Is that the arm you have your blood draws in for your INR?

My first 3 INRs were taken from the ring finger of my swollen (right) arm, but my most recent INR, taken Friday, was from the pinkie of my other (left) arm.

Do you have blood drawn from your arm for your INR, or just a finger prick?

My lab only does arm draws.

I've had a DVT in my arm, and I didn't have redness or swelling, but it felt like there was a rubber band around my elbow and it felt like my skin was tight, like it was pulling. Then the pain started moving up my arm.

If you're on lovenox, the chance of getting a clot are pretty slim, I think. But maybe for your own piece of mind, call your doc tomorrow.

What was the pain like? Like a sore/overworked muscle?

I can't believe you have to get your blood drawn for every INR check. That seems intense!

Yeah, one part of my mind says it can't be a clot because I am still on Lovenox, but the other side is scared silly.

1" seems like a lot, I'd have it checked out. My DVT in my calf felt like a big charley horse and the muscles hurt.

Oh, and my lab did blood draws from a vein in my arm too. My Dr. does just the finger prick.

KS

Are you on lipitor? I feel like I saw somewhere that you said you had high cholestrol. But maybe I'm remembering wrong.

Not lipotor, but I do have hypertension and am on a beta blocker (today is day 3 on the beta blocker).

Yeah, I thought an inch seemed like a large amount too, especially considering how tiny my forearms are.

Eeek!

Yeah, the arm draws got old real fast in the early days when my INR was tested so often because my INR wasn't stable, but now that my INR is more stable, it's not usually checked that often. Although, right now, I am having a hard time getting my INR back on track and in that case, I get my draws from the top of my hand. I can only have my labs drawn out of one arm too (can't draw out of my old DVT arm). I'm totally desensitized to getting poked so much.

ANYWAY back to you... I think lots of things an make your limbs feel funky- dehydration, vitamin D deficiencies, vitamin B 12 deficiencies, some medication. And if you're super hyper vigilant right now, which I know I was shortly after my PE, that just intensifies everything, know what I mean.

For my arm DVT, the pain that started going up my arm felt like it feels after you get a vaccination in your arm, like a little charlie horse.

I could not imagine get blood drawn that way every time, you are seriously a champ! What caused your INR to go off track recently? Anything in particular? Hope it is back on track soon.

Hmmmm, interesting because it does feel like there is a rubberband on my arm when I am not using it and there is no pain unless I use it (that is when the muscles feel sore). But, not charlie horse spasms......trying to do more research to see what else it could be potentially. Definitely don't want to spend another evening at Urgent Care if I don't have to (and with my experience so far, I have learned more from this forum and researching than I have from any of my doctor's combined).

Let me know if you think of anything and thank you so much for the information. :)

I was off warfarin for 10 days after having some polyp tissue from my colon. My doc wanted to make sure it healed ok, so I had to be off warfarin and lovenox for 10 days after. Then went back on warfarin and my INR is just sooooo stubborn right now. It'll bounce back eventually. Until then, I just keep testing and shooting lovenox. S

You know, I didn't care for the finger pokes. In my early days of INR testing, that's how I had mine done, and I work on a key board most days and I hate to say it, but it would hurt to type after getting so many finger pricks. I was testing really often back then. Of course the arm thing has it's own downside. I've bled through nice shirts. I'd get to work and it would like like someone shot me.

Good luck on the arm thing. I'm hoping it's just a flukey thing. I have an ulnar nerve issue on one of my arms and it gets awfully sore sometimes, right below elbow on my forearm. It hurts when I type too much. So there's lots of goofy stuff it could be. Just be mindful of it without making yourself crazy.

You've looked at possible side effects from the beta blocker, right?

I'm wondering because I just started Lipitor this week and they told me that unexplained muscle pain could be the sign of my muscles starting to break down, which is a really rare side effect. Of course, I'm the queen of having the "least likely" medical thing happen to me, so I've been on the alert for muscle pain.

That's what made me ask, anyway.

Thanks TossNTurn. Yeah, I checked out the side effects for my beta blockers and nothing seems even similar. (deep sigh) Think I might be due for a trip to the Urgent Care tomorrow, just to be safe. With all the anxiety that already comes with PE, the last thing I want is more. Ugh.

Thanks everyone for the information and support. This forum rocks!

I have strange pains all over my body and I am always worried and freaking out and of course, I have to keep poking at the sore area to see if it's still sore..crazy I know but I do.
I have noticed that when I sit for an hour or so that my leg feels weird and my ankle starts swelling. I know this is the same leg that had a clot and caused my PE so it really scares me. But I don't know what to do about it..I have been reassured by the doc that the warfarin should prevent any further clots but why is my ankle swelling?

I would suspect your ankle is swelling because the existing DVT (or the remains of the DVT) is causing blood to back up in your leg when it is below your heart. Keeping a DVT leg elevated when sitting is always a good idea!

Also, sometimes DVTs damage the valves in your leg and it can make it easier to have swelling and other issues.

Swelling doesn't mean you have a new clot. Remember that clots do lots of damage and tax your body in tons of ways. Even if your clots all disappeared tomorrow, your body would still have to heal from the damage they have done.

@Geier
Yeah, I too, get those weird pains throughout my body. Mine are like shooting pains and they show up at random times and can be any where in my body (they move around). I have heard they are a side effect of the Warfarin.

That is interesting that your ankle is swelling. TossNTurn's explanation makes sense to me.

I went in to the Dr. today and had an ultrasound on my arm and no clots or excess fluid was found. My Dr. thought it was odd that my arm was swollen and sore, but didn't have an answer and told me to ice it. I have read some stuff that says you shouldn't use a heating pad or ice your skin while on warfarin (of course it never explained why). Any thoughts on icing and hot pads?