I cant get it out of my head that this in my arm is DVT

[chl_hobbs]

Im sorry guys. I know its xmas day but PLEASE could you help me if you can? For the past 5 weeks after an IV left my right arm very inflamed, Ive had pain and a lot of numbness/pins and needles. Ive been feeling the odd chest pain aswell. Needless to say, Ive been to a+e 4 times about it fearing a clot yet all 4 d-dimer blood tests have said negative (most recent one last sunday).

However, today my arm has hurt so much. The veins are prominent. There is no swelling or huge redness, but am very scared Ive had a dvt which has caused a lung clot or will cause a heart attack.

It being xmas day, ive TRIED to ignore my arm pain. My gp isnt that worried but has ordered a scan on it for me anyway (dont know when that will be which scares me too). However, this evening Ive been a mess. I was just sat here on the laptop, and I had a MASSIVE spasm in my chest. Never had that before ( Ive had palpitations but this was like a big spasm feeling) it lasted a few seconds. Long enough to send a surge of adrenaline and panic through me. I almost called 999 there and then.

Im so scared. My GP even said to me that he'd put his life on the fact that my health is not at risk from this inflamed arm, but for some reason I cant get over the fact that I think I have a clot there which will/is go to my lungs.

Help!

Charlotte

http://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/images/nmp/misc/progress.gif

[Twinsmummy]

Oh Gosh, I am sure the hospital would have taken you seriously in a&e and I hope you are feeling better now. I'm sorry I don't have anything more reassuring to say.

If sounds like the kind of reaction my daughter have to insect bites, is it possible you are having some sort of allergic reaction to something to do with the IV? Maybe try an antihistamine for a day or two and see if it helps? I am not a doctor but I don't think that would hurt to try, otherwise if your arm is clearly inflamed you may need to go back to the GP/a and e and ask for an explanation for the inflammation.

I hope you feel better soon.
Cx

[Anxious_gal]

Sorry your Arms still bothering you :(
Remember all the blood tests came back normal so you will be ok x

When you had a chest spasim do mean a muscle spasim, cramp or twitch like sensation?
Very likely it was due to how you were sitting.
Normal too if it freaked you out : )

Hopefully this scan will put your mind at rest, if not then you may need some CBT for the anxiety.
The spasm in your arm is not related to a blood clot, it happens us all.
I've gotten one in my neck that made my head jerk, I get them in my fingers and toes sometimes too.

[SamanthaAU]

Hi Hun

I had a clot in my arm after an IV 8 weeks ago.


I could feel a lump, my arm was aching, sore and agony to touch. I had NO numbness or pins and needles. It was sore.


I was in a state of panic as my clot was from my wrist to my elbow. But even that large, there was an absolute minimal risk of it traveling into my deep veins. The IVs are put into superficial veins and whilst they do meet up with deep veins eventually they told me it would need to keep growing and reach a deep vein.


If your d-diners came back ok I would take comfort in that. As far as I was aware, try can give false positives but not false negatives.




Your chest spasms are more than likely anxiety. You can have phlebitis in your arm with out the clot so maybe it's that. A moist heat pad, or washer on your arm is good to help with that.


Take care and try to enjoy the holiday season, hard as it is xxx

---------- Post added at 14:45 ---------- Previous post was at 14:44 ----------

And sorry, phlebitis is an inflamed vein.

[chl_hobbs]

Thankyou, Sam. I did think of you and I wondered what your symptoms were. You have been so brave xxx
Mine has never really had any redness, or swelling (although in my head it is swollen). I can't feel a lump, but along the vein in my forearm there's a discolored patch which is circular. That's been there from the start. My four d timers all have said no clot but I keep thinking that it Will TURN into one, and that should keep getting d timers done to rule it out....I don't even know if it can turn into a clot 5 weeks later...but the longer this lasts the more I get worried. It's sometimes sore to touch, in that its extra sensitive, and the pins and needles affects my hand. Dr says pulses are normal, no coldness or warmth etc... my shoulder aches from it sometimes...I panic that in one week since the last d dimmer, it's somehow grown a clot that's spread up my entire arm!

I've woken up this morning, really anxious still.I don't want to go to a+e, I've been 5 times with this, and evey time they ruled out a clot, could one develop in a week like that? I've got my GP tomorrow, who saw me on Xmas eve also, and told me not to go to a+e as he isn't worried....it's this trust issue. Why am I still feeling this pain in my forearm?

Love to all

Charlotte

[SamanthaAU]

Hi Charlotte

Oh hun I understand your panic and anxiety about it SO much. The first week for me was very hard mentally I kept thinking it was growing and getting bigger.


I think it's pretty safe to say that you won't develop a clot there after so long. Mine was apparent a few days after my IV was done and my arm was getting worse daily.


You are probably so tense and babying your arm because you THINK it's sore. When you think about it during the day, tense and relax your arm and you will see how much you are actually tensing it up!


Can A & E not do a scan for you? When I had my clot, they were so nonchalant about it. I nearly fell off the bed! They pretty much told me to take asprin every day and go home! But touching the actual spot where the clot had started (in my wrist) made me feel sick it was that sore. And it felt kind of rubbery and floppy.


Big, big hugs my sweet. This has always been my worst nightmare, and yet I made it through! You will too, in a few moths this will be a distant memory, I promise xxx

[chl_hobbs]

Sam, thankyou for being so lovely. It really helps, especially as my fiance is now so fed up with me getting worried about it, he's snapping at me and dismissing my fears :(

My GP said on Xmas Eve (bless him, he wanted to see me then to help me through xmas, and is seeing me tomorrow too), that he will book a scan in,but as its xmas etc it might take a while. He literally feels it every time I go see him, and he mentioned nerve damage from the IV. Its so painful though, like someone's burnt me or Ive stuck my arm down on the radiator! The whole arm throbs sometimes too. But no rubbery feeling etc. It is a bit more 'shinier' than the other arm, and you can really see a thick blue vein going up the forearm, which you cant see at all on the other arm.

Thankyou so much, Sam. Having people like you on here really helps people like me when we have similar stories/fears etc.

I just pray that the d-dimers mean there will not be a clot which will develop, and that this scan is soon!! It's driving me mad :(

Thanku xxxx

[SamanthaAU]

You are so welcome honey, I know what it's like coming on here for reassurance. I'm glad I could be here to support you xxx

Others find it so hard - they just don't understand. My hubby is fairly good with me, but he doesn't get it. Also, I am at the stage that a lot of things I don't tell him, I just worry about myself.


It could be nerve pain. A few years back I had an arterial blood test and oh lord did that hurt for ages after! In fact, if you go back through my old posts, or search you would have seen me post about it. I am on my phone otherwise I would find the link for you.


Make yourself up a heat pack. Put some plain rice into a pillowcase, or sock and put it on your arm several times a day. That really helped me. xxx

---------- Post added at 21:59 ---------- Previous post was at 21:54 ----------

Ps I just mentioned to you about my old posts, because it is quite common for there to be pain after having needles inserted into your veins etc! And common to have nerve pain etc! It's on page 10 of my previous posts if you want to read it.

[SamanthaAU]

Is your doctors appt today? How is your arm feeling?

[chl_hobbs]

Thanks hun, yeah it was this morning. Im not good at all.

My arm is stinging a lot more and now near the inner side of the crease of the elbow it also hurts which it didnt before. The veins have spread up my arm and are thicker. Then I measured both arms and that one was half a cm bigger in one place than on the other (Ive been measuring since this all began and theyve always been the same).

I was crying and crying at him. Poor guy just sat there trying to calm me down. He said "I PROMISE you that I am not worried about this at all - I wouldnt put u at risk" he said he's only ordered a scan for my sake, to help me see what this is, but if it were anyone else he wouldnt order one at all. The thing is, there IS something there going on - but he or anyone cant tell me. He even said he didnt think it was phlebitis. I said that if my veins were thickened or inflamed, I know that they can cause clots which might spread and cause dvt/PE. He said (like you said) that this is very rare and hes never seen it happen, as these veins that are visible are superficial veins.

He said he wont hurry the scan along as he would look unprofessional as he thinks it's not appropriate as it is. But hes told me to take a little bit of lorazepam to help me through until the scan IF I need it .... when the hell will that be though?!!!

I dont know what to do. My partner is very angry at me today. We have a 2 year old daughter and I cant focus on her, Im just focusing on the pain in my arm. I cant do this for weeks! It hurts more not less. Its been 6 weeks and Ive only had 1 week of it not hurting. The skin is sore and at times mottled but no redness or huge swelling. I am so tempted to go to a+e to ask for ANOTHER d-dimer to see if theres a clot - but I had one a week and a half ago.... could things have changed since then? Am so worried. I know I must sound stupid to some people, but this pain is so real, its hard to avoid.

Thankyou again, hope u are well hun xxxx

[SamanthaAU]

Oh sweet heart, you are NOT stupid at all!!

When is your scan scheduled? If you go to the hospital, can't they do an emergency scan for you??