What is Deep Vein Thrombosis DVT
Deep-vein thrombosis, also known as deep-venous thrombosis or DVT, is the formation of a blood clot ("thrombus") in a deep vein. It commonly affects the leg veins, such as the femo...
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Rock climbing and DVT
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I have been rock climbing for almost half my life and at the start of August this year something happened whilst trying a few moves on a tough route.
2 weeks later i was diagnosied with DVT, to be precise, I have a clot in the subclavical vein that extends into the brachial and auxillary veins. If you dont know what that means, its from my shoulder into my bicep, which is nicely highlighted by tatto of bruises! I was one a course of Tanziparin for a week and now taking Warfarin, around 7g's a day. My initial reaction was, "oh pooh, that's annoying." I decided to take 6 months off climbing whilst on the Warfarin as it would be unfair to expect my friends to deal with any injury I sustain. It now seems that i may be off climbing for a lot longer than 6 months, this thought i really making me down. My "specialist" has no answers, she thinks it was caused by my harness, which i wasn't using. I believe the DVT came from a ruptured Cocorabachialis, which would have been damaged whilst climbing. Still awake? I have 2 questions..... will i ever be able to rock climb again and can I fly whilst taking Warfarin? I am not wallowing in self pity.... I'm a ginger and well beyond that now! But a new found passion for mountain biking is keeping me this side of sanity. Comments, thoughts, idea's or insults (make them origonal) are welcome. Blue skies always. Posted on 09/14/09, 11:09 am |
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Eh Riddle,
What are they going to do with us Xtrem sports enthusiasts??? I was diagnosed in 2007 with a clot in my right calf and was on anticoagulants up until June this year(2009). AT that point I was a Mountain Bike addict, I love the sport, dreamed the sport, ate the sport, I'm sure you know what I mean... When my hemotologist had a talk with me she said that SHE would highly reccomend that while on anticoags, I would not practise this sport of mine. it took me a year to realise that she was right. Even if I wore a helmet, had a cell phone, and that I could reach 911 if I ever took a fall and cut myself, because as she explained to me, you cut yourself, you GET OFF THE BIKE' YOU SIT AND WAIT FOR EMERGENCY MEDICAL TECHNICIANS. That said, I would normally go for rides that would take me 30 Klm in the middle of the woods, where some EMT might get lost and prolongue my rescue. It was a tough decision, but I MADE IT. I know many other riders that have had clots are on anticoags and have NOT stop riding,It's a personal choice, it's a hard choice I AGREE. You basically have to outweight the pros and cons. You basically have to look at your EMERGENCY EXIT and this w/o exerting to much physical exertion, the more you exert physical energy, the more your heart pumps and the more pressure on the cut, so more blood loss. Can you have a helicvac? Do you have ways of communicating with EMT, Helivac? Not even your doctor can tell YOU what to do, they can reccomend and YOU ar etheone that is taking that decision. As for flying, you are the best flyer, you are anticoagulates so you have less chance to have a clot, but while flying, wear compression socks, hydrate more then usual (no coffee, no alcool, I'm sure you know that they DE-hydrate you) move around, move your arm, get some stretching excercises and never have that arm in a 90 degree position, that actually cuts your circulation, which for us IS NOT A GOOD IDEA. So take care of your self and OH, welcome to the best DVT/PE forum on the internet, it sucks that you have to be here, but still, talk to you later. Many MTBer on here... Keep the rubber down. 
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Dero
Keep the rubber down?! WTF. I have only been biking for a few months and am a little scared by that little ditty!! I understand about cutting and bleeding and being so far from medical help. I bike in a busy forest and sometimes bike with others! Sounds distructive? Probably, but I must have the exercise and adrenaline rush, something a running machine or Concept 2 would never give!! Thanks for the advice and words of support. Back to flying..... why do i need to wear socks with a clot in my arm? Has anyone got an upper limb DVT?
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Can you understand brain fart? I had one about the compression socks ... LOL
Keeping the rubber (tires) down is good, rubber up would be tires up in the air, unless you are doing flips with your bike...
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Athletes do tend to get clots in their arms -baseball pitchers and others who tend to use their arms in a forceful, repetitive manner. So barring any genetic clotting issues, I'll bet you fall into this category, and you'll have many rock climbing days in your future. Try to be patient...
Besides cutting yourself, the other worry with sports is bashing your head. You can bleed into your brain for a while before you have symptoms, and often by then it's too late (like Liam Neesons wife who died earlier this year from a small skiing mishap - and she wasn't even on warfarin). A helmet is a must, but even that is no guarantee. There is a compression sleeve for arm clots, though like Dero said, you're anticoagulated anyhow so flying shouldn't be a worry. Water and walking the aisle if it's going to be a long flight. Once you're off the warfarin, that will still hold true, and the sleeve will help with any swelling you might have.
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Oh lordy....... compression hosery for my arm..... do i need to go into a "man's speciality" shop!
Working from home today, will have plenty of time to clean the bike and get ready for the ride this afternoon! What are the long term effects of DVT, is the risk of getting another clot in the same place higher now i have had the first?
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