DVT (Deep Vein Thrombosis)

So, flying back from Vegas gave me a blood clot in my left calf. After a few hospitals, blood tests, ultrasound I'm now stabbing myself in the stomach every morning with blood thinners. Nice end to the season.

So much for adjusting to timezones. Don't take sleeping pills on a long flight.

http://www.active.com/articles/hidden-danger-dvt-in-endurance-athletes

have they not given you rat poison?

warfarin is the common medication for thinning blood, when given to rodents they bleed to death

Good job you went to the Doctor, rather than toughing it out.

active.com/articles/hidden-da­nger-dvt-in-endurance-athletes
If you experience shortness of breath, sharp chest pains, rapid pulse, sweating, cough with bloody sputum, a feeling of apprehension, or fainting

#sexface

They said needles for 3 weeks then Warfarin after that. FFS

Did they offer a prognosis or discuss further associated risks?

I'm pretty aware of what's damaged after a 24hr and this was not normal which was why I mentioned it in the first place. I was going to be a stubborn twat about it but it seemed more serious than I thought. Lucky me. :S

Nope. They gave me needles.

Get well soon...

active.com/articles/hidden-da­nger-dvt-in-endurance-athletes

I read something similar years ago and got compression flight socks, as well as remembering to get up and move around the plane often. Don't do any long haul now thankfully.

In the office I've lowered my chair so my feet can be flat on the floor (avoids the chance of me crossing and folding them back underneath me). I generally keep the feet moving anyway as I have a golf ball on the floor to keep palantir fasciitis at bay.

palantir

nerd

I had flight socks on.

Which sleepers did you take?

[Edit]

Dr Google suggests it doesn't matter - it's the not moving that makes the difference

Yeah, it was just shit from the pharmacy in Vegas airport. It's not the pills or the air pressure, it's the not moving that slows the return of blood from the extremities. Not been a problem for me before but I guess after the 24hr, touring and Vegas I was a bit more tired than normal and actually did sleep for a change.

When I used to schlep between London and SF all too often I got to the point that I could sleep the entire 10h flight. Luckily I wasn't as active back then.

Nowadays I can feel dizzy just from standing up (low heart rates contribute to postural hypotension) so this thread is a useful reminder.

My brother flies regularly and he can sleep no bother. I cannot. I sit there for 24 hours, drinking and watching movies. You can imagine the state I'm in when I touch down...

what were the symptoms hippy. what made you realise something was wrong
would be interesting to know for mine and forum general knowledge

i don't think they've built the aleutian causeway yet

what were the symptoms hippy. what made you realise something was wrong
would be interesting to know for mine and forum general knowledge

This. How did you know you had a clot?

Odd calf pain after flight, suspicion, post comment online, nurse friend suggesting seeing doc, call 111, go to hospital, can't do anything - wrong hospital, go to another hospital - also can't do anything but say symptoms are worth getting checked out so carry on to third hospital, eventually get blood tests, positive for clotting, given needle of anti-coag, return to last hospital the next morning for an ultrasound of leg, clot confirmation, wait hours, given same drugs as last night to inject myself.

Fuck, thought that being active would mean this sort of thing didn't happen.

some important things.

1) did they do an echo cardiogram of your heart? Have you had one ever? Important t that you for sure do not have a PFO or similar shunt. This is because the clot while breaking up can dislodge and go thorough the PFO / SHUNT to your brain. Ischemic stroke. Although unlikely, the risks are disastrous and so being sure is paramount. If one doctor told you "no big deal" see another doctor.

2) If you gave shortness ofd breath or chest pain go to the ER immediately. You could have a clot (same one as above) thrown to your lungs.

3) finally important you follow up closely with your doctor to tirate the medication you are on. Unlikely to be important with the "shots" (i am not sure what these are) but very important for the warfarin pills down the road. do not hit your head. You could have a hemorrhagic stroke because you are anti-coagulated.

finally when i am on a long flight, i shift around as much as i can and sit on a soft pillow or one of the blankets.

@hippy

Commiserations old son, I had a right calf DVT at the end of August. After 2 weeks of fragmin injections transferred to warfarin 3mg for the forseeable (INR 2.5 target). Lost 2 stone, no more consumption of life's pleasurable things:( Right leg still swollen but slowly going down with class 3 compression knee socks. The good news is that regular exercise including cycling is ok.

I got a DVT In my calf 2years ago after a knee operation.. (ACL repair)

Very very painful.

The jabs are Heparin (Tinzaparin). You have to continue with them until they get the dose of warfarin right. I went in three times a week at first so get my blood tested so they can tweak the warfarin amount.

They basically do the job of the warfarin much quicker and will cover you till the warfain levels build up and balance out, then warfarin takes over.

I was on warfarin for 6 months.

Pain in the arse.

Quite scary too.

@dicki

For Dicki, Got out of bed and had a what felt like a cramp that wouldn't go away all day (1) (I was travelling). When I went to bed that evening woke up about 2am with a slight fever and feeling nauseus (thought I'd eaten something bad). Next day (2) my leg was swollen and I thought it may be a reaction to an insect bite. However anti-histamines didn't touch it, so once I'd travelled back, went to the doctors the next day (3). He wasn't sure what it was so prescribed anti-biotics, but also took the precaution of giving me a fragmin injection, and booked an ultra-sound at the local hospital. Next day (4) I had DVT confirmed, so straight back to docs for the fragmin jabs. Leg hot, hard and swollen through all 96 hours, and for a week after, where they told me to shuffle around but not travel. When sitting/lying to keep the leg cool and elevated, and to wear compression stocking/sock as often as I could.

yes painful, at its worst like a rasp file being dragged up the vein :O