DVT or Blood Clots

[casmith07]

Anyone know what this feels like?

I'm afraid that I might have it...have a dull ache in the calf of my left leg, and my father is prone to blood clots. In fact, pulmonary embolisms in both lungs and DVT almost killed him a year ago.

Just wondering if the ache (its a deep ache, not a "surface ache" like from running) is something I should get checked out asap.

 

[tomson75]

Get it checked out ASAP. Ultrasound. Get your blood checked for irregularities, i.e. clotting abnormalities.

My wife is at risk. After our latest child (7 months), the circulation in her legs has deteriorated badly. That, combined with her clotting abnormalities, is no bueno. She was on blood thinners for the entirety of the pregnancy. She's 27.

Serious stuff. You may want to look into Endovenous Laser Treatment (EVLT), sclerotherapy, foam sclerotherapy, duplex-guided sclerotherapy, IPL...if it's a vein issue.

There's not much you can do if you get a DVT that migrates north...they can put you down, quick.

 

[casmith07]

Yeah I'm due for my annual for the Army anyway, so I'll raise that along with shoulder issues I've been having. I think I messed up my rotator cuff during a foot march 2 years ago and it hasn't been the same sense.

26 years old falling apart. My dad was very, very lucky with the PEs though. His charts/MRI showed that he should've been carted into the ER on a stretcher, not walking in under his own power.

 

[Hoofbite]

Any swelling or warmth?

Can you feel anything that would feel like a small cord in the painful leg that isn't in the other leg?

These are some other characteristics.

To be quite honest, just go to the doctor.

Coverage should not be an issue for you. I'm assuming the military would cover an office visit.

Something like this isn't something you want to play around with. Not really one of those things you can just shake off. Real possibility of flat out kicking the bucket if it is in fact a clot.

There's a news correspondant who died a few years back after having a DVT. Think his name was David Bloom and he was covering the war in Iraq when he died. He was like 39 years old.

I don't know how long you have until your annual visit but if it isn't soon, I'd make an appointment if I were you. Sooner the better really.

 

[Eskimo]

Signs and symptoms of DVT are notoriously unreliable.

In the right circumstance the only reasonable thing is to go to be checked out today and get tested if the MD in emergency thinks it is appropriate.

In the right settings a simple blood test can rule it out. In more complicated settings you may need an ultrasound.

 

[casmith07]

Thanks everyone.

 

[notherbob]

Here's the URL of a DVT patients' forum you may find helpful: http://www.dvtforum.com/index.asp?action=start

On a separate note, the main thing to be aware is blood clots and if one eats a couple of cloves, not big bulbs, but cloves of natural (non-irradiated) garlic a day, blood clots ALMOST cannot form. Garlic is the best natural anti-coagulant and if one eats garlic every day, it minimizes the probability of heart attacks and strokes as well as thromboses forming. It is not recommended within a week or surgery because of its blood thinning properties.

If one is allergic to garlic, one should avoid it completely.

A knowledgeable doctor should monitor the patient's PT clotting time and adjust the Warfarin/Coumadin dosage accordingly.

Certainly a doctor needs to manage the case but the patient can help fight side effects by reducing the need for harsh medications by getting the same results with garlic but without the side-effects.

Good luck to you and your father both.

 

[casmith07]

Thanks Bob. I'm pretty big on garlic but not everyday