Anyone with experience of a P E please?

[Maybug12]

I got admitted to hospital on Tuesday following a routine check up with my midwife - I have had breathlessness for a few weeks now and had a high heart rate over the weekend. However when I went to my appointment my heart rate was 184!
Anyways I was kept in and had a scan of the veins in my legs and an X Ray of my chest and obviously started straight away with the blood thinning injections (which are horrible may I add!!)
Anyway they didn't find anything from either scan but had no other explanation for my high heart rate and breathlessness. I have been sent home and chosen not to carry on with the injections as I don't feel happy doing that every day if there is no proof that is the problem and also means I would have to have a planned c section.
Anyway I'm still breathless - I'm okay if I'm sitting down resting, but as soon as I do anything it really comes back in full force! I can't spend 6 more weeks sitting down doing nothing until baby is born.
I am still wondering if maybe I have got a blood clot, but has anyone else had this and if so what were your symptoms? If this carries on I may go back and ask for a ct scan.

Have you told your doctors you have discontinued with the medication??

It's one thing to discontinue and stay under observation in hospital and another to go home and stop the medication they assume you are taking. They only would have discharged you on the assumption that you are taking it, surely?

It's pretty dangerous to self diagnose - just because they don't know exactly what is wrong, it doesn't mean that erring on the side of caution and giving you these is a bad thing. Medicine is not an exact science unfortunately.

Blood clots can cause stroke/pulmonary embolism/death. They give you blood thinners to avoid the chance of a clot. SO if you are worried about a clot then take the thinners!! Sorry to be blunt but I think you should take the medication.

A c-section seems like a minor trade off for avoiding something far worse happening to you or your child.

No one on here should and can diagnose you.
Take the meds and get back to the GP/hospital to push for more tests, but take what they prescribe.

You can spend 6 weeks sitting down if you have to. Sorry but you can. Obviously no one wants to but if you are that ill that you can't walk around you need to acknowledge it and accept it and rest, whilst taking medication and seeking further tests. Believe me I know how horrid it is being ill when pregnant, I have had Pre eclampsia problems with all my pregnancies, but you just have to let it wash over you and adjust to it.

I hope it is nothing serious and works out for you

Not in pregnancy but I had a PE in early 20s
PEs often are fatal - mine almost was.
Go to the doctor as soon as possible, get yourself checked out and then FOLLOW THE ADVICE YOU ARE GIVEN whether to take injections / rest whatever.
In all my pregnancies I have had to self inject twice a day. It's not overly pleasant but completely manageable.
And definitely worth it when it, y'know, stops you dying!

A PE can't be ruled in or out from a chest x-ray. Without a more detailed scan (which they may be reluctant to do because you're pregnant) there's no way they can say you don't have one. It could be extremely dangerous for you to stop your injections; a PE isn't something that you only treat if you have definite proof it's there. Without wanting to scare you, OP, it's a potentially fatal condition if not treated. Please, please go back and talk to the docs again.

Sorry I haven't made myself clear. They didn't give me any medication to take! They gave me injections in hospital, but that was it they didn't ask me to carry on with them at home - they said they don't know what it is, so I don't have to carry on with the injections if I don't want to! I havent just stopped them against advice I'm not that silly lol

Oh my goodness. Please don't stop your blood thinners without medical advice. The medics couldn't rule out a clot and that is why you've been discharged with thinners. If you have a clot, it could be fatal for you (and the baby of course). Without wanting to be alarmist, you need to get medical advice NOW.

You are pregnant and responsible for yourself and your baby. Yes injections hurt; of course sitting around is dull. However, they are vastly preferable to a blood clot. A planned section isn't the end of the world either. It's hard to get in the mindset of being ill when you've been previously well but.. You're ill. Please look after yourself. So sorry this is happening. Wishing you all the best.

Are you awaiting any further tests?

I don't know your full history or results but an XRay alone can't outrule a PE. You'll need a V/Q scan (older technology than CT scan but safe in pregnancy and can effectively diagnose PE). I would be very reluctant to stop those injections until they have completely ruled out a PE. It's a life-threatening condition...

Sorry - cross post!

How confusing for you. I would probably take myself back to the doctor. Being told you don't have to take meds if you don't want to is t very clear advice - the people with the medical training should be making that decision, not giving the decision to you.

*isn't

Oh myyyy! 🙈🙈 I wish you could edit posts on mumsnet Jeeze! I mis worded my original post I HAVE NOT just decided to stop injecting myself! They never told me I had to! I haven't even got any injections to inject myself with! This is why I'm posting the question in the first place - because the doctor at the hospital literally said the words 'I can't really give you any advice' my heart rate is slightly high and I am breathless when I'm doing things but I have no pain in my chest and I'm not coughing up blood! I am obviously still concerned hence me posting just wanting to know what others experiences and symptoms of having a PE are. When I have doctors telling me your heart rate may just be raised because your pregnant and your body is having to work harder and obviously breathlessness is a symptom of this too!
I'm not just laying around deciding to stop injecting myself because I don't fancy a c section! Sorry if that's how I came across! 🙈

Oh I'm sorry, hugs!!!

Definitely go back to gp or hospital and ask for further tests mentioned by another poster above.

You need a diagnosis for a pulse of 184.

It doesn't sound like you were fully investigated for PE

while rare PE does kill - lost a young woman recently (who had stopped her injections but I see you are quite clear this is not what you did) so touchy.

I would try and get answers first and worry about c sections etc later. Whatever lengths you go to to have the pregnancy you want nature and baby may have other ideas - at the end of the day the aim is to end up with a healthy mum and baby

I had bi lateral PEs (clots in both lungs) at 11 weeks pregnant.My X-ray did not show it up and eventually I had to have ct scan to make sure, it was only then that they saw the clots. The scan on my legs showed no evidence of clots either. I have been on blood thinners twice a day since then. I was also in incredible pain in my chest. I have never felt pain like it! I'm now 34 weeks pregnant and I can barely breathe at times. I've spoken to my consultants regarding it as I was worried about having more PEs and they have said due to the very high dose of thinners I am on its unlikely my blood would form clots and unfortunately it is just a symptom of late pregnancy.

On saying that if they haven't ruled a PE out for definite I don't think I would be happy with the diagnosis. You don't have to have a c section on thinners. I am being induced in 20 days. The thinners you take while you are pregnant are reversed in around 12 hours. I will just stop taking mine the day before and then go on to have vaginal delivery.

This will be my last pregnancy as I already know I have a clotting disorder which increases my chances of blood clots in every day life and more so in pregnancy! You get use to the injections. I don't love doing them but it's keeping me alive so I can't complain.

Hope everything goes well for you.