Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
General health

Mumsnet doesn't verify the qualifications of users. If you have medical concerns, please consult a healthcare professional.

Original poster

Anxiety after pulmonary emboli and worrying about symptoms

6 replies

Holidaydreaminggg · 01/05/2026 11:21

I was diagnosed with multiple pulmonary emboli during pregnancy last year. I have never been overweight, never smoked, drink very rarely etc. Drs have put it all down to pregnancy hormones and I no longer take any medication.
However I’m constantly worrying that they have returned. Every time I get a bit of a cough I worry that this is due to developing PEs and then I start
to notice myself becoming breathless more often, worry that my heart rate is elevated etc. Annoyingly… a lot of the symptoms of PE are similar to that of anxiety! So I’m constantly worrying whether I’m causing these symptoms in myself or whether I’m just dismissing them when I should be taking them more seriously.
I have been to A&E twice since my baby was born with these symptoms (and have had an x ray and blood test) and both times these have came back normal.
Has anybody else had blood clots in pregnancy and experienced this? Has anybody developed further PEs after pregnancy?

OP posts:
JulietteHasAGun · 01/05/2026 15:29

Not in pregnancy but dd had an unproved multiple bilateral PE when she was 21. No risk factors at all, very slim, no travel, not on the pill. If it is any consolation she definitely had noticable symptoms. I'm guessing you had symptoms if you had a test and yours was found? But I do appreciate they say you don't always have symptoms. The evidence is correct though that if it's a provoked PE you are unlikely to have another - though you should wear TEDS when on a plane and ask your gp about aspirin or even a short course of blood thinners

DD had a few trips to hospital in the year afterwards for chest pain, etc. She was stressed. She is now a lot more laid back and says she feels she can tell the difference between PE chest pain and non PE chest pain

Original poster
Holidaydreaminggg · 01/05/2026 16:12

JulietteHasAGun · 01/05/2026 15:29

Not in pregnancy but dd had an unproved multiple bilateral PE when she was 21. No risk factors at all, very slim, no travel, not on the pill. If it is any consolation she definitely had noticable symptoms. I'm guessing you had symptoms if you had a test and yours was found? But I do appreciate they say you don't always have symptoms. The evidence is correct though that if it's a provoked PE you are unlikely to have another - though you should wear TEDS when on a plane and ask your gp about aspirin or even a short course of blood thinners

DD had a few trips to hospital in the year afterwards for chest pain, etc. She was stressed. She is now a lot more laid back and says she feels she can tell the difference between PE chest pain and non PE chest pain

Did

OP posts:
Original poster
Holidaydreaminggg · 01/05/2026 16:16

JulietteHasAGun · 01/05/2026 15:29

Not in pregnancy but dd had an unproved multiple bilateral PE when she was 21. No risk factors at all, very slim, no travel, not on the pill. If it is any consolation she definitely had noticable symptoms. I'm guessing you had symptoms if you had a test and yours was found? But I do appreciate they say you don't always have symptoms. The evidence is correct though that if it's a provoked PE you are unlikely to have another - though you should wear TEDS when on a plane and ask your gp about aspirin or even a short course of blood thinners

DD had a few trips to hospital in the year afterwards for chest pain, etc. She was stressed. She is now a lot more laid back and says she feels she can tell the difference between PE chest pain and non PE chest pain

Did your DD ever go on to have any more PEs? I was the same - under 30 and had no risk factors (other than pregnancy).

My symptoms were primarily breathlessness and fatigue. And in hindsight a cough and a bit of chest tightness (that I put down to pregnancy!). Nothing was super painful which makes me worry that I could miss the symptoms again. I also get stressed as I dread going to the hospital for any symptoms - it’s really hard for me to source childcare whilst I go.

I do have a holiday coming up - I may ask my GP for a few blood thinning injections!

OP posts:
JulietteHasAGun · 01/05/2026 17:47

Holidaydreaminggg · 01/05/2026 16:16

Did your DD ever go on to have any more PEs? I was the same - under 30 and had no risk factors (other than pregnancy).

My symptoms were primarily breathlessness and fatigue. And in hindsight a cough and a bit of chest tightness (that I put down to pregnancy!). Nothing was super painful which makes me worry that I could miss the symptoms again. I also get stressed as I dread going to the hospital for any symptoms - it’s really hard for me to source childcare whilst I go.

I do have a holiday coming up - I may ask my GP for a few blood thinning injections!

Show quote history

No but she remains on oral blood thinners and will do for life. Have you ever seen a haematologist after? Because I can’t imagine your gp will prescribe you blood thinners (might be wrong), they’d normally want to refer you to haematology for a plan to be made. Or they might just say as you’re not pregnant than aspirin and flight socks and doing ankle exercises and drinking plenty of water will be fine.

JulietteHasAGun · 01/05/2026 17:48

Dd had searing chest pain with hers, doubled over crying. It is odd it can vary so much, guess it depends on the blood flow/amount of blockage.

LikelyLacking · 01/05/2026 17:54

JulietteHasAGun · 01/05/2026 15:29

Not in pregnancy but dd had an unproved multiple bilateral PE when she was 21. No risk factors at all, very slim, no travel, not on the pill. If it is any consolation she definitely had noticable symptoms. I'm guessing you had symptoms if you had a test and yours was found? But I do appreciate they say you don't always have symptoms. The evidence is correct though that if it's a provoked PE you are unlikely to have another - though you should wear TEDS when on a plane and ask your gp about aspirin or even a short course of blood thinners

DD had a few trips to hospital in the year afterwards for chest pain, etc. She was stressed. She is now a lot more laid back and says she feels she can tell the difference between PE chest pain and non PE chest pain

Same here - unprovoked, totally out of the blue PE. Very fit and healthy, low bmi and had run the day before. They couldn’t find any reason so now on life-long coagulation.

I do understand the anxiety OP, but you do have a cause as to why it happened, but It sounds like you really need some counselling to talk it through, or explain to the GP how its left you feeling- it is a huge and very frightening medical incident and you were pregnant too. You’re understandably feeling very vulnerable and it just takes time to come to terms with it. 💐

New posts on this thread. Refresh page