DVT deep vein thrombosis forum |
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How long does it take for the clot to go away?
Started by Sue |
Posted: July 4, 2010 at 18:11 | |
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I was diagnosed with a DVT in my left leg in Feb this year. I've been taking warfarin since then and using compression tights and initially all my symptoms went away. They started to come back though as my blood count went down in early April (it went from a steady 2.5 down to 1.6 before they changed my warfarin dose at the end of May despite me telling the nurses at each visit my leg didn't feel right). I met with the consultant last week (first time I've seen him since initial diagnosis) and explained return of my symptoms - he referred me for another dopler ultrasound and I was told the clot has gone from my thigh but is still quite large behind my knee and into my calf. Depending on who I speak to I'm told either the clot will disperse (again either within a matter of a few weeks or could take a long time) or it will remain in my vein and my body will cope with it by diverting blood to other veins in my leg. Does anyone know which is right? I think now that if they had reacted sooner to the changes in my blood count more of the clot would have dissolved but as I never get a consistent answer I don't know if this is normal or not. 16942
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Re: How long does it take for the clot to go away?
Reply #1 by Leigh |
Posted: July 5, 2010 at 23:41 | |
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Hi Sue, Let me first say that I know exactly how you feel about not getting a consistent answer. I have been to 12 different doctors at 7 different facilities and still get different answers from all of them. I was diagnosed with DVT three years ago this month and recently, with a new DVT in the same leg where the other one still is. My body has not dissolved the clot and the warfarin has not prevented it from getting a new one. From what my doctors have told me and from what I have researched, I have come to the conclusion that the doctor's can not tell us for sure how our body will handle the DVT. Every person's body is different so its reactions will also be different. A lot of people I have spoken to who have had a DVT had it for only a few months before it was completely dissolved and they were off the Warfarin. Mine is a different case as it's been 3 years and the clot is still there. I am told I will be on Warfarin for life. At least it sounds like yours is getting smaller. And to answer your question, yes, it sounds perfectly normal to me. Just hang in there, your body will accomodate the clot one way or another; that's what our bodies do. Good luck to you! 16956
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Re: How long does it take for the clot to go away?
Reply #2 by Margie |
Posted: July 6, 2010 at 01:46 | |
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Hi - it can be that ALL of those Docs could be correct. It just depends on you and your body. Mine was first week in Dec. '09. A lot is gone but there is some left and they call it permanent. Said the worst that would happen to me is the other veins would pick up what the clotted vein did and I would have vericose veins. Well, those ugly vericose veins have already started even though I only take my socks off for showers. This is not an option that I am willing to live with. If yours ends up to be a 'forever' clot, check out posts from John on Vascular Surgery - Remove DVT. This is about the only place you will find the truth about DVT's and how different medical professionals take care of them. Wishing you the very best~Margie 16963
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Re: How long does it take for the clot to go away?
Reply #3 by Sue |
Posted: July 8, 2010 at 18:59 | |
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Thanks for your replies - at least I know I'm not alone in how my body is dealing with this. I've had a few lengthy discussions with a couple of doctors this week and the nurse who was managing my INR and I've finally got an appointment with the consultant haematologist next week so hopefully should find out more then. 16991
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Re: How long does it take for the clot to go away?
Reply #4 by Lynn |
Posted: July 12, 2010 at 15:08 | |
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My husband was diagnosed with a DVT in his groin three weeks ago. He was in a lot of pain. After about a week the pain became easier and was helped with paracetemol. Five days ago he felt the clot had moved down to behind his knee and although his thigh has gone down in size all the swelling is from the knee down now. He is far less able to move about because the pain is horrendous and nothing seems to ease it apart from lying down with the leg elevated by a pillow behind his knee. Does anyone know if this is a normal part of the clot moving? He is currently on 4.5mg warfarin with another blood test on Thursday - 1 week from the last INR test. I would have felt happier if he'd been asked to give another blood test sooner than a week but then this is new ground for us and no one seems to tell us anything. Hope I'm worrying unnecessarily. 17015
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Re: How long does it take for the clot to go away?
Reply #5 by Sue |
Posted: July 13, 2010 at 19:34 | |
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Hi Lynn I'm not sure if the clot moves or if it dissolves which hopefully your husband's is starting to do. The amount of warfarin he has to take isn't as relevant as his INR which I understand for a first clot should be between 2 and 3. Mine today was 2.2 when I saw the consultant and he was very happy with that and confirmed again anything between 2 and 3 was ok. I feel much better now I've actually spoken to a doctor about the clot and I accept that it may never go away but he has reassured me that after 6 months on warfarin that should be all the treatment I need - although he has said if I go on a long haul flight he recommends claxene 2 hours before hand as a preventative measure. One thing I have learned is if you're not happy ask to speak to a doctor and don't take no for an answer. Good luck, hope everything works out for your husband. 17028
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Re: How long does it take for the clot to go away?
Reply #6 by pamela |
Posted: July 14, 2010 at 19:10 | |
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My son has a DVT.He is only 15 years old. The doctors have him on Lovenox injections twice a day. Every day it is a fight to do the shot. Its very painful and if it were up to him, he propaly wouldn't do them. They want him on these shots for 6 months. I don't understand. Why can't they start him on cumadin. Also his father and I are divorced and share custody in the summer time, so I have to drive out to his house to do his shots when he has him. My son will not do his own shots. His father is now punishing him for not giving them to himself because he doesnt want me at his house. So I have to give him the injection in my car in the driveway. Which isn't easy especially when its raining. We fight constantly over it. I insist that its o.k. that I do our sons shot for him, but his father tells him to buck up and be a man. Its causing so much stress on the child that I don't know what to do. Am I wrong about it? If he is queesy about needles and cannot do it himself is it wrong for me to insist to his father that I will do his injections for him? I cry all the time, for my son. Not only has his whole lifeTchanged because of the DVT,which is really bad, and he was also diagnosed with factor 5, his father is punishing him for not doing his own injections. He is no longer allowed friends over to his house, he took his x-box and his computer from him, he has to be in bed by 10:00 every night, and now he took his cell phone from him so that I cannot talk to him. Is this normal? Can someone out there just give me some advice on what to do?I would appreciate it.H 17047
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Re: How long does it take for the clot to go away?
Reply #7 by claire |
Posted: July 14, 2010 at 21:43 | |
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Pamela , that's truly awful. Can you explain the situation to his Drs ??, it's usual to be put on Lovenox shots and coumadin until the INR is therapeutic ( between 2 & 3), it's a very delicate situation here, this is no time to be punishing him when he's going through such trauma !!, I doubt very much whether my 14 year old son would give himself shots either, I found it difficult enough. I pray things work out for you & your son x 17054
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Re: How long does it take for the clot to go away?
Reply #8 by lynn |
Posted: July 18, 2010 at 14:24 | |
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Hi Sue, and thanks. His INR has been about the 3 mark for the last 10 days and with another blood test due in three days we'll see how that's going. Our GP has been quite unuseful - they can only do blood tests on certain days of the week and are unable to measure him for his support stockings! We found out answers to most of our questions from the nurses who came in during the first week to give him his injections and take blood, the rest of the info has been from sites such as this one. We wish you well in your recovery too. 17087
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Re: How long does it take for the clot to go away?
Reply #9 by lorry |
Posted: September 30, 2010 at 16:44 | |
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I have numerous clots in my calf-the pain is terrible-been to 3 docs in the last 6 days-they tell me I just have to wait them out and bottom line is pain management:{...Question is-Does anyone else have severe pain with the clots and makes walking very hard and trying to do anything. 18248
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Re: How long does it take for the clot to go away?
Reply #10 by Barbara |
Posted: October 1, 2010 at 04:01 | |
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Hey Lorry, I had a blood clot in my calf in the beginning of August. It was extremely painful, I would usually crawl around rather than walk around my house. The doctors missed the blood clot in my calf and ended up deciding I sprained my leg in my sleep (smart right). I was put in a walking boot (which is bad for blood clots) and could still feel the pain. I was on some pain killers for maybe a week and then honestly the pain became tolerable. It still hurt for all of August but I could get around and barely needed pain killers. They finally found the blood clot at the beginning of September and it went from my thigh to my knee, it had moved. The clot moved to my thigh and they took it out (by doing a thrombectomy) yet another clot formed. This second one barely hurt, it just swelled. I think once your leg gets used to the swelling the pain subsides. I hope this was helpful. 18261
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Re: How long does it take for the clot to go away?
Reply #11 by betty bishop |
Posted: October 20, 2010 at 22:23 | |
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i was dx with dvt left lower leg sept 13, 2010. numerous pulmonary embolisms in my lungs..in hospital 7 days on lovenox inj and then coumadin.one recurrent episode of pe to my lungs since. now scheduled for a venous filter on nov 10. i read a lot of bad press about this filter. anyone know if this is a good thing to do? 18539
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Re: How long does it take for the clot to go away?
Reply #12 by Reba |
Posted: December 30, 2010 at 01:48 | |
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I fractured my tibia and had to wear a brace a full brace during that time my leg and ankles started to swell. I was in terrible pain. My PA was worried about me and had me go straight to hospital and there had a ultrasound done when they found a DVT in my right leg. I have had this clot for over 3 months and it is still the same size. The doctor that prescribed the brace and the people that produced the brace say they have never heard of a brace causing blood clots. I am so scared because it want go away and it hurts. Has anyone else had a clot because of a brace on your leg? I can't be the only one. Should I get a screen? I they say if this 6 inch clot lets go it will go to my lungs and possible death. Not easy to deal with. Can anyone help me, Please. 19528
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Re: How long does it take for the clot to go away?
Reply #13 by Reba |
Posted: December 30, 2010 at 02:20 | |
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I fractured my tibia and had to wear a brace a full brace during that time my leg and ankles started to swell. I was in terrible pain. My PA was worried about me and had me go straight to hospital and there had a ultrasound done when they found a DVT in my right leg. I have had this clot for over 3 months and it is still the same size. The doctor that prescribed the brace and the people that produced the brace say they have never heard of a brace causing blood clots. I am so scared because it want go away and it hurts. Has anyone else had a clot because of a brace on your leg? I can't be the only one. Should I get a screen? I they say if this 6 inch clot lets go it will go to my lungs and possible death. Not easy to deal with. Can anyone help me, Please. 19530
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Re: How long does it take for the clot to go away?
Reply #14 by Reba |
Posted: December 30, 2010 at 02:21 | |
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I fractured my tibia and had to wear a brace a full brace during that time my leg and ankles started to swell. I was in terrible pain. My PA was worried about me and had me go straight to hospital and there had a ultrasound done when they found a DVT in my right leg. I have had this clot for over 3 months and it is still the same size. The doctor that prescribed the brace and the people that produced the brace say they have never heard of a brace causing blood clots. I am so scared because it want go away and it hurts. Has anyone else had a clot because of a brace on your leg? I can't be the only one. Should I get a screen? I they say if this 6 inch clot lets go it will go to my lungs and possible death. Not easy to deal with. Can anyone help me, Please. 19531
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Re: How long does it take for the clot to go away?
Reply #15 by Claire |
Posted: December 30, 2010 at 10:09 | |
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Hi Reba Once your inr is stable, the clot shouldn't move . After 3 months it's highly unlikely. There have been others on this site who've had casts on their legs which have gone on to have dvt's from the immobility this causes. Some people have clots that go away in weeks, some take years and some never go away, they go hard & attach themselves to the veins. Try not to worry too much as you're on warfarin now & are covered . 19533
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Re: How long does it take for the clot to go away?
Reply #16 by Reba |
Posted: December 31, 2010 at 04:29 | |
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Please someone help me I am so scared. No one will tell me anything except that I have to take Warfin an that's it. Someone has to know what to do. Do I need a screen or do I sit here an wait for a 6 inch blood clot let loose. There has to be some one that can tell me what I need to do. I have a dog with a umberalla on his head and he keeps hitting my legs and both of my legs hurt now. I just am so scared. Can anyone tell me what to do. No one else will. Fay 19555
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Re: How long does it take for the clot to go away?
Reply #17 by Reba |
Posted: December 31, 2010 at 04:31 | |
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Please someone help me I am so scared. No one will tell me anything except that I have to take Warfin an that's it. Someone has to know what to do. Do I need a screen or do I sit here an wait for a 6 inch blood clot let loose. There has to be some one that can tell me what I need to do. I have a dog with a umberalla on his head and he keeps hitting my legs and both of my legs hurt now. I just am so scared. Can anyone tell me what to do. No one else will. Fay 19556
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Re: How long does it take for the clot to go away?
Reply #18 by Claire |
Posted: December 31, 2010 at 11:17 | |
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First of all. Are you on warfarin now ?? If so, how long have you been on it & what is your inr ?? 19559
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Re: How long does it take for the clot to go away?
Reply #19 by chris 77 |
Posted: January 14, 2011 at 01:50 | |
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i got taken into hospital because i was cougthing up blood and my right leg had swelled up and was feeling like it was on fire. the drs told me i have a clot from my right knee to about 4 inches from my heart and lungs. in the 8weeks i was in hospital i also got 1 in my right lung. which thankfully has depersed. im on warfarin every day and my inr level should be between 2 and 3 but on tuesday it was 3.7. i now am woried as im only 33 and the hospital or drs dont seem 2 give me the advice i need. it is such a mission to try and walk as the pain is so intence and at nite it wakes me up as the pain killers they gave me (tramadol) wears off please any advice would be gratful. 19713
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