Varicouse veins/Support stockings

[Flossie2]

Oh the glamour! Has anyone worn support stockings to help with veins in pregnancy please? Did you buy them yourself or did NHS provide them? Any help appreciated. THanks.

I had to see the nurse to be measured for these on the NHS recently - oh joy! I have them because of clots in my superficial veins rather than just the average varicose veins though.

I hate the things. I have to have the rather attractive (!) thigh length ones, which are a real pain to get on and off. I have also just heard that the NHS can only get ones with closed toes, which will be a pain through the summer, so I am going to see if I can buy any extra pairs online with open toes. Otherwise it will be a summer of long trousers and no sandals for me.

I have to have them if you having thigh length ones remember to try find a susie belt [embarrased] as they will keep falling down! and i still looking for one so any help gratefully recieved xx i not looking forward to summer either

Isthreetoomany - sorry to butt in but when you had clots in your superficial veins did you also have visable VV's?

I had DVT about 1.5 years ago and since have had superfical clot but could never understand why I had these when I didnt have any visable varicose veins.

Boris - No I don't really have varicose veins as such either, and I don't get the aching veins/legs that I understand go with varicose veins. (Its more just shooting pain when the clots in superficial veins are bad!). It is a real pain as periodically through my 2 previous pregnancies my leg swells up and goes red and I cannot stand on it, and then I end up having to go to hospital with suspected DVT, and have had to be admitted a few times for an ultrasound to check its not DVT. It hasn't happened yet in this pregnancy but its still early days. Do you know if there is a link between DVT and superficial clots? My GP didn't have much to say when I asked him about that.

M & S do, or did last time I looked, sell support tights. Not as supportive as the specially measured ones, but good all the same. My veins used to kill me when I was a waitress, the tights really helped.

Isthree, interesting. Well I guess there must be some kind of link and I know that rarely superficial clots can grow into the deep veins where the two systmes meet. Its funny because I never had any problems with superfical clots before my DVT which just came out of nowhere, but have had them in the same leg since so I am guessing the veins are somehow now damaged caused by the DVT.
I think also DVT can be suspected with Superfical clots because they often occur together.
There are also factors which make people more prone to clotting. I am being testing for a clotting disorder which as well as causing DVT causes Superficial clots. TBH we are still young to be getting even Superfical clots so sometimes there will be an underlying factor.
I have now been put back on blood thinners for this pregnancy as you know the risk is higher in pregnancy for both. My whole leg was swollen too and the pain was horrid with my last bout of SP, it was as bad as the DVT pain I think! Hopefully the blood thinners will keep it at bay now though.