What is Pulmonary Embolism
By far the most common form of pulmonary embolism is a thromboembolism, which occurs when a blood clot, generally a venous thrombus, becomes dislodged from its site of formation an...
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Compression Socks
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I am debating getting a good pair of compression socks. I have a clot in my leg (as well as 4 in my lungs) that was the reason I went to the ER to begin with. The pain and swelling in my calf was pretty intense. Fast fwd to 7-8 weeks after PE diagnosis and calf pain is pretty gone which is a good thing, but swelling is definitely still there. I have mentioned compression socks to my Pulm. Dr and both times he was verylaissez faire about them, saying I did not have to but I could if I wanted to. I had a pair of running compression socks at home but they are not very tight at all. I measured my ankle (10.75") and the meat of my calf (17") and they fall into the Large size of the Jobst Compression sock line for men. I went to a pharmacy locally that carried them and good grief they were tight!! I had to pull and work to get them on...once on they felt snug but not restrictive. Being hypersensitive due to the PE - I was worried that maybe my doc did not know what I was asking when I said "can I wear compression socks to help my swelling go down?" These are wayyyyyyyy tighter than my running compression socks, but to be honest, I am not positive I got the right size for those..they slide on and off in 2 secs and are not that tight. They certainly do not slide down but they don't seem to compress a whole lot.
Do you guys think it is ok to get the Jobst and start wearing them? Last thing I want is to cause my DVT to start moving due to the compression socks. Liek I mentioned, I know I am know somewhat hyper-sensitive and things crazy things are happening when I get slightest little pain or tingling....I think that comes with having a PE for the first time. By the way - the compression socks I tried on were size L - 20-30 mmHg. Brian Posted on 11/02/09, 03:11 pm |
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Brian,
I think as long as your doctor give you the green light you will be safe with wearing them. Make sure they are properly fitted. Here is some patient information from a patient group that discusses compression stockings along with Post Thrombotic Syndrome (PTS - aka Chronic Venous Insufficiency or Venous Stress Disorder): http://stoptheclot.org/Newsletters... To be therapeutic, you want them in the 30 to 40 mm Hg range. Regards, Tom in Connecticut 
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Hi!
Wearing compression socks won't have any negative effects. It might help you to not develop more clots in the future. Also remember that they must be worn all day long. I wear compression socks in the 34 to 46 mmHg range. They're REALLY tight and take a while to put on.
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Hi Lovetoswim etc.. :-)
I have recently experienced a dvt and mutiple bilateral PE too.. I was given compression socks as soon as I was out of ER and transferred to the coronary care unit. I continue to wear them and have been advised to wear them indefinately. This is the company that I use as reccomended by my dvt care nurse:- http://www.mediusa.com/. The site is very informative and will help explain why they are worn and which strength to wear.. I have been advised to wear 23-32mmHg. I agree they are the most difficult of things to put on!!.. BUT the same company have created a nifty simple gadget called a BUTLER, it has changed my life lol.. making quick easy work of slipping the socks on. At first, I was dismayed by the sensation, the tightness etc.. however, I can honestly say after a week or so I stopped noticing and in fact if I don't wear them, I feel that my legs feel tired and heavier, if that makes sense. I also called the company up to ask a couple of questions and found them to be incredibly knowledgeable and helpful! I may be wrong, but you may be able to get some sort of financial assistance with this product, they are not cheap items, so I would look into this before you order. Here in the UK we do. It is also my first experience of DVT/PE and I totally understand your sensitivity. I hope my posting is of help to you, take a look at the website it really echo's all that my dvt nurse explained to me. kindest regards Weaze :-)
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Thanks for the replies. What compression should I choose? Should I start with the 20-30 just for starters? I don't think my docs really like or dislike them, as I had to ask a couple times to get them to tell me I could wear them if I wanted to. They never mentioned them again.
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Hi, there. You shouldn't choose your own level of compression. You should consult a doctor--preferably someone who's a specialist in vascular disorders. I wear a level 2 compression stocking (medium range) that was prescribed by a physician. I can't say that in my case it prevented clotting, since I got a PE while I was using them daily as instructed. But they do make sitting and standing more comfortable.
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Brian,
Get the Socks,,,I love mine,,,,,Not sure what I will do in the summer with sandals......But I will say I put them on in the morning and take them off after I excersize after I get out of work ,my leg has no pain left and the calf seems more relaxed not tight.....I am surprised they did not insist you wear them....I have a clot in my right calf and one in my lung. Good luck with your recovery,,,I feel great and it has only been a bit over 3 mo....
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I've had good luck and long life out of Skyhighs, www.skyhighs.com . The 20-30 mm Hg seem to keep the swelling down. Some people recommend a tighter grade than that. They do last for months, whereas the 18 mm Hg Futuros from the drugstore would typically last 4 to 6 weeks.
I've also used the 15-20 mm Hg for light-duty weekends.
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