Worried about DVT.

[Methe]

I've got a pain in my calf, it's been there for maybe 10 days or so. It feels like cramp, but very small cramp just in one spot, if that makes sense. My leg is not swollen, or red and it doesn't really hurt when I walk. I have had this pain before and it eventually went away on it's own. The reason I am worried about it this time is that I've had 3 surgeries in the last 8 weeks, ( 2 laproscopic abdominal surgeries and a gynae op under spinal) and a late miscarriage. I am also being investigated for Antiphospholipid syndrome which is a clotting disorder due to recurrent pregnancy loss/abruptions. I am 32 and a bit fat but general healthy and am pretty mobile now.

The pain isn't severe, it's just a niggle but I suffered with Health Anxiety as a part of PTSD after the birth of my son 3 years ago. I find it very difficult to keep things in prospective and anything health related sends me in to panic.

What should I do?

I dont think I had any injections unless they did it when I was under GA.

The only IM drugs I had were anti-emetics and pethadine when I was in labour. I ha a LOT of drugs over a 3 week period but no-one mentioned any anticoagulants.

Just stumbled across this thread and had to comment methe.
I dont have any experience of DVT to add but I have had two late miscarriages (4 mc altogether in the last 18 months) and think I am suffering some Health Anxiety too.
I'm always worrying about DVT's for some reason as I'm convinced I have a blood clotting issue that hasn't been diagnosed yet.

Do you have any aspirin in the house? It might be worth taking one in the meantime - even if it just helps put your mind at rest till you can get checked out.
I'm so sorry to hear of your losses - sounds like you've had a pretty rubbish time of it.
Hope you can get checked tomorrow and everything is fine

I wasnt telling you to scare you by the way moreover how i'd had no symptoms and wasnt considered high risk so wasnt given precautionary fragmin. In fact even after surgery etc and complaining of crushing pain they gave me peppermint tea for trapped wind.

Nothing but nothing comes close to being told i may very well die! I'm waiting for my tests in august as apparently post partum etc can throw the results so my appointment is in august. What i didnt realise is that the pain may last up to two years whilst the heart / lungs repair.

On the bright side, some one up above smiled on me with the most easy going placid gorgeous girl i could have wished for.

The problem methe is when you have a health anxiety all logic goes out the window. The mind is such a powerful thing, its okay when its working for you and a complete nightmare when its against you.

Go to your doctor for reassurance. But most likely it will be nothing to worry about.

Take care and relax

thedoctorswife - I am appalled that you weren't given thromboprophylaxis. All patients who are admitted to hospital should be risk assessed and given appropriate TP and this HAS to be documented. It has taken 15 years of hard work and lobbying to get to this point, and Trusts have their funding reduced if they don't conform. You should have been considered high risk.

Please complain, if only for the sake of those who come after you.

Given your history of recent surgery & possible clotting disorder no doctor is going to think you are bring ridiculous.

I would advise a trip to a&e early in the morning, but be warned, it is very unusual for hospitals to provide the ultrasound test at the weekend. If the doctor who sees you is concerned about dvt you are likely to be treated 'just in case' with injections over the weekend and scanned on Monday.

The told me the same TDW, My Clotting screen isn't until June 14th and I lost my Daughter 10th April. They are waiting for the pregnancy hormones to leave my body as they can make you clot more. I think they want to know it it is an 'always' thing or a 'pregnancy induced' thing. Being told you could die is awful :( Hopefully you are coping well with the treatment and mentally dealing with it all as best you can :)

iloveblue, HA is shit. It sucked the life out of my Ds's first 2 years but things are generally much better now. Antidepressants helped me no end. You poor poor thing having 4 MC in 18 months.. that is awful :( I have had 5 but over 15 years and had 2 premature children too. The stress has been unbearable at times even though it's been over a long period, i can only imagine that going though all that over less that 2 years would be worse :( Have you had any testing?

Littlefrogs- tell me more. I actually wrote a letter to thank the hospital once i was re-admitted as they were beyond amazing. I'd had dd in the main hospital, transferred to a local birth centre for recovery where i repeadedly said i wasnt well, came home and just about managed to get up my stairs realising something was very wrong.

I then got sent back to the main hospital who went into overdrive to help me. But one thing was a was breastfeeding dd and someone arrived to take me for a contrast dye scan. Just as the guy went to inject the dye, i asked how long it would take as dd needed feeding. He ripped the cannula out yelling good god, you mean your not pregnant? You cant feed a baby with this stuff in you!!!

I went back to the ward and sobbed. I had 16 hours to pump 24 hours worth of milk and i was only five days post birth. I did it though! But i was livid as no-one on maternity knew that the dye was toxic.

You do have a lot of risk factors for dvt, so I would get it checked out ASAP, I.e. Now!

That's awful TDW

I have had the standard tests including the anti phospholipid syndrome which was normal. Have recently discovered (I'm far too friendly with Dr Google at the moment) that you can be seronegative, which means you can have it but it doesn't show up on tests. I had two successful pregnancies prior to these problems which makes it more bizarre. Most recent mc was at the end of April at 16 wks - had the same tests again so we'll see. I'm pushing to get tested for Factor V Leiden and a few others as its not a standard test here. It's the not knowing what is causing the mc's that has started my health anxiety - I was always fairly relaxed about it before. But now every little twinge sets me off, and the annoying thing is I know I'm being irrational but I can't help it. I think it is getting better. I've just started yoga and relaxation which is helping, and I'm trying to curb my google obsession

Is this the first time you've been tested for APLS?

TDW that is awful and very scary. How are you now?

Methe -sorry i dont want to de-rail your thread and you have been through simething truly horrendous

i know you say you have health anxiety and you've been through something tragic. Try not to panic over dvt, because even if it is a dvt, and its a huge if, its treatable. And the complications are a P.E and here i am, 14 weeks later, still fine, still treatable. So get checked out but dont let your mind do 'what if's' about dvt. X

Yeah, i've never been tested before. Is your cervix ok? My loss and the premature births have been thought to have been cause by my cervix and i've had stitches galore but now they think it's because of the clotting.. i'll i interested to see what the results are but I know even if I test negative they will treat me with clexane if we decide to try again anyway.

Re the HA, irrationality is where it's at i'm afraid. I convinced myself I had MS/brain tumour/other awful muscle wasting disorder. The absolute best thing you can do is BAN DR GOOGLE! Buddhist meditation helps too x

Don't worry a bit about derailing! It sounds like a place to talk is helpful to us all.

TDW - you should have had post operative thromboprophylaxis just as any patient having surgery should have, (unless there was a very good reason why not) There should be a written risk assessment in your medical records and written justification for NOT giving it.

This directive has been in place for about a year, and NHS Trusts are supposed to provide evidence to their clinical governance committee, who in turn have to produce it to their commissioners. If they cannot produce evidence of written risk assessment for every patient, a certain amount of funding is witheld.

I am so sorry you went through this.

Methe - how are you this morning?

The charity LifeBlood is well worth a google if you are worried about recurrent miscarriage, DVT or PE.

I'm ok thanks :) the pains still there and still the same. Feel about making it out to be a bit deal tbh, it's probably just a pulled muscle.

I have just got back from a&e after dh made me go. They ran the d dimer test and said the results were 77 which is fine, apparently they worry if it is higher than 250. The dr said definitely not at DVT i am so relieved! They ran a load of other test and amazingly my hb has come up to 12 which is the highest it has ever been! 5 weeks ago it was 8. All the other tests were fine.

3little frogs, thank youso much for posting on here. I know it's a bit dodgy posting on here if your medical so I really appreciate it.

TDW, I hope your DVT and PE's are a one off and all your tests come back normal. Enjoy your little girl .

Iloveblue, hope you're ok :( if you want to chat about the whole mc/apls/ha thing you're welcome to pm me any time xxx

My bloody leg is still hurting!

Very glad to hear you've had it checked out and it's not the dreaded DVT!

It runs in my family, so I am always very aware of warning signs, my Mum nearly died of multiple PE about 4 years ago and it has taken her a long time to recover.

Getting treatment is THE most important thing.

I hope your leg feels better soon; did they say what they thought it was?

Glad to hear you're okay methe. I really hope you start to get some answers.

Littlefrogs im glad you told me all this. I may not complain per se but im def going to challenge this when i meet with the haematologist.

Good news methe - it was definitely worth getting checked out. Thanks for the offer - I may take you up on that. When do you get your test results? I'll be stalking you watching to see how you get on.

3littlefrogs thanks for the lifeblood tip - will have a google for that.

Well the specialists blood appointment is on the 14th and then we are meeting my consultant for the results and to find out what was found from the genetics taken from the baby and her examination ( we didn't consent to full PM) 4 weeks after that so sometime in July. It's a long drawn out process isn't it :(

It is yes - our appointment will be July too, hopefully. We waited 5 months after our first loss (at 20 wks) for our follow-up appointment. I find it very hard to get on with life in the meantime. We did consent to a full PM, and we did last time too although they found nothing abnormal. My late losses both happened in utero so its definitely not a cervix issue - just wish I knew what it was. Its driving me doolally. Here's hoping we both get some answers