Welcome to the club of multi cloters and Idiopathics.
First clot in 2007 diagnosed as idiopathic, failed all the blood tests, was on anticoags for 2 years, at that point I was told that the chances of recurrence (cloting again) were higher compared to a cloter that had a blood disorder.
In 2009, I was given the choice of stopping anticoagulation therapy (which I opted for)
then in 2011, I clotted again and again I was classified as idiopathic.
Maybe some of us are pre-disposed to clot without a blood disorder.
Regardless, it's the same treatment, life on anticoags.

I don't know what the odds are of you having a blood disorder, but what's the harm in testing? There are more things known about clotting disorders now than there were ten years ago and possibly more tests to do for things that we didn't even know about back then. There are quite a few different disorders to test for now ... some can done while on warfarin and some can't.

I do know that there are many "clotters" around that have clotted multiple times but that don't have any known disorder. I'm one of them. Three separate clotting incidents... three rounds of tests ... and negative on everything. They told me in the hospital that I just might have something that we can't test for yet.

And, really, having a clotting disorder doesn't always mean that you WILL clot and it doesn't necessarily mean you'll clot within weeks of coming off warfarin. There are plenty of folks walking around who might test positive for a clotting disorders that will never clot and will never even know. Conversely, there are lots of us with no known clotting disorder that clot over and over again.

I really think sometimes it is a "perfect storm" of events that cause people to clot, even with a disorder. I mean hypothetically someone could have Factor V and go 45 years without a clot and then suddenly get one when they get rundown, dehydrated, and go on a car ride. They went 45 years without a clot, even though they have a clotting disorder, so who's to say you can't go ten years between clots?

I don't think the tests are necessarily the answer to everything, but they might be a piece in the puzzle. I don't see any harm in ruling things out if you can.

Thanks to both of you for responding. I get better answers here than from the doctor who is too busy to babysit me.
I will most definitely get tested for a blood disorder. No harm in that.
The chance of recurrence is 30% if you've had one clot.
You mention being dehydrated. I almost never drink liquids other than a cup or two of coffee per day and a sip or two of water to take a pill.
Had no idea that being dehydrated might cause a problem.
I will have to start drinking the darn water although it's not something I am used to doing. I live in the city where everyone seems to be carrying a quart of water with them wherever they go. I think to myself "what's up with that". We don't live in the Sahara Desert? Guess I'm just getting old. But would like to live long enough to be able to spend time with the grandkids and my husband who is retiring next month. This second DVT really knocked me for a loop. We are getting ready to sell our apartment and move to another state and I have not been able to do all the things to get ready that I needed to do but I am catching up as I feel good. Thanks again for your help.

Actually, yeah, dehydration seems to be a factor in a lot of clots. I mean, if you think about it, blood is largely made up of water (50-60% according to numbers I'm seeing online). Less water in your body means less water in your blood, which seems to make it more prone to clotting.

I mean, I can't tell you statistics about dehydration and clotting, but I keep hearing more and more stories about people who got sick and were dehydrated and clotted, or athletes who were dehydrated and clotted, or gamers who were dehydrated and clotted. It just seems like that is increasingly a factor at play. Makes sense to me, when I think about it.

...and coffee does not count , it actually does the reverse, for every cup of coffee you should drink two glasses of water.

HOLD EVERYTHING!!!!
I just learned something and if I had not seen this on The Mayo Clinic website I would not believe all the coffee sites.

Coffee, can in reality, count towards your daily intake of water...

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/caffeinated-drinks/AN01661

Ya learn 'some every day...

lol

Thanks everyone. I will be drinking water from now on!
Gee, I had no idea how important it was to not be dehydrated.
None of my doctors ever ever mentioned drinking lots of water.
Sometimes I think they are just winging it!

For the record, it doesn't have to be plain water you drink to stay hydrated (although it's by far the healthiest liquid). More recent studies have shown that the eight 8 oz servings of fluid recommended (we all remember that guideline) can include fluid received through your food sources (soup, fruit, etc) as well as non-water drinks, i.e. your coffee, orange juice, diet coke, milk, etc.

The point remains that you should stay hydrated, but you don't have to start chugging a gallon of water each day.

Hope you're feeling better soon!

Thanks for the info regarding the intake of fluids without having to drown myself in water. The older generation did now grow up clutching quart bottles of water everywhere we went. I never got in the habit of drinking water. To tell you how old I am, no one jogged when I was a kid either. I doubt whether the word jog was even considered a work 60 years ago.
Thanks to the young people on this board maybe I will be able to keep myself alive long enough to retire and spend more time with the grandkids.
Thanks!!!!

Ha ha ha! I'm only 48 and still, when I see people out and about with a bottle of water within arms reach, I think, when the hell did we get so thirsty?? There was a time where it would have actually been bad form to eat and drink while walking down the street, in public places (except for restaurants) etc. It's sort of like how you used to have to dress up a little to travel by plan, but now people where their jammies. We've gotten a little to "comfortable" in public. But that's a different topic entirely!

Wow, a key resource person. Welcome to our humble abode in the www Vanda.
Those are some good credentials you have there...

People wearing their Jammies on the street. That ain't right, you sure they are not sleep walking?
Things folks do in Wisconsin...


lol

We ain't right here in the dairy state, Dero.

Not known as the "Warfarin state ' yet?

I live in Brooklyn, NY. Can see the new World Trade Center from my living room windows. And, yes, they wear their jammies here to walk the dog, get the newspaper and whatever else floats their boat or suits their fancy. Lots of college kids wearing flip flops in the snow!!!
We oldsters wouldn't be caught dead dressed like that!

Brooklin, hat an extraordinary view.

Speaking of extraordinary views (and inappropriate dress)...

I live in the city of Milwaukee but in a residential part of town, except I live right off a pretty busy street. One morning I was waiting for the bus on my corner, and I see this guy across the street open his front door, step out onto his porch, and he's standing there in nothing but his briefs getting the newspaper like there's no one else around. It's like 6:45 in the am. EVERYONE is out going to work, cars are zooming buy, kids are waiting for their school buses, people are walking dogs. He didn't have a care in the world. I'd like to say he was a young guy, but no, he was like 55, fat and hairy. Not enough coffee in the world to soften the blow of seeing that so early in the morning.

People are just out there letting their freak flags fly, god love 'em.