View Full Version : Scared of blood clot in leg
For some reason, anytime I get ANY pain in my leg, whether it be in my calf, behind my knee, upper thigh, etc I always assume it is a DVT. Right now I am having a pain where my thigh and groin area meet, and also behind my knee. All logic tells me I must have done something, it's a nerve, etc? But then I am on birth control, so I always wonder if it could be some more.
Anyone have experience with DVT or anything like this to ease my mind??
First of all, if it was a clot it wouldn't be in two separate areas. It wouldn't be higher up on your leg on one side than the other.
Also, I've read that you only need to worry about a clot (like go to A&E type worry) when you have terrible pain accompanied by swelling and redness, as well as malaise etc.
So, I think you'll be ok :) best wishes
Thank you for your reply, Emilym80
In my rational head, I know you are correct because of course I have read up on it as well :) But as with the rest of my health anxiety, I always question, hmm..I wonder if this time is different!! You hear so many freak stories, which I really shouldn't listen to...but it's hard to get out of my head!
The reason you hear about freak stories is because they're so unusual! Also, most people with these kinds of ailments are more complacent about their health and don't realise the warning signs of, for instance, dvt, which we certainly do (lol)- this leads to a lot of these freak incidents, I reckon.
Take care!
misskittie
27-05-15, 16:55
I've been having the same fears for over a month now. Have been to multiple doctors and had tests run and everything comes out fine but I can't turn of this worry they're wrong. Somedays the pain is better others it's the worst thing ever. I have some slight swelling which just adds to my anxieties about it. Today I sat outside the doctors office trying to decide whether or not to go in for half an hour. In the end I came home put on a guided meditation to help calm my breathing and chest pain and now I'm going for a bath hoping I can get myself relaxed enough to just let this go.
Google is absolutely horrible with all these stories that just help add to that what if factor but it's so hard I know not to look.
Wishing you all the best.
Yes, you're probably right about that, Emilym80! Thanks :)
misskittie- I'm glad you were able to relax! I do this a lot as well, and try to keep myself busy so I don't think about it. I think half the time I make the pain worse because I focus on it so much... I'm so hyper-aware of every little ache or pain, most of which normal people wouldn't even think about!
Google is definitely the worst...and you're right, it's hard to stay away.
Wishing you the best as well! Sometimes it's nice just to talk it out :)
This same leg still seems to be bothering me today...although now it feels like it is heavy and almost longer than the other, causing a slight limp? Anyone had this??
Still have pain in hip/groin and back of the thigh...
I know this post is a bit old. But was wondering if you figured out anything about your leg pain. I have some leg pain in my left leg as well. It started out feeling like sciatic pain, but the sciatic pain has gone away and I just get weird twinges of pain behind my knee and thigh area. It's not swollen or red, no bruise, and doesn't feel warmer than the other. But I've never had this leg pain before so has me worried about dvt.
Hi there- I never did get a real answer of what it was. They did 2 ultrasounds and a D-Dimer, both came back clear. I have just recently started going to a chiropractor and he says he sees it a lot...my pelvis is a little crooked, and he said that could be causing the pain. I've only been twice and it's not 100% fixed, but it does feel better...Have you gone to a doctor for your pain?
I ordered a d dimer test myself and I got the results this morning. Itso a negative. My result was <0.2 and the reference range was <.05 is negative . So my level was pretty low. But with health anxiety you always find those posts about people with a negative d dimer and still end up with a clot :/ I know I should just relax because I don't have any of the swelling, redness, or severe pain. Plus my pain jumps around from top of my foot, to back of my knee, thigh, groin. It's never in one place . And I think with dvt the pain is centralized? I just hate being this way. I know d diners are 95% accurate when it comes to negative results so it's pretty good. But you always wonder if your that 5%. Ugh.
raggamuffin
11-08-15, 21:47
I'm in the same boat. I've started a new job recently sat in an office for 7-9 hours a day. The past 24 hours I developed bad leg aches in the thigh. I'm no stranger to leg pain in the past few months. Was reading the newspaper and saw some scare mongering article about health issues that can arise from wearing skinny jeans.
Since then when I wear certain pairs of my skinny jeans which don't have much play in them I begin to feel my legs ache. often it's in the calf but sometimes around the knee or thigh.
Yesterday driving home I started feeling an aching in the back of my knee and then my thigh> When I got home the ache in the thigh got very intense. But it began to come and go.
This morning I felt ok, but when I got back to work I noticed the pain again and my mind didn't rest. So I started making sure I stood up for a few minutes every 30-40 minutes or so. I started Googling things and making matters worse.
To be honest it feels muscular, and i'm no stranger to anxiety pains as around half a year ago I was experiencing 24/7 symptoms for 5 years. But leg pains for me are virgin territory, especially intense, long lasting pains.
Today when walking my left leg muscles feel fatigued and almost bruised - like I'd pulled a muscle or just done some weights. But again, as the day goes on the pain likes to dance around my leg.
Doctor's always told me that if pains come and go, don't escalate or change location in the body then it's highly likely to be anxiety. In the past few months I've noticed some mornings I wake up and my thighs just ache for no apparent reason.
This just seems to be an amplified version of that sensation.
Sorry this was such a long post. I was wanting to create my own thread about this fear of DVT and such like but saw this at the top of this forum section, so thanks :)
Ed
I understand- I am in the same boat with the health anxiety. As I said before, I had 2 ultrasounds and a d-dimer and I'm still not 100% convinced it isn't a blood clot or some sort of vascular issue. The vein behind my knee is very swollen, as is the back of my knee, but since all the tests came back negative, the doctors just brush it off.
It was feeling better over the past couple days, but today it hurts again.
I'm getting a little discouraged about my HA as well...I have good days, and then I have really bad days. Yesterday I was totally fine, until about 7:00 or 8:00 and all of a sudden I went into panic mode for absolutely no reason. A big wave of dizziness, heart rate went up, couldn't breathe. Eventually I calmed myself and it subsided (which is a big feat for me!) but through the night I could tell I was anxious as I woke up totally drenched in sweat, and felt as though I couldn't breathe.
Anyway, sorry to vent...I'm just getting frustrated!
Frustrated as well. I went to ER because I just couldn't handle it anymore even if my d dimer was negative i just needed assurance. they did an ultrasound and said it was negative. I was relieved and happy...but two hours later my health anxiety kicked in and said "what if the technician missed a clot?" "He's only human" "Nothing is 100%" and I suddenly found myself in a state of panic yet again. Ugh. I hate having this anxiety. My leg still hurts but notice that pain jumps around from behind the thigh, calf, to groin. It's never in the same spot. No one can seem to tell me if dvt is centralized in one area or if it moves around. Still no redness, no swelling, and sometimes it can feel normal and I'm able to bear weight on it. So I don't know. But when I do get the pain it hurts a lot and I can barely walk. This whole thing has me depressed thinking that I still have a clot and I'm just waiting to get a pulmonary embolism.
I am glad you went to the ER- that had to reassure you a little. But, I have the same feelings as you...what if they missed something? My leg started hurting again yesterday really badly. I have noticed all of the veins in the back of my knee and thigh are extremely visible right now, and a couple of them seem to be sticking out. I'm not sure if I need to see a vascular specialist or what.
My new concern is I have been having shooting pains below my right breast and into my back for 2 days as well..in addition to my leg still hurting. I'm hoping it's from going to the chiropractor and the nerves are being hit?? But of course, all I can think in my head is pulmonary embolism... I wish I knew how to decipher between anxiety pain and real pain...
Hi everyone,
I can relate to this , I take birth control and frequently stress about the thought of blood clots, so much so that I have even considered coming off it as having kids would probably be less stressful and worrying!!! (definitely not the case) I get a lot of pains in my legs, once felt a massive lump under the skin on my calf, went to the doctors and they told me it was absolutely nothing. I get pain mainly in my calves and its usually worse after walking quickly or running. I've heard that leg pain can be caused by our best friend Anxiety, which I struggled to believe but seeing the amount of people saying they experience leg pain on this post it could well be connected!
Like another user above said, the doctor educated me that a DVT would have very prominent symptoms, such as a large swelling that was very red and hot to touch, so much that you would notice a HUGE difference in size to your other leg (there must be others on here that have found themselves stood in front of the mirror convincing themselves one leg looks bigger than the other one!!) and you would be hit with very severe breathing problems (not just like the regular anxiety breathing trouble).
Hope everyone starts to feel better soon x
Here's the thing. Everyone has pain at one point or another. Heck, I live in a constant state of pain. Our bodies are noisy and there will be niggles all the time. The issue is that anxiety amplifies this as you're hyper-focused on every single niggle. A run of the mill headache becomes a brain tumor. A pain in your leg a blood clot, a cough is lung cancer etc. etc. etc.
Pain is pain and it's normal. It's your anxiety that makes it worse. You have scientific medical proof that you don't have a DVT so that's that.
The key here is to seek treatment to learn how to deal with the irrational thoughts and panic that ensue when you feel that niggle so it doesn't spiral out of control. Frankly, going to the ER for reassurance when there are people who seriously need medical attention is not warranted, a waste of time and money. Those monies would be better spent on treating the real illness... anxiety.
Positive thoughts
Yes, you are right Fishmanpa. I believe the issue with Health Anxiety (and I can totally say this about myself as well) is that you are so convinced something is medically wrong, you hold off on getting treatment for the root of the problem. What triggered my anxiety was an extremely major surgery at 18, where I stayed in the hospital for 8 days and could hardly move or walk for months after that. I became so hyper-aware of every physical sensation that if something felt wrong, I worried. Eventually that subsided until I had another unexpected surgery last September, and it started all over from there. I am still young and my mother has had quite a few health problems, so it worries me for the future...as I have had quite a few problems myself up to this point. In my irrational head, if something so minor as shoulder blade pain meant my gallbladder was about to erupt, then what does this pain mean, or this pain? Then my rational side comes back into play and tries to tell me to snap out of it.
Many of us are getting treatment for the Health Anxiety, but that does not happen overnight. It's definitely a process and the reason this forum was created was for support during difficult times. I hope I can continue giving and receiving that support as I am trying to work out my own demons as well.
Bha123...I'm sorry your leg is hurting again. I hope it isn't ad severe as last time.
I'm glad I went to ER too. When the pain from my calf travelled into the groin , I felt I had to go and get it looked at. I hope I can find something for my anxiety without needing to be on anxiety meds. Maybe get to the gym and release some good ole endorphins after my leg pain is gone. I still don't have a clue what it is. It's a stabbing pain and tearing pain... maybe I messed up my lower back and need to see a chiropractor like you are doing.
You know what's weird is that my husband believes I have MS because of some weird sensations I've been feeling and now that I've told him about my leg pains without anything showing g up on ultrasound. But I'm not really scared of MS .I'm so scared of what will kill me fast with little to no warning. I don't know what's wrong with me ...but I am like you too who worry about little bits of pain. Chest pain means heart attack. Headache means I'm going to get a stroke. Etc. I never was this bad. Having a son definitely triggered my health anxiety. Especially after finding out he is autistic. I fear leaving him when he is so dependant on me and him thinking I abandoned him (since he doesn't understand the concept of death) breaks my heart. So that's where my Health anxiety is coming from and I probably need to talk to a therapist about it. But I'm scared of going on meds and the side effects.
So sorry you're having such a rough time of it. I do have the same fears and I hope it will get easier...MS would have some pretty severe symptoms, I'd imagine. Have you seen your GP lately? Maybe he would have some insight on your leg pain?
I have had a rough weekend with pain..like I said, I went to the chiropractor and I think he may have made the pain worse!! I could hardly walk on my leg yesterday and for some reason my right shoulder and shoulder blade have been hurting SO badly...shooting down my arm. Of course my head thinks the worst, but I am going to call him first thing in the morning to see if this could be coming from the adjustment. The shoulder pain is pretty excruciating...I'm hoping it's nothing serious.
I am going to try some yoga classes soon, as soon as I get some of this pain under control to see if that helps. I am way too young to feel like this!!
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