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.
Hi, Everybody. This community has been invaluable when it has come to understanding my DVT/PE and I can use your opinions on what's turned into a larger mystery.
Quick history. In early March, got on a plane. I was exhausted and sat motionless, drinkless, foodless, in-flight movielss, etc. The next morning, I had a reasonably large pain in my right calf. 4 days later, ultrasound was negative for DVT. One day after that, I ended up with lots of side pain and bilateral PEs. New ultrasound in new hospital showed DVT and catscan showed DVT. Spent 5 days in the hospital and then sent home with a lovenox DVD & injections, coumadin, and a pat on the back. Since then, things were much better. Currently on 12 mg of coumadin,
Here's the mystery part: Last night, I won another trip to the ER after two days of the same exact initial symptom of pain & tightness (and spidery twinging) in the right calf. The doc on call sent me back so I never spoke to my personal doc. At the ER, got an ultrasound, which was totally negative. However, the ER doc (the head) wen on to tell me that I had my initial story wrong. At no time did an ultrsound show a DVT -only a superficial throboplebitis in the soleal vein of the right calf (this was on the second ultrasound in March). Furthermore, he said that the dogma on DVTs was that soleal viens don;t embolize and even a DVT in the calf can't. It must move up to the knee and beyond before something can break off. He said that I must have had a clot but the PE couldn't have come from the calf. This certainly threw me as it seems to shoot out the narrative of my whole DVT odyssey out from under me. I have an email back into my personal doc to discuss this.
However, what do you guys think? How about this idea of DVTs from the calf being unable to embolize? The only pain I ever had was in that calf, and then in my left and right side after the PEs. Anyone out there had a DVT/PE in the calf only? Any suggestions?
Thanks for your help!
T.
Quick history. In early March, got on a plane. I was exhausted and sat motionless, drinkless, foodless, in-flight movielss, etc. The next morning, I had a reasonably large pain in my right calf. 4 days later, ultrasound was negative for DVT. One day after that, I ended up with lots of side pain and bilateral PEs. New ultrasound in new hospital showed DVT and catscan showed DVT. Spent 5 days in the hospital and then sent home with a lovenox DVD & injections, coumadin, and a pat on the back. Since then, things were much better. Currently on 12 mg of coumadin,
Here's the mystery part: Last night, I won another trip to the ER after two days of the same exact initial symptom of pain & tightness (and spidery twinging) in the right calf. The doc on call sent me back so I never spoke to my personal doc. At the ER, got an ultrasound, which was totally negative. However, the ER doc (the head) wen on to tell me that I had my initial story wrong. At no time did an ultrsound show a DVT -only a superficial throboplebitis in the soleal vein of the right calf (this was on the second ultrasound in March). Furthermore, he said that the dogma on DVTs was that soleal viens don;t embolize and even a DVT in the calf can't. It must move up to the knee and beyond before something can break off. He said that I must have had a clot but the PE couldn't have come from the calf. This certainly threw me as it seems to shoot out the narrative of my whole DVT odyssey out from under me. I have an email back into my personal doc to discuss this.
However, what do you guys think? How about this idea of DVTs from the calf being unable to embolize? The only pain I ever had was in that calf, and then in my left and right side after the PEs. Anyone out there had a DVT/PE in the calf only? Any suggestions?
Thanks for your help!
T.
deleted_user
I'm not a doctor, but here is my theory. I've been told by a couple of doctors that DVT below the knee rarely cause LIFE THREATENING PE. That does NOT mean they cannot cause minor PE. In addition, smaller clots are more likely to cause pleuritic chest pain. I think you probably had a clot in one of the smaller calf veins that embolized and went to your lung. Since the clot originated in your calf, it was small even if it was terribly painful. I guess the smaller clots can get deeper into the lung, and closer to the surface of the lung.
deleted_user
Ummm...I had a DVT in my calf. Behind my knee, to be more precise. At the time I was diagnosed with it in the ER (Venous Doppler), I was negative for PE (via CT scan). Three days later, after having some chest pains, a CT scan showed I had bilateral pumonary emboli. Not only can PE originate from calf DVTs, but MOST DVTs are in the calf area. I don't know why your doctor told you otherwise. Pieces of th clot break off, travel through your system, and get stuck in your lungs....
Toddo
Thanks for your help so far. The thing is that there was no sign of a clot near the knee. The throboplebitis was mid-rear calf, at best, on a superficial vein. The doctor was adamant that even if there was a DVT their, it wouldn't embolize. If the vein was deeper, there was a slight chance that it could propagate to the back of the knee and then break off. While I know I must have had a clot to cause the PE, all the pieces of this puzzle just don't fit together.
deleted_user
Hi Toddo, I am pretty sure you can get a PE from any clot -not as likely with superficial clots, but it can happen. They never found the source of the clot for my PE. Never found it for my Dad either. So that is the mystery part for me! Blessings, Teri
Join the Conversation