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.

804 Members
3,840 Posts
0 Online
Heart, Blood & Circulation
/ Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) Support Group

Afraid I have more clots

jessica9776
jessica9776

Hello,


I was diagnosed with 2 DVTs behind my knee on 12/20/16 after fracturing my ankle about a month prior.   I didn't need surgery.  I have been taking my Coumadin faithfully.   My last check I was therapeutic but that was earlier this month. I'd say for the past week or so I have been having pains behind my knee that has the clots.   It went away for a little while but it's back.  


Now, I have to wear an air cast so I don't know if it's due to me starting to use my leg more (I was allowed to start partial weight bearing on the 4th of Jan) or if I haven't been therapeutic on Coumadin since my last check and my clots have become worse.   I go to the dr tomorrow morning for another INR check. I will be letting him know about these pains.   


I am not noticing any redness or warmth behind my knee but I do have very slight swelling in my leg; however, that's been like that since I had my cast removed back in Dec.  It's hard bc idk how much of these pains/swelling, etc are due to my healing ankle or if it's related to the clots.  


Thanks for reading, I feel a little better after writing this out at least.  My anxiety has been just awful.

rmb
rmb
You are probably just really anxious which just amplifies any discomfort and that then causes us to just hyper focus on every ache, twinge, cramp, etc.

Talk to your doc tomorrow. Hopefully your INR will be in range and that will ease your mind.
jessica9776
jessica9776
Hello again, just to update my INR was 2.2 and the dr. said that in May when I should be done with Coumadin that he will do another ultrasound. I didn't ask why, I wish I did. I did let him know that I was having pain still. He did say that it's possible it will continue for a few more months at least.
rmb
rmb
He probably just wants to check to.see how well the clot is resolving. Some docs do that.

Glad your INR was good. Hope that eases your mind a bit.
JEB2007
JEB2007
My doc did another ultrasound when I came off coumadin. Like RMB said, it was to see how far I was into clot recovery. I remember when I was on coumadin I would get "fuzzy brain." It helped me to write down questions I had as I had them, then I was prepared when I had an appointment. That also helped my anxiety level because I was forgetting less things!
fitnessaddict
fitnessaddict
I had a second ultrasound 3 months after being diagnosed. My hematologist told me it was standard to do a second ultrasound to check if the clot had resolved or if blood thinner treatment was needed a bit longer.
jessica9776
jessica9776
I'm glad he is going to do another one. I think at first he said the 2nd ultrasound wasn't really necessary. I'm happy because then I'll know for sure if anything is left and possibly if there are any blood flow issues.

I'm just tired of how my leg hurts and the awful pinching sensations I get in my calf. Not to mention my ankle. I know I'll be heading back to work in the near future but it's going to be rough. I work 12 hr nights and I rarely sit, mostly for the fact that if I sit, I start to fall asleep. Idk how I'm going to manage.
jessica9776
jessica9776
Oh and did anyone else's leg feel weak/tired? Idk if that's from the fracture but as I said, I've been partial weight bearing/walking on it for a couple weeks now.
rmb
rmb
Yeah some docs actually don't order a second scan, because the duration of your anticoagulant treatment typically covers the normal time it would take for a clot to resolve. So if you're on anticoagulants for 6 months lets say, that's because within 6 months most clots of your type resolve within that time frame. It just really depends on the doctor's protocol.

I'm sure your leg is weak and tired because it's not used to being used and it's healing from both clots and a fracture. That's a lot of trauma.
jessica9776
jessica9776
You would think a second ultrasound would be standard, to see how the blood is flowing/if there's any damage from the clot.

Does anyone experience redness/purple discoloration to their skin? I notice discoloration frequently but definitely when I am standing.
rmb
rmb
Not all damage is evident from a scan. Like if your valves are damaged or not functioning, I'm not sure a scan would reveal that. In a lot of cases, it's just a waste of money to have a second scan because really most people recover fine from a DVT, and when there are complications, like post thrombotic syndrome, that usually can't be diagnosed for 12 months or so after a dvt, when you're symptomatic.

I had red blotches on my dvt leg, ankle and foot for several years after diagnosis. Now, it's mostly just the top of my foot gets red.
Posts You May Be Interested In
  • GreenEyes727

    Caricatures

    Posted by: GreenEyes727
    Last Reply: Tired
    6
    Look at what my best friend did with my picture!
  • GreenEyes727

    Truths

    Posted by: GreenEyes727
    Last Reply: GreenEyes727
    14
    We all have 24 hours in a day.  How we spend these hours is important.  Watching a little bit of a video about how sitting affects us made me aware of how much sitting and laying down I do.  Gonna have to work on that.Your turn.  Tell me another truth.