DVT/P.E Fears

[cloyo]

Hi all,

I haven't been well recently since contracting a throat infection of sorts and have been pretty wiped out for a few months (currently undergoing tests to see if it's a possible Chronic Fatigue/M.E diagnosis) but anyway due to this I have been quite inactive and spent most of my time either lying in bed or sitting down. Obviously I've been up to go to the toilet and shower etc but apart from that I would say I've been inactive.

I started getting a pain in my leg more than a few days ago in my inner thigh that went down to my knee, kind of like a muscle strain but I hadn't done anything to warrant this. I thought it would go, but it's still hurting. I've had previous worries about DVT's but have always been told by a doctor 'you would have a swollen leg, you're young e.t.c' but I know from research (which obviously as well as helping as sent me into a bit of a panic about this all!) that so many people don't present with the typical swollen leg and one of my friends had one so I know it's not discriminate of age (I'm 21). It's in no way me saying I'm somehow more qualified than the doctor but more so that I know for a fact that reasoning isn't good enough to rule it out.

I've also been getting chest pains, and an uncomfortable sort of pressure in my chest like someone's poking me? I was up a&e a few days ago and they did blood tests and an ECG to check my heart which they said were all fine but when I asked if they'd done a test to check for clots they said they haven't as yet again 'my leg isn't swollen'. Getting a bit scared as I know these aren't something to mess around with. I've been to the doctors a lot recently due to them trying to figure out what's up with me anyway so I'm not really comfortable going again plus appointments are hard to get a hold of and I don't really want to go up a&e again for the same reason (been up there a few times this past month) and I just think they won't take me seriously. I'm not the type of person to rush up a&e for anything, apart from the last few months I've only been a handful of times in my life. I'm going to a private hospital on Tuesday as I've been referred to a Rheumatology specialist anyway, but they also do a private GP service so I may try and get an appointment with one of them the same day but that's still a 3 day wait and I'm scared they'll just say the same thing to me :unsure:

Any help/advice?

Thanks!

[Hypomean]

Laying down and sitting down a lot can also mess with your nerves. You could have something pinched. When I went through a blood clot fear a few years ago. It started with me sitting down or laying down for a whole week, my new born had been really sick and nothing would keep him calm unless he was in my arms. I developed a pain inside of my thigh/knee area and it would travel to my groin down to my heel. I read about DVTs and I had all the symptoms listed except the hot to the touch thing. I would get chest pains that would make me cry. I feared DVT like you wouldn't believe. Finally I got checked, I was cleared and told it was a pinched nerve! I began to work out and stretch the muscles and it all went away.

Reading up on symptoms can only help those symptoms "appear" like you actually have them. Don't compare yourself to your friend. You friend could have been born with something that's makes it easier for them to get one.
Either way when they say not active it really mean like you are stuck in the same position for two hrs or more. When your in bed you move your feet right? It's just not that common for someone young to get one.

[cloyo]

Hi hypomean, thank you so much for your reply!

Ah that's interesting thank you, although as you know with fears like this it's rarely a 'oh the fear is gone!' situation unfortunately :weep:
My friend was on the pill which I know can cause it sometimes, but what if I am predispositioned to something that could make my blood clot easier but I just haven't been diagnosed with it?

The leg pains still there today, and the chest and rib pain is not good, I barely slept last night which of course makes the anxiety exacerbated today...such a vicious circle.

Ideally I just wanna be able to go and get it checked out but I feel like I don't have that luxury anymore because of how often I've been up for stuff unrelated :( not sure what to do.

Hope you and your not so new born are well! :)

---------- Post added at 13:55 ---------- Previous post was at 11:55 ----------

Hi hypomean, thank you so much for your reply!

Ah that's interesting thank you, although as you know with fears like this it's rarely a 'oh the fear is gone!' situation unfortunately :weep:
My friend was on the pill which I know can cause it sometimes, but what if I am predispositioned to something that could make my blood clot easier but I just haven't been diagnosed with it?

The leg pains still there today, and the chest and rib pain is not good, I barely slept last night which of course makes the anxiety exacerbated today...such a vicious circle.

Ideally I just wanna be able to go and get it checked out but I feel like I don't have that luxury anymore because of how often I've been up for stuff unrelated :( not sure what to do.

Hope you and your not so new born are well! :)