Calf pain should I be worried?

[mrsrabbit3]

Had what feels like muscular pain in one calf for a few weeks now. I do a mostly sedentary job so am sat for long periods but I do rush around a lot at home.

Just asked Dh if he could notice any swelling and he said yes one calf (the painful one) is bigger than the other but there is no redness or stabbing pain and it isn't hot to touch. My immediate thought was dvt but I do suffer with health anxiety and always jump to the worst conclusion! Would muscular pain and swelling in this area be a concern for you?

Yes of course. You should go to A&E.

For a sore calf? With no other symptoms of dvt such as redness etc?

A sore calf and swelling that’s not got better for a few days and in one leg only? Yes, of course. DVTs don’t always have all of the symptoms, in fact, they are prolific for it. Chances are it’s calf strain but I would have thought you’d need a dipole scan to confirm that.

Pain that has lasted a few weeks with no other symptoms of DVT wouldn’t be an A&E situation for me. I’d go to the GP over the next week.

https://www.mayoclinic.org/symptoms/leg-swelling/basics/when-to-see-doctor/sym-20050910

My friend had no swelling, no redness and it was a large DVT

Have you measured both calfs at the same point to see if there's much difference?

I've just done this and they are measuring the same which is odd as to look at one does look slightly bigger. And it does ache a bit like a muscle strain.

I was at physio during the week and we had a conversation about blood clots. Given what you are saying I'd go and get checked sooner rather than later.

Given that the pain isn't severe and now I've measured it there isn't actually notable swelling (both calves measure the same point) I'm not sure a&e is appropriate for this. But I will get checked later in the week at the GP if I can get in.

I think that’s fair tbh, this presents a slightly different picture to what you first did which suggests anxiety might be at play at bit here. Hope you get it sorted during the week.

Anxiety definitely is at play. I struggle a lot with it and the slightest sign of any niggle puts me on high alert. I have had pain in my calf for a few weeks and I think dh pointing out that one calf looks bigger than the other has triggered a bit of a panic.

I hadn't thought of measuring them and am actually quite surprised that they measure the same as visually one leg does look slightly bigger.

I had this once before and had a d-dimer that came back negative so also a bit scared that doctors might think im insane.

Low potassium in your blood.

I'd go to the GP. My dad was actually diagnosed with a bakers cyst but we went to GP. They thought it was a DVT. Started him on blood thinners immediately and did urgent bloods then when it came back not suggesting a DVT sent him for urgent Ultrasound that diagnosed the cyst.

Oh, I know how you feel, it’s why I know so much about when to go to A&E for an expected DVT 😂

Anxiety can really mess with your head but we are so lucky to be in a country where we can go and get these symptoms checked out just to be safe. Doctors won’t judge you, they see this all the time and at the end of the day if they didn’t think the test was necessary they wouldn’t have ordered it, so you should be no more embarrassed then them.

Please get it checked out. My friend had similar symptoms for weeks and thought they had hurt themselves exercising. It was during Covid and they had to wait a long time from the initial GP appointment for the MRI referral. I don’t want to scare you but they went into cardiac arrest and passed away as the clot travelled before the date came for the referral, they talked themselves out of going to A&E the morning it happened. Never feel bad getting checked out, you know when something is not right.

I would try and get a GP appointment tomorrow

Yes I had a blood clot after I had my son and had pain in my upper leg even though I hadn't done anything to strain a muscle. Don't waste time getting checked blood clots are serious and life threatening. If it's not a blood clot no harm done and at least you will know but better to be safe than sorry

If you were having symptoms of a heart attack or a stroke, would you ignore it on the basis that you were probably just being overly anxious about it? I don’t want to frighten you if you’re already suffering from health anxiety, but clots can be deadly.

I’ve had three pulmonary embolisms following dvts. My legs have never been swollen or hot to the touch and only once did I have pain that felt like a pulled muscle. Luckily on that occasion I collapsed when I was in A&E being told I had nothing to worry about, or I’d be dead now. Personally, I think you’re being beyond silly not to get it checked out. Blood clots are incredibly easy to treat once diagnosed but if you have one and you ignore it, there’s only going to be one outcome.

If you’re determined not to go, however, then make sure you keep an eye out for any breathlessness or chest pain. Or any feelings of not quite being with it. And if you have anything like that, then get yourself to A&E urgently. Please don’t mess about thinking you’re wasting anyone’s time or it’s probably fine or you’ll go in the morning.

@WilfredsPies so by that logic, anything at any time could kill us and we may not know about it? Since you had no symptoms? That's a great thing to know as someone with health anxiety.

Look I don't fuck about with my health but equally I have two dc, a full time job and it's very hard to go to a&e and the drop of a hat at every single ache or pain. I'm not being 'silly' I'm just trying to make an educated decision based on the fact that I have a slightly painful, slightly larger calf on one side. But no other red flag symptoms that could be immediately classed as an accident or an emergency.

I went to A&E in September with chest pains as I was convinced I was having a heart attack. D-dimer came back negative then amongst all the other tests but I appreciate it was 3 months ago and this is a new ish pain. My point is I would and have been to A&E when I've been worried.

@mrsrabbit3 , @WilfredsPies is just trying to help you. You’ve come here with those symptoms which can be deadly. You’ve since changed them in subsequent posts but people aren’t going to lie to you, they are going to offer their advice. One swollen painful calf is a trip to A&E. You’ve since measured and it’s not swollen so it’s your call.

@Anotherworrier as a fellow health anxiety sufferer, do you know anything about d dimer tests? If I had one three months ago that was fine would it mean my risk of clots would be smaller now? As in this is something that has been tested relatively recently.

Just call 111.

@mrsrabbit3 was it three months ago? I’m really sorry but I don’t think the results would be relevant now.

Have you considered CBT? I found it helpful, I’m really sorry you’re going through this, are you sure it swollen? I’ve literally had this worry before and was quite obsessed so my heart really does go out to you right now.

I can appreciate that your heath anxiety might be making you react aggressively but I’m not your punching bag so please don’t take your panic out on me.

I did have symptoms. I had symptoms of a Pulmonary Embolism. I was just trying to make the point that you can’t rely on having a swollen calf or of it being hot to the touch as well as having the pain.

Go, or don’t go. It’s no skin off my nose. I simply answered your questions. If you only wanted reassurance that it was all fine and absolutely nothing to worry about, then you should have put that in your post and I just would have kept my opinions and experience to myself and scrolled on.