

~Kellie Marie in Kentucky

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-12-2004
Thu, 06-10-2004 - 12:02pm
My clots are in my lungs and are believed to have formed there since they didn't find any in my legs. My symptoms were:

A few weeks before hospitalization:

-feeling extra tired

-something that felt like an anxiety attack (short of breath, rapid heart beat etc) for no apparent reason. I'd never had anxiety attacks before but I ASSUMED thats what it was. I had maybe 3 of them in the 2 weeks before I went in the hospital.

A few days before hospitalization:

-something that felt like a minor pulled muscle in my back (rib area).

The day of my trip to the ER:

-the "pulled muscle" feeling got much worse. It hurt more when laying down... especially if laying on that side.

-the pain started to feel more like a charlie horse in my back... then it started being a squeezing contracting agonizing pain that got worse during inhaling.

Note: I was told most people with lung clots get chest pain as opposed to back pain. But I assume it'd feel similar.

iVillage Member
Registered: 05-17-2004
Thu, 06-10-2004 - 1:43pm
Checkered - about a week after my hospitalization, I woke up in the middle of the night with the most horrible chest/back pain. When I was in the hospital the first time, it felt like a backache, like I'd spent too much time in bed. It hurt to breathe deep, and mostly it was on my left side. The pain a week later was much more intense... I had to go to the ER (the clot had turned.)
iVillage Member
Registered: 04-12-2004
Thu, 06-10-2004 - 3:08pm
What do you mean by "the clot had turned"... you mean it rotated but stayed in the same place?
iVillage Member
Registered: 05-17-2004
Thu, 06-10-2004 - 3:46pm
Checkered... yes. It was oval-shaped and had turned sideways. They did a repeat CT scan and said it was actually smaller than it was when I was in the hospital the week before, but it had turned sideways, and likened that to my highly increased pain. They gave me an IV with morphine (which didn't help the pain much but I didn't care! : ) and sent me back home... the pain wore off after a couple of hours and I haven't had a problem since.