Blood clot

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bdee
bdee Member Posts: 304
edited March 2014 in Colorectal Cancer #1
Can anybody tell me what a blood clot in the calf feels like? I've been having some horrible pain since 2:00 a.m. I called my doctor and she wouldn't even see me, told me to go to the ER. I don't want to go sit for 2 or 3 hours in the OR just to be told I'm having calf cramps. Maybe if I had a little more information, I could tell me of what to do.

Debbie in Arkansas

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  • Buzzard
    Buzzard Member Posts: 3,043 Member
    #2
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    Debbie.......
    I would go to the ER just for safety sake but while I was getting ready I would start drinking steadily and try to hydrate as much as possible...It sounds to me like lactic acid buildup (start of dehydrating) but don't take my word for it...I would get some attention....and then another Dr.......Love to you, Buzz
  • HollyID
    HollyID Member Posts: 946 Member
    #3
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    Hopefully, by this time...
    you've gone to the ER.

    Blood clots in the calf are nothing to mess with because you don't want them to move... at all.

    Your calf, if a clot if present, is usually red, hot to touch and is bigger than the other calf. Yes, we use a tape measure to measure around three parts of the calf and we use the unaffected calf for comparison. We also limit your movement because we don't want that little sucker to travel -- that mean using a bedpan. :(

    Love and Hugs,

    Holly
  • bdee
    bdee Member Posts: 304
    #4
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    HollyID said:

    Hopefully, by this time...
    you've gone to the ER.

    Blood clots in the calf are nothing to mess with because you don't want them to move... at all.

    Your calf, if a clot if present, is usually red, hot to touch and is bigger than the other calf. Yes, we use a tape measure to measure around three parts of the calf and we use the unaffected calf for comparison. We also limit your movement because we don't want that little sucker to travel -- that mean using a bedpan. :(

    Love and Hugs,

    Holly

    Didn't go to the ER
    I really don't know what is going on with me. In the last two months, I've had awful muscle spasms in my back and in my stomach. Now this thing with me leg. The pain was awful, I could hardly walk, but there were no real signs of a blood clot. The area wasn't warm, no swelling, not red and by 7:00 p.m. last night there wasn't anything. Just kind of a lingering soreness and this morning I'm doing housework.
    Any ideas if this has to do with the chemo or the cancer or am I just weird?

    Thanks,
    Debbie in Arkansas
  • Jane822
    Jane822 Member Posts: 50
    #5
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    bdee said:

    Didn't go to the ER
    I really don't know what is going on with me. In the last two months, I've had awful muscle spasms in my back and in my stomach. Now this thing with me leg. The pain was awful, I could hardly walk, but there were no real signs of a blood clot. The area wasn't warm, no swelling, not red and by 7:00 p.m. last night there wasn't anything. Just kind of a lingering soreness and this morning I'm doing housework.
    Any ideas if this has to do with the chemo or the cancer or am I just weird?

    Thanks,
    Debbie in Arkansas

    Advice
    I had a blood clot/clots in my calf in June. No swelling,no redness and it did not feel warm to the touch. I just had a pain and soreness and mentioned it to my onc. during my visit and she sent me for an ultrasound. I've been on coumadin since and had a follow up ultrasound this week. My advice is to not let it go and have it checked out just to be sure. This is a case where it's better to be safe.
  • Kathryn_in_MN
    Kathryn_in_MN Member Posts: 1,252 Member
    #6
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    Jane822 said:

    Advice
    I had a blood clot/clots in my calf in June. No swelling,no redness and it did not feel warm to the touch. I just had a pain and soreness and mentioned it to my onc. during my visit and she sent me for an ultrasound. I've been on coumadin since and had a follow up ultrasound this week. My advice is to not let it go and have it checked out just to be sure. This is a case where it's better to be safe.

    Agreed
    Ultrasound doesn't do anything to hurt you - no radiation or anything. It is simple and not painful. I would talk to your onc and see if they think it would be a good idea to do ultrasound on your leg to check. I had a PE (pulmonary embolism - blood clot in the lungs). They did the ultrasounds on my legs just to make sure I didn't have any other clots. They found I have a double femoral vein which puts me at higher risk for clots in my legs, which I never knew about. I was put on Coumadin for the PE, and never developed any clots elsewhere. The peace of mind from the ultrasound on my legs was well worth the time invested.
  • ktlcs
    ktlcs Member Posts: 358
    #7
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    Kathryn_in_MN said:

    Agreed
    Ultrasound doesn't do anything to hurt you - no radiation or anything. It is simple and not painful. I would talk to your onc and see if they think it would be a good idea to do ultrasound on your leg to check. I had a PE (pulmonary embolism - blood clot in the lungs). They did the ultrasounds on my legs just to make sure I didn't have any other clots. They found I have a double femoral vein which puts me at higher risk for clots in my legs, which I never knew about. I was put on Coumadin for the PE, and never developed any clots elsewhere. The peace of mind from the ultrasound on my legs was well worth the time invested.

    Get it Checked Out
    Hank had a clot and he had no pain or sorenerss, no heat in the skin, just some swelling, it was a good think the oncology nurse noticed it and sent us right across the street for a doppler and sure enough. It is certainly worth getting it checked out

    Kathy
  • Mr_Ed
    Mr_Ed Member Posts: 2
    #8
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    Debbie,.
    I hope things resolved well for you! I am a recent blood clot SURVIVOR, having 2 of them hit my lungs. From what I've been told, if there is pain and swelling in the legs, GET MEDICAL ATTENTION! Once they turn loose, according to my vascular surgeon, there's less than a 20% survival rate!


    Ed
  • Mr_Ed
    Mr_Ed Member Posts: 2
    #9
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    Jane822 said:

    Advice
    I had a blood clot/clots in my calf in June. No swelling,no redness and it did not feel warm to the touch. I just had a pain and soreness and mentioned it to my onc. during my visit and she sent me for an ultrasound. I've been on coumadin since and had a follow up ultrasound this week. My advice is to not let it go and have it checked out just to be sure. This is a case where it's better to be safe.

    Jane, I had no symptoms either, until I shot straight up out of bed one Saturday @ 4AM unable to breathe! Luckily there is a Fire Station less than 5 miles from the house and the paramedics got there in under 4 minutes!!! I am on coumadin as well, and am told I will be for 6 months to a year! Hopefully by now, Debbie, you have gotten checked out and everything is fine! But for anyone in the future that happens to read this, if you think there MIGHT BE a blood clot, get it CHECKED OUT!!! It's always better safe than sorry!!!


    Ed

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