View Full Version : Scared about blood clots... thought I was over this.
Hey all. I haven't been active on here since 2011 and it disappoints me that I'm back (as much as the folks here have always been lovely!) I have had very bad health anxiety my entire life which landed me in treatment about 2 years ago.
About a month and a half or two months ago I started getting pains in my left hip and lower back. I had a bad, decade-old mattress (now have a new one) and was working a job that required a lot of lifting and bending so I chalked it up to that. About two weeks ago (when I started at a job working with special needs teens, most of whom needed to be pushed in wheelchairs and lifted around) I started getting a pain in my left lower leg, on I guess the calf, but the side, not the back muscly part. It's hard to explain what it feels like. It's an occasionally sharp ache. I don't have it when I'm sitting or lying down, unless I twist my hips in a certain way, just when I'm standing. When I walk it's better than when I stand still. On Sunday I started really worrying about it. On Monday the pain was bad and I had a massive panic attack after Googling and seeing people talking about how they had blood clots in their legs but they didn't have the typical swelling, heat or redness people usually do when they have them. I called Telehealth and the nurse told me to get it checked out within the next 3 to 4 hours, so I went to the ER in hysterics. The doctor saw me and physically examined me, bending my legs all over. He said because I don't have any symptoms other than pain or risk factors, and because my hip is also involved, it's almost definitely not a blood clot. I then saw my regular doctor on Wednesday and he did the same thing. He pressed on my hip joint and lower back which caused pain, and he said it's likely either a pinched nerve or bursitis over the hip. Neither did blood tests or an ultrasound which would have made me feel a lot better. I keep thinking about calling them back and asking them to do this just to put me at ease or going to a drop in clinic, but my parents (who I live with) keep telling me not to. Today the leg does feel better. It still hurts when I've been on it for a while but it's not as bad. I assume that if I had a blood clot that wouldn't happen.
It doesn't make sense for me to have DVT. I'm 21 years old, I have no known clotting disorders (and since I had extensive medical treatment as a child, I assume I would have found out by now if I did), no family history, I've never smoked, I've never taken the pill, I haven't had surgery or an injury, I'm not pregnant, and I haven't taken any long flights or car trips. I admit I am pretty sedentary at home but I make sure to get up and move around at least once an hour. And I am very upset with myself because I did a lot of work when I first got "sick" two years ago and thought I was past all of this. I have known a lot of people who died suddenly and young so I think that's why I'm hung up on this. It really bothered me hearing about Cory Monteith's death on Sunday (it's all over the news here since he was Canadian) even though his death was caused by drugs and I think maybe that triggered this.
Has anyone else had experience with either an actual blood clot in the legs or anxiety about it that can help me out? Do you think i should go check it out again or worry? :weep:
nomorepanic
19-07-13, 00:21
It sounds like a trapped nerve to me as well.
The best people to see would be an osteopath or chiropractor maybe
I occasionally get this worry, and have had the exact same pain (and survived it many times!) But just like you, I do know the 'real' symptoms - and you say you didn't have those. So trust the doctor. I really doubt a blood clot would cause referred pain in your hip. You have just changed job and it's extremely likely you have pulled a muscle or moved awkwardly and punched a nerve.
Hi this is one of my biggest recurring fears ! I have a good few like but this one is always coming back to me! I to have no known risk factors barring I smoke quite a lot ...so many times iv had pain in left calf.. Iv had loads of d-diner tests had an c.t scan on lung (was convinced it had travelled ) dedicated a good portion of my last few years poking, prodding and crying over this leg .. No clot as I know of. Though after saying thus to you it will probably trigger it off again lol. Iv had bad pain were even now I'm not having the psychosomatic pain excuse because it was very bloody real! When I'm feeling logical I think maybe its sciatica tho why always my calf or nerve damage or maybe my posture or the fact that left foot half size bigger then other one maybe I walk weird.. Point being I would say iv seen at least 15 docs over this leg over past 3ish yrs an a few times in a&e each time doctors have basically said what urs did ...iv read all the horror stories on google about having no symptoms till they collapse in a pile dramatically an nearly lose there life's and as I'm feeling rational tonight I will put it down to this apparently blood clots are quite common for people with risks.. An tge normal non death run of mill clits that are dealt with all the tone by our trusted medical professions aren't going to be on google because why would you write about them otherwise there's no story there newspapers an crap like Taft only tells the horror story's that why its news cos it's rare... Same with people writing there horror story's because they are so shocked. I'm rambling abit here but I know what in trying to say... You really don't have a clot is the outcome of my long boring post to you though if you would like to talk about it some more please feel free to message me. Take care x
---------- Post added at 03:47 ---------- Previous post was at 03:44 ----------
Sorry so many spelling mistakes in that! I also wrote clits instead of clots!!!:blush: oh dear x
Hi guys, thank you for your replies. I'm still very nervous and will probably try to go in to see my GP tomorrow. I'm going to try and ask him to at least send me for the D-Dimer blood test if he won't do the ultrasound. I know I'm feeding my anxiety this way, but...
My calf has been on and off this weekend. It's been hurting when I stand still, mostly. When I walk it hurts, but not as bad, and it stops if I don't put pressure on that hip. Sitting causes twinges but nothing bad. Today I went to the mall and was walking around. My leg hurt quite a bit by the end and my foot was feeling numb, which I have read is a symptom of a trapped back nerve like sciatica.
I'm quite scared to go to work tomorrow since I must be active a lot at my job, but then I try to think that if I had a blood clot all this time, with all of the activity over the past few weeks of the job I would probably be a goner by now. I got some Voltaren analgesic gel so I might try that later. I continue to Google even though I know I shouldn't. 9/10 of the stories out there are about people who had risk factors already but it's the 1 story where they didn't that of course sticks with me when I know it shouldn't. I even know I don't have a clotting disorder because I had extensive genetic testing as a child when I had medical issues (I have a genetic vision disorder). It has made me feel better reading that DVT feels like a bad muscle cramp or Charlie Horse because that's not what my pain feels like.
It's a constant back and forth in my mind and I forgot how awful this is. I don't want to let it ruin the rest of my summer. I put a call in to my old psychiatrist so hopefully I will hear from her this week. I've been on Cipralex for over two years and I was hoping to try and wean off of it in August before all of this happened. Clearly I'm not ready yet. Disappointed. Sorry to be rambling, but again thanks for the support. :hugs:
I HAD the Dreadful Charlie Horse cramp in pregnancy - SO bad I can still point to the spot 28 years later! And that wasn't a blood clot. :)
Hi there,
Please try not to worry, (I know easier said than done). Almost 2 years ago I did suffer an extensive dvt in my leg and groin. It's now become chronic and I've got to stay on warfarin for life as I've a filter in place to stop the clot going to my heart/lungs. I got mine due to ivf hormones and pregnancy.
Please believe me, the pain is unbelievable. It only gets worse too not better. I know how hard it is not to worry but if what I've gone through can help, please try not to worry about it being a clot, it'll be ok x
Well, I saw the doctor this afternoon. He again examined me and was able to cause pain by poking at my lower back and hip. He said that from my lower bak reaction it's very likely it's a nerve or mild disc issue. I asked about the d-dimer but he said it's not really worth doing, and isn't always accurate to begin with.
This morning my leg didn't hurt at all at work. I was constantly on my feet (we took the kids on a hike to a local park with a petting zoo) and it still didn't hurt, which I assume is a good sign. It did start hurting after my doctor's appointment when I went to the shops, though it wasnt as bad (just felt like a mild cramp) until the very end when I'd been on my feet for an hour. I'm getting worried about my breathing and the possibility of pulmonary embolism which I also asked my doctor about. He said if I had it, I would know. I wasn't any more winded on the hike today so I assume that's good.
I know these are all good signs but when it hurts all I can think about is DVT. I am conscious of my breathing and constantly checking it in the same way that I did two years ago when I was scared of heart attack.
It's the awful what ifs, isn't it? Thank you to pink especially for telling me what your DVT was like.
I really admire how you have used the mantra of what your doctor told you to reassure yourself. It's the only thing that works for me sometimes!
Thank you, Speranza. If only I could be that way all the time.
This week has been up and down. My leg definitely doesn't hurt as much as it did anymore, and Wednesday and today it was pretty much fine at work in the mornings. It gets worse around midday then better as we get into night, which is odd. It's more of an on-and-off ache than a sharp pain now. My fear, however, persists. I was afraid this morning because I felt a pulsing in my calf.
I've developed a tickly chest and slight cough this week. I have mild asthma and my parents and co-workers have also been coughing this week because of the temperamental weather. The feeling gets better when I take my puffers so I know it's asthma related. Of course, my mind goes to pulmonary embolism. I'm constantly monitoring my breathing, which is probably irritating my lungs more, and checking to see if my chest hurts, which it doesn't. When I sit for a while I get pains in my upper back which freaks me out.
My anxiety's been bad. I haven't had to take Ativan but I've taken Benedryl a few times to take the edge off. Last night I was out with friends at a restaurant and started thinking I couldn't breathe, and went home. I hate doing this again, but it feels dangerous to be out, like something will happen while I'm away from home.
I did get an appointment with my pdoc but she's booked until August 26th. While I was at work my mum went to my GP's office and dropped off a letter for a referral (I don't NEED one, but when I saw my pdoc last she worked at the hospital and now she has her own private practice so they said it's best to get a referral so she can have access to my files). She happened to see him in the halls and asked him more of the questions I had. He said he can 100% guarantee it's not a blood clot, that he's seen lots of people with them and I am not presenting like any of them. He said he's only seen maybe 2 or 3 people my age have DVT in his 40 years as a physician and never seen a young person have one with no risk factors. I try to be confident in him, because I really do like him and he's known to be a great diagnostician, but then I read those stories about people who just had pain and nothing else, didnt have risk factors, got misdiagnosed until they had a massive PE and almost died...
I'm trying, but I'm still scared. I really wish at the ER I had insisted on an ultrasound just for my own peace of mind, but it was 3am and I just wanted to go home. Now I'm regretting it.
This weekend has been pretty good. My asthma stuff is getting better so I am more confident that that is really all it is. As for my leg, yesterday the pain was on and off, and today miraculously I've had next to none. I thought that once the pain went I'd feel better about the blood clot issue but I don't - I'm still afraid I have one. I know I shouldn't be googling but I did and I found all of one thread on one forum saying people had pain from DVT that came and went, and everything else said that no, it would be constant and get worse, but naturally that one forum is getting to me. I also noticed that when I am sitting and put my weight on my left hip, I get the pain in my calf, which should be proof enough that it really is just sciatica or nerve pain, but of course it's not for my anxious brain :nonono:
My job with the special needs kids ends tomorrow so there will be no more heavy activity for me. I think maybe that's helped it this weekend, just taking it easy.
I really wish my psych appointment was sooner. So much for people claiming you can get into private practices faster than public ones, because I got into her far faster when she was at the hospital! Any tips to keep me same until then?
The pain was back today which freaked me out but again it was mild. I took Aleve (naproxen) for the first time this afternoon, not because I really needed the pain relief but because I wanted to see if it would work. Apparently it's the best over the counter med for sciatica/nerve pain. And it did work quite well - there was still a slight pain but it took longer to start once id been on my feet and was better. It still hasn't worn off. Again, all this should be proving to me that it really isn't a DVT but the thoughts keep running through my head that I should take myself to the hospital so I can insist they do the blood test and ultrasound (because my GP won't).
Sorry to keep rambling here but it's nice to get this off my chest. My parents are supportive but they don't really understand how I can be reassured so many times that I'm fine but still worry so much and need more proof. My dad particularly gets angry about it if I go on too much, which is odd to me considering he had the same issues when he was my age - and there was no Internet back then to add to the worry!
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