Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) Support Group
Deep-vein thrombosis, also known as deep-venous thrombosis or DVT, is the formation of a blood clot ("thrombus") in a deep vein. It can be caused by something preventing blood from circulating or clotting normally. Join the support group if you are coping with DVT and find others who are going through the same challenges.
Hello,
Yesterday I went to a vascular surgeon, but not the one that diagnosed me in August because that one told me to return for another appointment only after 6 months, once that before that nothing could be done. But I wanted a new opinion and I was curious to know how my leg is doing now, after 3 months of treatment. I had an ecodoppler done: the popliteal vein is almost ok, just some residual clotting, but the femoral one, although better there is blood passing through now is improving very slowly :( (I had a femoral-popliteal DVT, around 10/12 centimeters, but the clot extension was almost all in the femoral vein). My right leg is still larger than the other one, almost 2 cm, and the vascular surgeon said it should be less swollen by now so he prescribed me a medicine to improve blood circulation: Vessel, have you ever heard about it? Because of it I will have to have my warfin dose regulated again because this medicine interferes with warfin, but the doctor said I should take something to help circulation. Did you have the same opinion from your doctors? Needless to say that I was again really down just to know that my leg should be less swollen by nowit may predict that my leg wont heal so well :(
I also have a question on warfin that maybe you can help me with. I get dizzy many times and this only happened after I started taking this medicine. This new doctor said warfin makes blood pressure go down, hence the dizziness. Do you have the same symptoms? Of course the hair falls down a little more than before but that I already knew
Now about blood tests, I read somewhere that taking blood to test and using the finger machine to measure INR show different results! Is that true?! Do you know anything about this issue? If yes, is the difference big?! Im scared! My doctor uses the finger machine and my INR is 2.1 almost all the time.
Thank you all for sharing your experience,
Mathy
Yesterday I went to a vascular surgeon, but not the one that diagnosed me in August because that one told me to return for another appointment only after 6 months, once that before that nothing could be done. But I wanted a new opinion and I was curious to know how my leg is doing now, after 3 months of treatment. I had an ecodoppler done: the popliteal vein is almost ok, just some residual clotting, but the femoral one, although better there is blood passing through now is improving very slowly :( (I had a femoral-popliteal DVT, around 10/12 centimeters, but the clot extension was almost all in the femoral vein). My right leg is still larger than the other one, almost 2 cm, and the vascular surgeon said it should be less swollen by now so he prescribed me a medicine to improve blood circulation: Vessel, have you ever heard about it? Because of it I will have to have my warfin dose regulated again because this medicine interferes with warfin, but the doctor said I should take something to help circulation. Did you have the same opinion from your doctors? Needless to say that I was again really down just to know that my leg should be less swollen by nowit may predict that my leg wont heal so well :(
I also have a question on warfin that maybe you can help me with. I get dizzy many times and this only happened after I started taking this medicine. This new doctor said warfin makes blood pressure go down, hence the dizziness. Do you have the same symptoms? Of course the hair falls down a little more than before but that I already knew
Now about blood tests, I read somewhere that taking blood to test and using the finger machine to measure INR show different results! Is that true?! Do you know anything about this issue? If yes, is the difference big?! Im scared! My doctor uses the finger machine and my INR is 2.1 almost all the time.
Thank you all for sharing your experience,
Mathy
I don't know about taking "Vessel." Never heard of that.
As for dizzy, I know there are people on these boards who have had problems with the dizziness. Me, I know I got light-headed a lot after my DVTs for various reasons. Early on, I'd get light-headed when I tried to get active because blood would back up in my leg and the rest of my body wasn't getting enough. But, I also have some other medical issues that can cause dizziness, so it'd be hard for me to point at warfarin for any of it. Does the dizziness get worse when you're up and active? Do you feel OK when you're lying down? Make sure to drink a lot of water, as that can help with the dizziness.
The finger-prick machine and the arm draw can show different results, but I don't know that they're usually more than a little bit different. It isn't like one will show 1.5 and the other will show 3.4 or something. I use a finger-prick machine and so does my doctor. When I first got my machine, I went in and we did two tests side-by-side. The two identical machines got slightly different readings (2.2 and 2.3, I think), but that isn't enough to cause me to worry.
I mean, truthfully, I think our INRs are probably changing all the time. I think the goal is to get you close to the right number so you're in the safety zone most of the time. If you get slightly different numbers at different times or with different techniques, I don't know that that is worth worrying about it.
I do have the low blood pressure and dizziness, but to be honest, I've been on blood thinner for so long now that I can't really remember how it was before. I go with the assumption that it's the warfarin, though.
Thank you for your answers. This is a whole new situation for me, very difficult to deal with, and its nice to count on other peoples experience and words of support.
Ava27: I have never had any swelling in the thigh, not even in the critical phase, only in the lower leg, right under the knee till the ankle. And its been there since the beginning, although it has improved by now, but its still there. I wake up with the swelling and it stays throughout the day, sometimes it even gets a little worse, although I wear the compression hose all day long. Did this happen to you too? I mean, after 3 months out of DVT, you didnt have any swelling in the lower leg, as you dont have now?
Thank you all, I wish you the best,
Mathy
Me too. I sleep with a pillow under my DVT leg and also my good leg.
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I think you have plenty of time to see improvement. It takes a long time to recover from DVT. Just to help you stay hopeful and positive. I was in Chicago the last few days applying for French visa. I was late for the appointment (bad traffic) and then I rushed to the consulate half walking half running. With the hills in Chicago, I was fine and didn't feel any tightness in my leg. I am almost 8 months out. One of the doctor I saw at 6 months told me that he was not sure if I would continue recovering or not. I am glad I didn't listen to him. I couldn't do this (rushing around, up hill, etc.) at 6 months. Now I can!! I was also shopping in the mall for almost 8 hours, which is beyond my wildest imagination back at 6 months. I've also heard from other doctors saying that it takes one to two years to know for sure if the patient is done recovering. Don't loose hope! Stay positive, wear your stockings, and you will definitely get better!
Thank you so much for your replies. This is a very active group, so helpful! I do elevate my legs whenever I can, when watching Tv and during my sleep too, but the swelling is there. However, this week it has lessened :), I dont know if it was because of the medicine I started taking or just coincidence, but the leg seems to be improving. Reading all the stories here I guess I am lucky because after little more than a month out of DVT, I was back to work with no pain, just a little bit of tiredness. Im a teacher in an old school building, no elevator and five floors! I have to climb stairs almost all day long and stand up for almost all day, once that I hate sitting down while teaching, and I do it with almost no effort, no pain. I also walk without effort and some of the streets are difficult, hills-like. My only problem by now is the swelling, but maybe it will get better, as you say, Im little more than 3 months out of DVT. I guess Im too anxiousI didnt know I was so anxious until I had this problem
I wish you all to continue improving and once again thank you for being so supportive; it makes all the difference not to feel that we are alone,
Mathy