Has anyone ever experienced DVT?

Over the past couple months, I've had occasional shooting pains in my right calf. They only last a couple seconds, but they are enough to bring tears to my eyes.

A couple weeks ago, those shooting pains stopped, but I had a constant ache in the same calf. And as of a couple days ago, the calf pain is gone but now my thigh hurts. Badly.

So I looked online and it is looking like it may be DVT, but I have not other symptoms like shortness of breath or chest pain. Has anyone else had this? What do you think?
 

tiredmommy

Well-Known Member
I would think it would warrant a non-emergency visit to the doctor. Call in the morning and ask to talk to the nurse and set up an appointment.
 

Hound dog

Nana's are Beautiful
BBK

A friend of mine has 2 that can't be treated. The pain is horrible for her at times. When she first started telling me about it, it sounds like what your describing. She never has had the chest pains ect.

Make an appointment asap. You need to have it checked out. And if it's not, you can stop worrying.

Hugs
 

witzend

Well-Known Member
It would be swollen to the point of being purple and huge if it were DVT. You wouldn't have the symptoms for a month without the swelling. Not even a week.

It sounds as though you may be favoring one hip or knee, or limping a little to the point that you don't realize you are doing it.

I have had both of these things happen, and your symptoms are much more like an overuse of an isolated muscle, and not a lot like DVT.
 
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flutterbee

Guest
When you do go to the doctor ask him/her to check your levels of vitamin D and potassium.

According to my cardiologist, excess potassium and magnesium are easily excreted by the body as long as one does not have impaired renal function. IOW, unless you have kidney issues it's safe to take them as supplements. Potassium and magnesium are important for muscle stuff (and that's about as technical as I can get tonight ;) ). I would suggest eating a couple of bananas a day for a week and see how you feel. I picked up some magnesium supplements at kroger for about $2.00.

Also, it's not at all uncommon for people in the northern latitudes to be vitamin D deficient in the winter and early spring months. Plus, with your Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) I know you have trouble with asthma and the outside air so I'm not sure how much sun exposure you're getting. You need about 20 minutes a week on exposed face, neck and arms - without sunscreen. Foods aren't fortified with enough vitamin D to make up for this. So, ask your doctor to check your vitamin D levels. If it's low, s/he can give you a supplement. Having low levels of vitamin D can cause muscoskeletal (I can't spell that word and firefox doesn't recognize it...probably cause it's butchered) pain. On another message board, people recommended cod liver oil to get their vitamin D, but that just sounds really gross to me. Plus, you have to be careful of vitamin A toxicity then depending on much cod liver oil you ingest. (Can I just say bleck.) Just easier to get the pill from the doctor. If you do take vitamin D supplements, you'll want to take calcium supplements, too, I was on high doses of vitamin D supplements and just took a couple of tums a day.

That covered those bases. There are other issues beside DVT that you may want to look at, too. Peripheral artery disease is one that comes to mind.

I do think you should see a doctor. I'm not sure what your Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) puts you at increased risk of.
 

Star*

call 911........call 911
BBK -

Not tying to minimalize this in any way - but I wonder if you have potassium deficiency?

Reason being - WHEN I do not eat a banana a day and take my vitmins - plus drink a ton of water - I don't get those.

If I do not? I get pains in my calves that make me cry.

It could also be shin splints - if you are over weight - this can happen.

I don't know what DVT is - but another thing that will cause shooting pains like that is vasculitis. I have that as well. But it's more like a cramp than a shooting pain.


I think you need to get in to the DOCTOR!
 
I called my doctor this morning. I am waiting for a call back from the nurse to see if I am getting an appointment tomorrow or if I should go to the ER.

I get cramps in my calves. This is not the same. This was a shooting pain, it felt like a bolt of electricity shooting through my vein. And it was in my calf, not my shin. And now it is an ugly throbbing ache in my thigh. No comfortable way to lay down.

DVT is deep vein thrombosis, a blood clot in the deep veins. It is my worry because I am overweight and since I got sick last year, I have been relatively immobile. If it IS a clot I need to get it treated so I don't get an embolism.
 

Lothlorien

Active Member
do you have point tenderness.....like if you push on that area? DVTs usually have swelling and tenderness. An ultrasound is necessary to rule it out...If doctor thinks it's a DVT, an emergent ultrasound. Blood thinners usually treat them. They aren't usually transient the way you are describing. Usually if they loose from the area, it goes to the heart.

Where exactly is the pain? I'm thinking more pinched nerve, especially since you describe electric type pain.
 
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flutterbee

Guest
Absolutely, BBK, if it's a clot you need immediate treatment.

I hope you don't think I was downplaying what you're experiencing. That wasn't my intention, hon. I was just trying to give you information on other things to ask about it if it isn't DVT.
 
BBK,

Definitely see the doctor, especially if you take bc pills! I had a DVT years back. I had huge swelling and my leg was burning hot. When I went to see the doctor they immediately transported me to the hospital where they put me on bed rest and started the blood thinners.

I was able to go home after a week and all was well - but - no more bc pills :-(
And, no HRT now that I need it :-(

No doubt about it, this is a must see the doctor situation! Please let us know how it all turns out...
 
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