I think it depends on the extent of the DVT and/or how conservative the doctor.

When I had symptoms of my arm DVT, my doctor call the hospital to set up an ultrasound that same day, and when it was confirmed I had the DVT, the radiologist called my doc. My doc talked to me then, and wanted to admit me because it was in the evening on a Friday and she wanted get me on heparin ASAP and have a CT scan to rule out another PE . I didn't want to stay over night and told her that I knew how to inject lovenox, so she made a deal with me that if I had a CT scan that night (had to go through the ER to do that because that was the only way I'd get one that same night) and it came back clear she'd be ok sending me home with lovenox and following up with her that Monday. It was a long, long night, but I made it out of there without having to stay.

So the point of my long winded story is that it just depends.

Hope everything turns out ok. Let us know.

Agree with rmb. When my PEs recurred, they didn't bother checking for DVT (had d-dimer and CT scan) and I was sent home that evening with tinzaparin and warfarin. Had to go back to the hospital two more times that week to get things properly underway, but it was good not to be kept in.

When I had suspicions that I had another clot, I went directly to the ER of the Hospital my Hemotologist has her office.
I told the person at the desk (ER) that I was having a clot, she told me to sit and let the Dr. decide if I really did have a clot, I told her to check my file and to get in touch with my Hemo on the fourth floor.
I did go sit and moments later I was called to the ER ward...
Sometimes you have to insist, even with professionals that should know better.
Left with heparin in me and a prescription for Warfarin and an appointment with my Hemo the following day.
AND on my way out I asked the lady at the desk where do I pick up my Dr. paper?
That was 4 years ago, already.
Expect to join the ranks of "Lifer" if you were not already.

Take care...

I was diagnosed with my first dvt in February, and was not hospitalized. They did a chest ct to rule out pe, then gave me my first lovenox shot. I was sent home with my scripts and told to follow up with my family doc. Hope everything is okay. Update when you can.

I've always been hospitalized. I guess it's been 3-4 times now, but the last one was before I became a lifer.

My first DVT, I was in the hospital overnight. Of course, I had no idea what it was and only went to the doctor when I could barely walk.

My second DVT, we caught early. I got my prescriptions and headed home. No hospital stay.

It really depends on the doctor, and the clot, and your personal history.

My first DVT was noticed by my Dr. shortly after my car accident. I was sent for a blood test at the hospital and ended up getting a shot of heparin and a dose of warfarin. I sent home to return daily to repeat the ritual until I was therapeutic and my Dr. took over.

The second time started with a terrible night in emerg, that progressed to a bed in a hallway of the over crowded hospital... (spending a week in a hallway drugged up on opiates was challenging to say the least). One more week in a ward and I was begging them to let me do my own injections and go home!!!

I was in there so long due to elevated liver counts, but it turned out the clot was causing the abnormal counts and once the clot started to dissolve my liver issues faded too.

On a side note the hospital just opened a wing and there should not be anymore people in hallways going forward :-)

How are you Daffnae?

All turned out well. No clot (whew!)

I tried to get an ultrasound scheduled through my hematologist and GP first to save me the wait, but both of those avenues turned up with no luck so I headed to the urgent care where I know they have ultrasound capabilities. They were all booked for ultrasounds so they ordered me an ultrasound at the nearby hospital. I did have to ask if I could be seen sooner than the usual wait and they got me in pretty quickly.

The best part of the whole experience is that the Dr I ended up seeing at urgent care has actually had a PE many years ago. It was like a breath of fresh air. We chatted while the nurse ordered the ultrasound. It was so nice to have him confirm that we don't instantly get better and that it might take a couple of years to get back to "normal" exercise levels, or things might not ever be quite the same. Too bad this doctor doesn't see patients regularly. He's only an urgent care doctor now.

He also confirmed that if we did find a clot he would have been comfortable sending me home with lovenox shots and setting me up on warfarin. But we are all happy we didn't need to do that.

Thanks for all of your posts. Hearing other people's stories are so helpful.

Glad it all turned out OK! Must have been interesting to have a doctor who had clotted. That would have been interesting!

Yeah, that must have been interesting, almost like some kind of validation. So glad things turned out ok!

The discussion with the doctor was extremely therapeutic. My blood pressure shoots up when I'm nervous or upset. After signing mortgage documents and heading to urgent care, my BP was 153/96. After talking to the doctor it went down to 126/70 and that's even before I got the good new that there was no clot. Best urgent care experience ever!

I have COPD and sleep with 2 liters/min of O2. I started having mid-night sever, leg cramps. I neded a cane to walk. My Lung Doc put me on 2 liters of O2 twenty four hours a day. My breathing got worse and my Lung Doc put me on Prednizone and upped the O2 to 5 liters per minute. Now I am in a wheel chair and cannot go upstairs in my house for sleep, shower etc. Woke up one morning with my right leg swollen huge. Lung Doc took me immediately to the Emergency Room next door to the Medical Arts Bld. and called my Primary Care Doc.

Long story short: ultra sound found a DVT from my groin to my ankle. Scat scan showed many PE in my lungs. Immediately put me in a private room and started a 24/day heparin drip for two weeks plus Potassium and three other bags of stuff.. Dissolved my lung clots down to 2 liters/minute. My Primary is ultra conservative. Had me out of bed with all my bottles and bags and into a pt walker with PT therapist after only 5 days. Walked 100 feet that first day. Finally got to go home after two weeks. After two months of failed Warfarin attempts, (plus 2 months of PT) I am on Xarelto. I love Xarelto! Back to only sleeping with O2 or O2 at the gym. ( Yes, GYM workouts 7 days a week. Better than wheelchair bound) Sometimes I use a beautiful, hand carved, colorful wooden cane when I walk. Plus, of course, a quite dapper Panama straw hat. I hated being in Hospital but my Primary now knows me inside/out with no guess work involved. When it comes to my health, I do not believe in DIY. Hope this tale helps someone.

So glad to hear things turned out okay!!

Glad to hear you're OK. My second clot (first found after PE), I was sent home with lovenox & warfarin. No one seemed interested in keeping me at the hospital, but maybe it was my looks? Jope that all continues to be good with you!