DVT

[Hollylewis]

Can anyone tell me what a DVT feels like , and did you know you had one?

[Angelpaws]

Hi Holly, mine felt like the morning after a severe cramp, and then my leg became hot and red. It took about 3 days to develop into something painful enough for me to go to the GP, where they did the test with a drop of blood from a finger onto a machine, and sent me straight to A and E for a doppler scan. By then I could hardly walk on my left leg, and they confirmed it was an ankle to groin clot. It was my second one (possibly third) and I wasn't immediately aware what it was, and it felt different to the the previous ones which were calf only. Hope this helps. Larraine x

[Hidden]

Hi

My DVT was discovered on a Thurs but i'd had symptoms since the Sat before. Started as discomfort just above my knee which moved down to just behind my knee. My leg wasnt red or overly swollen despite it being quite a large clot. GP sent me to hospital where a blood test identified an 80+% chance of a clot. A scan 5 days later confirmed.

I would suggest getting checked out sooner rather than later to protect yourself.

Good luck! X

[GinaD]

I had a series of clots back in the 80s and my physician Father, who was still with us then, relayed his experience. (He had a horrid series of clots while marching all day in basic training in 1941.) As a physician AND a lupus patient he found the following self-test worked rather well:

(Note, redness, swelling and pain are the obvious signs. Below is a self test for the less obvious ones.)

Extend the uneffected leg in front of you with the knee straight and the toes pointed out, away from your body. Now pull your toes back toward your body so they are pointing straight up, or toward your head. Note what this feels like.

Now repeat with the effected leg. Is there a difference in feeling? If so, you MAY have a clot -- get it checked out.

ANd please note that bruises can feel like a clot. Bruises can become clots, but often they are "just" bad bruises.

On blood thinners we all bruise more easily. I was fortunate to have a helpful, experienced hematologist who suggested that I make a point of WRITING DOWN where and when I bop myself so that if/when a bruise shows up in that area I will know whether or not it is a good sign my blood is too thin. (I mean. Really. If you whack your shin against a coffee table you're going to get a good sized bruise. But chances are, you will have forgotten the whack itself. So, you go to your journal, or diary, or whatever you call it, and check: "Oh! That must be where I smashed my shin 2 days ago. OK. I won't worry, but I'll keep an eye on it.")

Now I know what a DVT feels like, but back in the 80s I did not know. One evening I noted a strange pain in my thigh. Next morning the pain was still there. I had had nightmares which were as confusing and disjoint as dreams often are, but the plot of the nightmare had something to do with the pain in my leg was NOT the pulled muscle I had thought, but was going to kill me.

Telling myself I was being silly, I phoned my Father (who lived in another state.) He asked me questions, then asked me to do the above-described test. "Yes, there is a definite difference I said." He asked me if I enjoyed watching the Shopping Channel on my cable TV. I thought this a bizarre question and said, "No. I hate it. Its so boring." "Would you turn it on for me and see if they are selling a car wash kit? I want one and I'm told they sell one but I'd like to know the details. And while you're watching that I"m going to make some phone calls."

Well, he phoned my husband and told him to go home from work. He phoned my Mother (his ex-wife and they hated each other) to come watch my kids, and he phoned a local vascular surgeon he knew and got me set up for a doppler. Hubbie came home, off he took me to the doc, the test was positive and I landed in a local hospital.

Hope this rambling responce helps.

[thomas_tz]

I had two in left leg, behind knee. Zero pain both times, but lots of swelling below the knee. My leg felt hot compared to the other leg. It felt better when lifted in the air, and when in cold water.

Post the clots, I have post-thrombotic syndrome. This is more painful; when I am not wearing a compression stocking, I can feel pain behind my knee.

[StevePT]

Holly,

My first dvt occurred without me realising that I had one.

The second occurred after I alighted from an aeroplane and it felt like a dull ache in the back of my calf.i knew that there was no reason for the ache so I immediately suspected the worst and had a Doppler scan which showed up both dvts.i would definitely suggest that you push for a Doppler scan at your local A & E.

[MsFortunate]

Hi,

35 yr old female.

I just found out I had DVT, my foot (left) would swell from time to time. Did not think too much about it, I have identical twin boys and do alot of chasing. Dismissed it as too much salt..etc. On the 21st of last month my foot had gotten a bit bigger than anytime before. But what was hurting was my lower back, alot. I had taken some motrin, elevated my leg and turned in early, only to wake to my whole leg super swollen. I got up to use the restroom and my leg just about gave out, I was holding myself up with the walls, so painful to put weight on it for my back and my thigh to my foot. Went to the ER in tears, they did an ultra sound. Severe anemia (HGB-LOW@ 7.7)& Clot from groin to foot. I was transferred to another hospital and stayed for two days discharged. Taking xalreto 2x daily. Not sure whats next. *The day before I went to the ER, I had my leg up, and I swore I could feel some movement with a slight numbness, kinda like something is moving around in my leg from the size of a pea to a marble randomly up and down my leg. Thought I was the star of some creepy sci fi movie

(lol, jk)

BEST WISHES, ALL

[HollyHeski Administrator in reply to MsFortunate]

Hi, yòu have just potsed on z 5 year old conversation, I suggest you re post from sratch, explaining all this (copy & paste).

This is a forum for APS/Hughes, do you know if they tested for that?

Have they given you a follow up appoitment?

[Lure2]

I can see that you have just joined our Forum. This is a site for Hughes Syndrome/APS and I wonder if you have got that diagnose?

Good Luck!

Best wishes from Kerstin in Stockholm