Good day,
Recently suffered a blood clot in right lower leg and prescribed Xarelto 20mg.
My calf is swollen and ankle area as well, is there an "average" or expected time for this swelling to go away? Calf muscle very tight and begins to cramp up after about 10 minutes of light walking.
I am unsure as to time scales? But a compression stocking along with elevation should certainly help
Thank you for your reply. I appreciate it.
Hi I got a DVT in the left leg after cycling in 2020. I think it all depends on how big a clot you have. My clot was behind my knee joint and the first few weeks were quite bad. As you say swollen calf and ankle. I cut the elastic on my left sock leg as it was uncomfortable. Make sure when your resting you elevate your leg when possible. With me the swelling got better over the first few weeks but your calf will still go solid as each day progresses. For me it took the best part of a year before my calf got completely back to normal. You may find a compression sock may help, but I didn’t use one.
Uggg, Not what I wanted to hear but thank you for the input. Greatly appreciated.
I don't think there is any set time, everyone is different. I had a PE about 5 years ago and now lifetime on warfarin. My advice is keep moving but listen to your body. If you are cramping up after ten minutes then your body is telling you that's enough. Keep going and eventually it will improve, I'm sure.
Thanks for the input. I appreciate it.
Hi Ancient_Runner,
I've had a three DVT's in my calf and one in the thigh.
The first one, was 20+ years ago, it was missed by the hospital and it traveled to my thigh 8 weeks later.
Forward 15 years and I've had another 2 at different times and I'm now on Apixaban for life.
I'm sorry for your problems, the swollen leg, "I'm only going from my experience " so you could be different.
My leg after the first clot, never went back to normal and there was about 2cm diggerence between legs.
I never wore a compression stocking, as I was only in my 30s at the time, I wish I had of.
They do make a difference, now I have one, on my right leg up to the groin.
I wear it all the time, from the minute I get up to the minute I go to bed.
What a difference, its a class three stocking, it's tight and my legs are both the same size when on.
It also makes a difference to the pain I get every day from my leg, I find elevation above your heart helps. A few cushions with your leg rested on should help.
I wish I'd worn the stocking, now I'm lucky if I can walk to the local shop as my leg is in so much pain.
So wear the stocking, rest your leg when its sore and listen to your doctor or specialist.
Good luck and I hope it heals and you get back to normal.
Thanks for the info. Very much appreciated
I have chronic DVT in the upper part of my left leg since tearing a muscle/tendon in my calf around 7 years ago.My left calf is permanently bigger than my right.
It does swell even more & feel 'tight' after walking a lot.
I wear a surgical stocking, which I was told would help.
I just put up with it TBH as I don't have a choice.
We're all different though, so will all have different experiences.
Good health!
I’ve not read all the other comments so forgive me if I repeat. Size and amount of swelling depends on many things
1) size of clot - is it occlusive ? as if so may get worse until it gets better as your heart does not stop sending more blood around the body, and not so easy for the blood to return until the blockage has gone
2) good collateral veins to help with blood return
3) your mobility as if able to walk/excercise your calf muscle this will help with venous return
4) if painful take regular paracetamol
6) wear some mild compression socks and sit with your feet elevated
7) log onto Thrombosis UK - a very useful website.
Good luck - it will get better.
Thanks for the valuable info. My Doctor (A General Practitioner) has not had much advice to give. Seeing a specialist here in Canada is a long process and I would need to get referred. All I have been told is to give it a few weeks...It has been a month, I know that is a short period of time but for a long distance runner it has been a lifetime and the anxiety of not being able to run again has been stressful. I have been fast walking on treadmill until calf seizes up, usually about 4K and using a indoor rower daily and doing all the other preventative measures. I guess I was looking for a time scale that doesn't exist as I am finding these things are highly individual. Thanks for your input, greatly appreciated.
I think that gif people who are very fit, the pain seems to be worse. It’s important to know why you got the DVT in the first place. Did you tear a muscle running, it hurt a lot and you rested it? Perhaps also got a little dehydrated (as runners do) as all these things cause a DVT.
I think the cause was dehydration and then sitting in a car for 5 hours. I raced a half marathon and instead of my regular routine of cooling down, stretching and getting the legs up for awhile after the race I immediately jumped in my car and drove home.
Tough lesson but have learned since it occurred that this has been something athletes have suffered with often. Especially if they get on a plane for long periods of time after an event. I am hoping my body deals with the clot over the next few months and it is one time thing.
One good thing to come from this is that you will hopefully share your story with your social group! DVTs can be life threatening and others might not be so lucky. If you live in the uk I am more than happy to come to any local group and give them all an update of how to prevent and what to look out for. This could save lives- sounds dramatic - but 40% of all DVT patients have also had a pulmonary embolism
Take care
Tak
I can’t go to a group. How can I get your most basic info how to avoid P E /DVT Please . By email would be great . Regards
Also, just to let you know that I have worked as a thrombosis nurse /Anticoagulation nurse for the last 20 years. Nothing is simple, not one answer for all. Happy to try and help out.
Thanks again for your input. You say that 40% of people with blood clots also have pulmonary embolism. What generally comes first? Can you have PE without knowing it?
Yes you can. You can search google for these figures. Mainly to point out the significance of a leg DVT. But you don’t need to worry though.
I don’t know how long ago you had your DVT but you probably shouldn’t be trying to run long distances until the clot has had time to dissolve. It also sounds as though you aren’t wearing a compression stocking which helps prevent clots travelling and that is worrying. The swelling can last several months and come back in hot weather or if you don’t put your feet up enough - that’s even with a compression stocking, because the clot can damage the valves in your leg making them less efficient. Gentle exercise is not only helpful but advisable but extreme exercise could be dangerous.You are now on medication that will over time make your clot get smaller - it may never completely go away as I’ve found from scans. The worry is that with too much exercise, the clot will travel and you’ll end up with a PE. I have had three PEs now and the effect on my breathing has been permanent so I imagine you don’t want that. Try to be patient and work up to your former exercise routine slowly otherwise you could make it worse for yourself.
Thanks for the input. It has been exactly 30 days and was a bit panicky for a couple weeks that my running passion was over, I have a little more hope now. I have been wearing the compression sock and slowly working my way back to running but so far only 30 minute brisk walks and some rowing. Swelling is much less in the mornings so elevation must be one of the things that helps the most I am finding but hard to do during the workday for me.
I know it is hard to get your feet up when still working but at least try to in the evenings if you can. I found that the compression stockings helped keep the swelling down as long as you put it on first thing after you get up. I hate them and they are so uncomfortable in the hot weather but it really is worth the suffering for at least 6 months (but medical advice is up to 2 years) for the benefits. A referral to a specialist would be worth it to make sure you know exactly why you had the DVT in the first place so that you know how to avoid another! There are genetic reasons for someone to be pre-disposed to clotting but these have to be tested for specially. Also a scan is necessary to see if you had a PE as you can have one and not know it. I had bilateral pulmonary emboli and the only place to move from there is your brain so for a few days I was told I was at risk of a stroke. Clots can also move to the heart causing a heart attack. I am not trying to worry you but like the UK, where I only saw a nurse, Canada seem to be rather blasé about DVTs so you don’t get the tests and care you need often. In 2012 when I had my first DVT, I had only an ultrasound on my leg. It turned out later that I had had a PE then as well but this was never scanned for. Make no mistake a DVT is serious and potentially fatal if it moves. I live in France now and I have had scans and ultrasounds and a stay in hospital and will have follow-ups of all those tests and I will have blood sent off to the special genetic department in Paris to investigate what genetics are causing me to have repeated clots and hopefully help me avoid having more. This is the very least people should expect and if you have the choice I would push for this. I wish you luck but please take it gently.
Thanks again. I will take your advice and get some more tests. You are totally correct about the way my DR has treated this so far, like it is nothing to be concerned about and have only had the ultrasound on the day it occurred and blood tests. My one follow up visit with my DR who is a GP and not a specialist was not very enlightening. She didn't even exam me and just confirmed the meds I was prescribed and said come back in 6 months and not to run for about a month.
Compression stockings will do the trick you can get them prescribed on the NHS
Compression stockings keep my legs normal size worn every day you do get used to them pretty quickly the benefit massively outweighs the drag of putting them on evert day also drink plenty of water
Winter is easier when you are one of many in black tights even though yours are compression tights. Summer you feel a bit daft in awful beige tights which are so sweaty. However, it’s a small price to pay. Together with Apixaban, the tights keep me safe. Good luck.
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