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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIBU to second guess what A&E said? Blood clot risk.

39 replies

SecondOpinionOrLeaveIt · 12/05/2024 16:14

Swollen lower leg, red and achy. I’m 40, a bit fat and have been on oral contraceptives for half my life.
I went to the hospital this morning as per the advice of NhS 111.
A&E did a D Dimer which was 480 and the cut off is 500. They have sent me home.

I cannot shake this feeling but I don’t want to waste their time. I could go to the GP tomorrow.

I am not a particularly anxious person but my gut feeling said “are you sure??”. I don’t want to make a fuss.

AIBU to be feeling really unsure and uncomfortable? Happy to be told I need to chill the F out.

OP posts:
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Whothefuckdoesthat · 16/05/2024 12:43

So pleased it wasn’t a clot, and hope it’s something that’s easily fixed with a few pills 💐

murasaki · 15/05/2024 22:44

Glad to hear it wasn't a clot, but clearly going back was the right thing to do. I hope.you feel better soon and they can work out what it is.

Original poster
SecondOpinionOrLeaveIt · 15/05/2024 22:39

thanks for the messages
Sorry, it’s been a few days! I’m in hospital. I don’t have a blood clot thankfully. I have a chest infection so on intravenous antibiotics but weirdly some concerning neurological symptoms. I’m being sent to a bigger hospital for some nerve studies.

its all a bit odd and we are not sure if the swollen leg is a red herring but I had Doppler on the leg and it was normal, thankfully.
i am glad I went to hospital again.

OP posts:
SD1978 · 15/05/2024 22:10

I take it your second trip back went fine @SecondOpinionOrLeaveIt? Usually a ddimer of under 500 won't trigger any further scans/ treatment, but hope you got the reassurance/ treatment you hoped for.

Concretejungle1 · 14/05/2024 20:32

Go back.
my friend could only take short breaths in and could not lie down due to the pain.
it was in her lungs.
( these were 2 indicators of a blood clot)

Calamitousness · 14/05/2024 06:40

How are you @SecondOpinionOrLeaveIt ?
interestingly your d-dimer is considered within normal reference range if you are <50 yrs. if you’re older though you could be outwith normal range with more chance of VTE. Be interested to see outcome.

Whothefuckdoesthat · 14/05/2024 06:21

Really hope you’re ok, OP. I know it can be shocking and frightening when you’re diagnosed with a clot, especially if it’s a pulmonary embolism (PE) but once you’ve got that diagnosis, the medication works very quickly.

If it is a PE, there’s a brilliant group of FB run by Thrombosis UK which is really supportive and although it obviously doesn’t give medical advice, it’s full of people giving their experiences and support. Aftercare can be…… varied, and you might find you need some help in what’s ‘normal’ and what’s something you need to speak to your dr about.

PanicAttax · 13/05/2024 22:47

Go back in now and get thinners. I was sent home with chest pains they called costochondria (because I have anxiety on my record so they ignore actual pain) after nearly a day of waiting in agony. They sent me home and I was back in 3 days later fighting to breathe - it was a pulmanory embolism. Go in and keep telling them you have a high D dimer and want a CAT not an xray (xray won't show up a clot).

determinedtomakethiswork · 13/05/2024 22:39

That sounds really worrying. I hope you're okay. I'm really glad you went back to hospital.

Hopebridge · 13/05/2024 22:35

Hope your ok and they are taking good care of you.

BirthdayRainbow · 13/05/2024 18:40

Listen to yourself sooner next time.

ILoveholidays2 · 13/05/2024 18:32

@SecondOpinionOrLeaveIt how are you now? Did they do a scan?

Onemoret1me · 13/05/2024 18:26

Glad you got seen again. Hope they were more thorough in their assessment

LoadOfToad · 13/05/2024 14:09

SecondOpinionOrLeaveIt · 12/05/2024 20:56

I think my Wells Score is 1. She said my swelling was borderline and not that bad.
i am no worse this evening and I will either see my GP tomorrow or go back to hospital.

I have worked as medical admin in the past but my knowledge of medicine is obviously very very minor and I know almost nothing about clots except they told me a lot about the D dimer and obviously I had hours to read about it in A&E today.

praise to the nhs though, the nurses and HCAs and reception staff were very kind and very efficient.

That is a very low bar to be praising the NHS... The NHS exists to diagnose issues and heal them, and it seems they didn't do a good job of that at all.

murasaki · 13/05/2024 13:32

Good luck.

WatchOutMissMarpleIsAbout · 13/05/2024 13:07

Good luck glad you’ve gone back 💐

MrsClatterbuck · 13/05/2024 11:56

I had a swollen lower leg also red and feeling hot. I had broke my toe and had a lot of pain in my calf. I was immobile and was also on the combined pill not a good combination. At my review a week later at A&E the nurse clocked on right away to my swollen, red and hot calf. It was also painful and very hard. Very much text book symptoms. I was taken to x ray where my foot was injected with dye and a clot or clots in my case were visible on the screen. Immediately I was taken to a ward and put on a drip plus warfin and also put on total bed rest for 7 days. I realise that things are done differently today but I would definitely see the Gp or go back to A&E.

BlondeFool · 13/05/2024 11:37

SecondOpinionOrLeaveIt · 13/05/2024 11:32

I started getting breathless and uncomfortable in my chest and I’m back in a different hospital waiting for a scan.

Glad I trusted my gut for once!

Glad you went to hospital. Good luck and I hope you're ok.

Original poster
SecondOpinionOrLeaveIt · 13/05/2024 11:32

I started getting breathless and uncomfortable in my chest and I’m back in a different hospital waiting for a scan.

Glad I trusted my gut for once!

OP posts:
Original poster
SecondOpinionOrLeaveIt · 12/05/2024 21:00

Answersunknown · 12/05/2024 20:45

Your gp will redirect you to ED or MIU they won’t see a Dvt that has already been seen in ED.

Either you trust ED and their advice or you go back but your gp can add nothing else.

My GP might be able to refer back to the SDEC to save me going via A&E. They have done this for other illness in the past.

I am going to measure both legs and really check the swelling and leg colour and warmth etc tomorrow morning before I make any decisions.

OP posts:
Original poster
SecondOpinionOrLeaveIt · 12/05/2024 20:56

I think my Wells Score is 1. She said my swelling was borderline and not that bad.
i am no worse this evening and I will either see my GP tomorrow or go back to hospital.

I have worked as medical admin in the past but my knowledge of medicine is obviously very very minor and I know almost nothing about clots except they told me a lot about the D dimer and obviously I had hours to read about it in A&E today.

praise to the nhs though, the nurses and HCAs and reception staff were very kind and very efficient.

OP posts:
Answersunknown · 12/05/2024 20:45

Your gp will redirect you to ED or MIU they won’t see a Dvt that has already been seen in ED.

Either you trust ED and their advice or you go back but your gp can add nothing else.

Jaffaisitacakeorbiscuit · 12/05/2024 20:00

Can you work out your wells score?
See my post above above

If 1 or below the dr was correct looking at the d dimer . However if your leg is worse then the D Dimer needs repeating

If your wells score is 2+ then a scan should have been requested and anticoagulant started whatever the d dimer is

Hollyhobbi · 12/05/2024 19:58

Did they not give you a blood thinning injection while you were waiting?

BirthdayRainbow · 12/05/2024 19:05

This is your health and potentially your life. Stop putting the thoughts of someone else above your feelings. Doctors make mistakes that mean people die that could and should have been saved. If you want another check then go. You know your own body.