Welcome! Sorry you had to go through that, but know that we are here to support you. Ask any and all questions you need, we're all here to help everyone out.

"Is it common that people get a PE just because of birth control even when they are perfectly healthy (i.e. without clotting disorders?). "

Yes. That's exactly what happened to me. Although unlike you, my PE happened 19 days after starting my birth control pills. Other than that, I was healthy as a horse. Although I do admit, I wasn't drinking as much water as I should have been, was pretty sedentary (although I did walk and get up and move about, just not exercise or anything), but I was overall a healthy person. Then I took my BCP, and 19 days later my life changed.

I know the "why me?" thing and "I wish I could go back and change my life to prevent this" but all in all, it happened, so there's no point in regretting or worrying about what life would be like if you didn't take the pills or if you had done this or had done that. Now is the time to focus on your current health and your recovery from a traumatic ordeal. The anxiety and mental instability is terrible at times, but sometimes just taking a deep breath (when possible) helps me calm down now. Cuddling or getting a hug from someone also really helps, and I do have some anxiety pills that I take only when I really need them.

Many people here can vouch for me when I say that I was worried sick for about the first month and a half and was posting all the time, but it helped me realize that other people out there know what I'm going through, what I feel like, and what to do to fix it so that it becomes more manageable. Some things will never be the same, a new normal will come about and you will have to learn how to deal with that, but that's why we're here, we can help you cope with the new normal your body now needs.

My PE happened on April 4th, so I'm just a little bit over 3 months out and I feel tremendously better than I did even a month ago. I have new symptoms popping up all the time and then just randomly going away, and it's annoying and I know it's because of the PE, but it's manageable. My life is slowly but surely returning to normal, this new normal. I was originally only supposed to be on Warfarin for 3 months since the suspected culprit of the clots was my birth control pills, but both myself and my family felt like an extension to 6 months would provide better peace of mind in terms of recovery. So I still need to wait another three months to find out if I have any sort of clotting disorders or any other issues, but we are 99% sure that the birth control was the culprit. I'm sort of dreading the day that I get off of Warfarin, as right now it feels like a safety blanket that is keeping me healthy, but I'm going to be going on an aspirin regimen afterwards just to have a little added peace of mind. It's not necessary, but I doubt I would be able to function if I didn't have SOME sort of protection in my system.

It may seem like a long road, and well, I guess it is. But just know that you are not alone and this is probably the best place to get answers - from real people that have gone through the same experience.

My PE was diagnosed in Feb 2013, 4 months after starting birth control pills. I had no other risk factors, and the birth control was blamed. After stopping warfarin at 6 months I had the genetic testing and nothing was found. So birth control pills appear to be the culprit for me. I am no longer taking them, and will never take them again. Coming off warfarin was a bit scary, but I had bothersome side effects that cleared up after 4 days off and made me feel much better about stopping warfarin.
Anxiety is a common problem after a PE (just check some of the older posts on here). I know I worried about every little 'weird' ache and pain for the first few months. A PE is a traumatic experience physically and emotionally. It takes time for both to heal.
Welcome to the group. I hope you find as much support and help here as I have.

I know how you feel about "what if I hadn't taken those pills"? Because my OB/GYN doc talked me into taking progesterone HRT. I had a bad feeling about it because I knew my mom, dad and both grandmothers had clotting issues (PE and DVT, even some upper extremity ones). But she pooh-poohed the risk and 5 months later I was diagnosed with PE, though I had been having mild symptoms (fatigue, SOB on exertion, etc.) for 4 months before I got so sick that I went to the ER.
Now I'm working 6 hour shifts and restricted in my lifting, pushing and pulling for now. A far cry from the weekend shifts and evening call-in and overtime I used to pull on top of my 40 hours. I can't run around and keep up with the younger workers like I used to. My present "normal" is very different from my March "normal". I'm hoping that soon I will get most of my energy and strength back. It just takes a while.
My doctor said the hardest part would be that I don't look sick, even to myself, but my body still thinks I am sick. It's like a bomb going off in your chest, she said. Affects not just the lungs, but the heart and the whole circulatory system as well. She also said that pushing myself would not make it better any faster, and might actually trigger a backward slide in my recovery time. So I'm under strict orders to stop when I get winded or sweaty and not try to just bull through it. It's very hard, I've always fought and scratched and pushed my way through any obstacles that wanted to get in my way, and I just have to wait for this wall to be taken apart brick by brick.
So we must be patient and know that things will get better. Just maybe not as fast as we want and not in any testable, predictable way, which is the most frustrating part.

Hi and welcome! I had a long post that I typed yesterday, but DS ate it when I tried to post it. Hopefully, this one will go through.

I know for me, I had weird little aches and pains come and go a lot during the recovery process. Things I couldn't even really describe, like a "humming" feeling when I was falling asleep. I think it is all just part of your body sorting itself out again. And, if you had infarction, you'll have pain that comes and goes for a while.

For me, really, the hardest part of recovery was the mental recovery. I had horrible insomnia because it felt like if I fell asleep I wouldn't wake up again. I couldn't even try to fall asleep in a room by myself. I had anxiety that came and went for months. I finally spent some time with a therapist who specialized in people who had survived a traumatic experience and that was really helpful. I also took anti-anxiety meds for a couple of years. But, if therapy and meds aren't your style, consider journaling, meditation, exercise, support groups, or whatever works for you. Now is definitely the time to make a plan to deal with the anxiety, because it can take over your life if you let it. Plus, feeling like you have a plan will help you feel more in control overall, which is also really helpful.

And, yes, BC has been causing clots in healthy women pretty much since it was invented. After 60+ years, it is a well known cause of clots in women, even those with no clotting disorders (such as myself). It's possible that you have a clotting disorder, but it's even more possible that the BC just didn't work well with your body. If you avoid it in the future, that should cut your risk for blood clots substantially.

And I will tell you also that it really DOES get better. I'm about four and a half years out from my PEs. The worry and anxiety have faded. The aches and pains are gone. You will get back to normal ... it just always takes longer than we want it to!

Thanks for your kind replies StephanoodleXD, edmie and ljhcnmt.

It helps a lot to talk to people who went through the same experiences, and it gives you more courage. I hope that for all of us things will get better as time passes.

TossNTurn, thanks for your advice, it really helps.
I plan on going back to yoga as soon as I can to have some peace of mind :)