Pain in Leg - Very Worried about Thrombosis/DVT!!!

[BKF1515]

I was down with pneumonia a few weeks ago and developed aches in my left leg, namely my upper inside and front thigh. It is not swollen or discolored, but I am becoming overwhelmed with anxiety that I have DVT. I am a woman, 36 years old, non-smoker, etc. and not normally in a high-risk group. But I was in bed very often for days on end so of course I am very worried. Can anyone tell me if my worries are justified? I have an appt. with my GP in three days but don't think I can make it till then with all my anxiety! Thanks in advance.

[Ddcoo]

Hi BKF, I do not have any medical training, but I did have what you have got a couple of years ago and I phoned a medical helpline and I was told that I would know about it if i had a blood clot as the pain would be very intense, but was asked to make an appointment with my doctor just to get checked out and what it turned out to be was a nerve pain, as I too was confined to bed at the time. So please do not stress too much about it, and if you are so worried that you cannot wait till your appointment, is there any helpline that you could call, just to get a professional opinion? Hope all goes well, and keep us posted:yesyes:

[BKF1515]

Thanks for your answer. I don't think there is a helpline besides calling my GP's office. If I call the nightline then they ask for symptoms and give advice. My pain is a dull, pretty constant aching pain--sometimes I don't notice it for awhile, but it always returns. I want to believe it is related to my back, but then I remember how it started in my inner thigh above the knee when I was lying flat and over three weeks has travelled up the front of my thigh and is now at the top of my thigh and pelvis. But not acute pain. I just don't know what to think. If I Google it, I may as well take myself to the Emergency Room with all the scare stories on there....

[Ddcoo]

Please don't Google!! How about phoning the doctors surgery and asking to speak to a nurse? Would that be possible? I am still convinced that you have either nerve or muscle pain, especially after you being inactive for a while. I wish there was something I could do to convince you that you are OK, it is horrible having to wait when you are so stressed. I am sure the pain would be so painful that you had to seek immediate help, and not just an ache. Aches do get you down as they just niggle all the time - just think of toothache, that is bad enough. Have you tried taking any pain killing tablets and if so, did it help?:shrug:

[Nechtan]

Hi,

Its interesting that you think it may be related to your back. I have leg and feet aches at the moment and as I suffer from back pain quite a bit I've drawn that conclusion too. Other factors can come into it too. Being confined to bed for example can give you sore legs depending on what position you are lying and also the cold weather at the moment doesn't help.

Leg aches are very uncomfortable. I've been trying to walk off my own aches to no avail. I had this about a month ago and it went for some reason. Hopefully the doctor can put your mind at rest when you attend.

All the best

Nechtan

[bellabum]

Ah - something I've actually had rather than imagined I had! I had DVT a few years ago and you really would know if you had it - it's extremely painful, usually in the calf, just behind the knee.

OK, is it red and hot to the touch anywhere?

Can you put your foot on the floor and stand on it and/or flex your foot towards your body without intense pain anywhere?

Is the leg/foot more swollen than the other (use a tape-measure if necessary)?

If the answers to these are no, then I really don't think you need to worry.

[BKF1515]

Thanks so much for all your notes of reassurance! My pain is bothersomely achy around my right upper thigh and pelvis now - mainly front but sometimes I think it is behind too going up into my lower back (or I hope so!). It started out at the knee/inner thingh and has been moving gradually up the front of my thigh for the last two weeks. Just when I try to forget it's there, I feel the ache again and now today it aches all the time. It is not red or hot to the touch. I can move it and flex it without any intense pain, just the aching. The only thing is that when I used th tape measure to see if its at all more swollen, I did get a reading of about 2 cm larger in circumference! I kept remeasuring as it's hard to get the exact place on both sides, but my achy side seems to be ever so slightly larger. But maybe that difference is too minute and I don't know if my left leg is slightly larger all the time anyway??

[bellabum]

It would be quite swollen sweetie.

To put your mind at ease, why don't you phone your doctor's surgery and ask to speak to him - you'll get some more reassurance that way.

[mae000]

WHEN IN DOUBT HAVE IT CHECKED OUT! That's a lil slogan we have for the pulmonary embolism/dvt group at dailystrenght.org. :)
I was recently diagnosed with pulmonary embolism (blood clot in my lungs) due to immobility from a short road trip. I never smoked , don't drink, no bc pills or family history of blood clotting disorders... I'm 29 and reasonably fit... I went to my doc and others docs to get checked out for symptoms I was having and was written off as anxiety got meds and sent home... I went back and demanded to be heard.. was sent home again and went back the next day and the head doc could not believe I was sent home the night before after my ct scan clearly showed pe... I was told oh my god you should have never been sent home are are very lucky to be alive due to a pe in lungs. I am definately not trying to scare you or anything just want to encourage you to listen to your body be persistent if you feel something is really wrong with and not normal for your body. with much love..
mary g

[bellabum]

How's it going BKF1515? How's the leg?

[chrissie1951]

:bighug1:Hiya,
Please don't worry, I had a DVT a couple of years ago, the pain is terrible and it would be red and hot and also my leg and foot were really swollen.
I too have a health anxiety and often thought that I had a DVT but it was always pain from my back which sounds exactly like the pain that you are getting.
If you are worried still then I would say get it checked out, it's always worth it to put your mind at rest but try not to panic - I know easier said than done. I think I have a different life threatening illness every week so I know just how you feel,
Hoe this helps,
Best wishes,
Wendy.:bighug1: