I wonder if they have clots and find myself concerned that the twinge of pain is something more. Here's how to cope and live well. Whether or not pushing myself physically did any good I'll never know. I am currently in the hospital for PE. Sorry this went on for so long (another autistic trait!). The best you can do for yourself is to stay in communication with your doctor. I also have Lymphedema (lymph node failure) which the medical community knows little to nothing about. 10-30% is huge variation. Dealing with bouts of depression. I would love any feedback on chest sensations if anyone else has experienced them. I'm on warfarin (alternating 3 and 4 mg each day) Others feeling like this? I want my life back and will prevail. It is a huge spectrum! o “pulmonary embolisms cause a lot of physical damage. How long does blood-thinner treatment last? Once your medical team has decided that you are safe and stable you may be allowed to use the restroom. I assume the news from the echo heart scan that was done two months at my hospital's out-patients clinic ago was ok. Like right now. One problem that occur after treatment was heavy bleeding, for that purpose my doctor suggested me coupe menstruelle cup, which helped me a lot. My experience here has been just as you relayed. Symptoms of the embolism will come and go for a long time after the embolism is found and treatment is initiated. You did the right thing going back and they did the right thing diagnosing you. Then bam, out of nowhere, no signs or symptoms, ten months later on March 3, 2018 I had a bilateral pulmonary embolism. Im worried. You can also look into pulmonary therapy for exercise tolerance rehabilitation with an exercise therapist, respiratory therapist, or physical therapist to help to regain lung function. thought it was another anxiety attack but turned out to be something this dangerous. Then after the trip I found myself scanning for signs of new clots. I'm home again now but still alone and can't get out of my head long enough to "live with intention". Hello! Had to fire my Rheumy bc of her attitude and lack of knowledge about the drugs I'm on. I have been on drugs for my Rheumatoid Arthritis for 10 years and I smoked (hoping I've quit for good this time) and I'm obese. I was told that a year out from my hospitalization I should feel a lot better. Everyone else in the ward was complaining about how cold it was. Feeling better however the hair loss and swollen legs and insomnia are extremely disheartening and scary. Or view hourly updated newsfeeds in your RSS reader: Keep up to date with the latest news from ScienceDaily via social networks: Tell us what you think of ScienceDaily -- we welcome both positive and negative comments. Above all talk to your doctor. None were able to describe what you have here and what I've actually experienced. People with small clots and little damage: Some doctors are now sending people with minor pulmonary embolisms home rather than hospitalizing them. I thought it was overly warm but I was sweating so much that eventually the wet bedclothes made me cold. Within the spave of 6 days my INR shot up to 4.9 from 2.8. I lost my sexual timing, can I take delay tablet? He said it is negative and is sending me back to my cardiologist and referring me to a new vocal cord specialist (first one told me my cord was 'aged'! I've got some good doctors and trust all will be fine. I recently found myself in the hospital for severe obdominal pain (just below sternum and left an inch). I was recently diagnosed with DVT. No matter how much i breathed I felt dizzier and dizzier. You also will get sick easier, stay sick longer, and find that you get more sick feeling when you are sick. My oxygen was at 94%. That's the thing.. they never really made a fuss about my diagnosis, that made my partner think that nothing will happen to me. I have names to describe these sensations. I am finding that colds and other respiratory infections hit me harder and for a longer period of time. I know it is scary that it was missed. My breathing got better over the next couple of days, but deep inhales still hurt. Some people have a harder time with symptoms than I have. The hematologist ran tests, the one that came back positive was Lupus anticoagulant, but the Dr. said they will rerun the tests after the 6 months on my zeralto, as there is sometimes a false positive while on the medications. To the best of our knowledge, there is no study investigating the relationship of QoL with psychological … I have 4 daughters and was able to see 2 graduate college, 2 weddings and am hoping to experience many more of life's joys in my future. Thank you for this page. That's when I was told I had PE. On warfarin for life now. I still feel chest pain on some days. When someone is limited in performing this test, it is really something that is interfering with their normal day-to-day functioning," said Dr. Kahn, a Professor of Medicine at McGill University, who is recognized as a world leader in research and treating patients with venous thromboembolism (VTE). How another PE may kill me. How our lives are forever changed. I’m going to demand it just to know, I have fear that while in the earliest staggers f recover6 I may have overdone i5 and thrown more clots . I love you stuff. Lung clots typically dissolve while leg/body clots dissolve and are patched over. it's the most comprehensive one I've read and totally appreciate it! I was in the ER 2 months ago and was told I had bronchitis when in fact had PE back then. It is not intended to provide medical or other professional advice. He sent me to see a cardiologist, and after ECG and Ultrasound, he sent me for a VQ scan. I left with an INR of 1.8. I do not have pneumonia, mono, an autoimmune disease, or a thyroid issue. Live with intention and appreciate your body. My primary doc was consulted by phone and a spiral CT scan with contrast dye was ordered. FIrst off I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for your carefully thought through and very informative website, which I just discovered tonight. For many people this will mean an INR between 2.0-3.0. The hospital felt that I would be safe at home as long as I continued a heparin type drug until my INR was high enough. Please feel free to check us out at aps-internation.ca or www.anitphospholipidsyndrom.com or www.aps-canada.com Thanks, and keep up the great work! They answered quality of life questionnaires and participated in a number of physiological tests to measure their cardiopulmonary functions. Happy to be alive. Doctors are happy with my progress. Key components of a successful recovery include taking medications as prescribed, having regular checkups with your doctor, and, if instructed by your doctor, wearing compression stockings. Some people bounce right back and return to work quickly. Thank you!! When Pete was discharged they could not keep his warfarin level to the theraputic requirement. You learn to live with the physical symptoms and setbacks. A doctor will need to see you soon after discharge and a few days a week until your warfarin dose pattern is established. Bingo! So I am still taking it day by day. Every several weeks, if I feel any pain in my legs or breathing issues, I start to get anxious and wonder if I'm getting another DVT or PE. Then, Petes leg started to swell massively and changed colour. I made two trips to the ER after my clots. The blood leaks and he can hear it. Before the broken hip I was a keen road cyclist thinking nothing of riding 100 miles. My pulmonary doc threw me to the wind and told ME to find a 2nd opinion at a large medical center. Your body may need a higher dose of warfarin than someone else. I'm still waiting for the penny to drop, I suppose. W/C have been around a long time and well known. I drink more water, take 15 minute rest breaks when driving or traveling, and leave my desk for breaks at work. As others before me, thank you for writing this article. The best diagnostic test is a spiral CT with contrast dye. I am still taking warfarin. I have a clot in my leg and 3 in my lungs. Thanks for publishing this article it did help in parts but i still have so many questions i am 22 i was 21 when i was digonesed with factor v i was under warfrin and tinzaparin injections for a year now im free of PE but im constantly thinking i have them any suggestions of what the doctor can test me for thanks im from the uk. Have any problems using the site? Most people report that there are no restrictions once they are home. I'm seeing a hemotologist next month. Recovery has been fairly slow. This means that you will be more fatigued. I was admitted to the hospital this past Wednesday after going to the ER with shortness of breath and pain in my calf. I did and unfortunately found the wrong pulmonary doc but after crying, he at least listened and ordered a VQ scan (lung perfusion scan). I got through worse! This is the life after clots. As soon as I told my doctor about my shortness of breath and knee pain, she sent me for an ultrasound of my right leg. Thanks for writing this. Another trip to A&E and another misdiagnosis once again. Does anyone have information on what causes sincope after a PE. You don’t want to be alarmed but how can you not when your heart is racing and you have chest pain. Lena Welch (author) from USA on March 08, 2014: Isn't it amazing how a wonder drug can be a lifesaver for some and lethal for another? Health-related quality of life (QoL) has been associated with several social and medical conditions in patients with deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE). In desperation we tried a chiropractor, he informed Pete that he would need £850 worth of sport massage to correct the problems with his 'back'. My doctor was worried about my WBC readings, but they were high when I was first diagnosed with the PE (granted, the levels seem progressively worse---but not greater than or equal to 20,000 lymphocytes). I wonder if it will ever stop and i will get back to a normal life, i had both my lungs collapse and spent 3 months in ICU. It does create a certain anxiety, the aches, pains, cough. I was discharged a week ago from the hospital. Impressive work. He wouldn't recommend anything else right now - at least for me (I have a clotting condition). I see that people are on Coumadin. It may be a while before I can work so finances worry me immensely as I have just got residency and we have little savings. A pulmonary embolism is when a blood clot lodges itself in the lung or lungs. I had bilateral PE and DVT from an occluded subclavian vein in my right arm (a little less than 3 months ago). I am not trying to be a big wimp, I had no idea my life was going to go from healthy to flat line twice in a month. Content on this website is for information only. The entire experience was terrifying. This makes pulmonary embolism a very serious problem. Went to er because of severe calf pain, swelling and shortness of breath. Then a few days ago, I get another request from the same hospital to go do a D-Dimer blood test in readiness for my Out-Patient's checkup, which will be in 4 - 8 weeks. And to answer the question of how long before recovery, I'm in the middle of a year of Xarelto. It typically takes multiple trips for a PE diagnosis. When I woke up I searched the pain and came up with back spasms! The warfarin dose is carefully adjusted. The study did reveal that men were three times more likely to have adverse effects, younger patients fared worse, as did more overweight patients and smokers. Thank you for your post - I think PE must be the same world wide so it's good to know what lies ahead for me I'm two months post and on warfrain. I was let out of hospital in august and still have major chest pain shortness of breath. The next day is when everything changed, the doctor came into us and said 'we found whats wrong'. I am now watching again for clots. I had to do that. If you are diagnosed with a PE you are one of the lucky ones. The ER checked my vitals. b) A fib and A flutter were a major issue in hospital. Recently I have noticed I can do a lot more like stretch my ribs without any effort or pain, when I cough or take a deep breath it feels easier and clearer than when first diagnosed, exercise is slowly getting a bit easier to do. "One of the tests we use is to see how far a patient can walk in six minutes, which is a basic measure of mobility and stamina. Now I am scared for my life. While traveling, take precautions to prevent clots. "Our clinical experience told us that some patients who'd had a pulmonary embolism suffered from shortness of breath and chronic fatigue long after the PE had been treated and resolved," explained Dr. Kahn, who is founder and director of the Centre of Excellence in Thrombosis and Anticoagulation Care (CETAC) at the JGH, and an epidemiologist at the Lady Davis Institute at the JGH. Started me on Xarelto. Life was going on as usual. here is the link https://www.facebook.com/groups/apsca/. Please, please, please speak with your doctor about a referral to counseling or a psychologist so that you can find peace. Always fatigued and tired. This is a great article that I am sure helps many people, like myself to deal with the after effects of the blood clot problems. Generally it is always in the middle of my chest. Lena Welch (author) from USA on April 05, 2015: I am glad thattPA was there! The cough and weakness/fatigue are there. Cause of clot as something not listed here: the ER docs asked if I had recently had (1) surgery, or (2) long plane flight. This research, published in Chest, is the first to demonstrate that PE may have a lasting effect on patients. Go to follow-up appointments and take blood thinners as directed. They have now referred him back to the hospital to see the Consultant so hopefully, he will be able to improve things. The pain in my chest surprised me. Thanks for the information. Oct 31 believe it or not they found my huge PE. Clot. I also have an asthma like condition. Death can occur even without any warning symptoms. First I managed to walk less than 100 yards before losing my breath and collapsing on the ground. And mine hasn't been a bed of roses. I hope that this PE will be my only clot, but, time will tell. Training for me meant plain and simple walking. i am very lonely and need help. Don't Linger, Because Aerosolized Droplets Do, DNA Robots Designed in Minutes Instead of Days, With Impressive Accuracy, Dogs Can Sniff out Coronavirus, Mice Master Complex Thinking With a Remarkable Capacity for Abstraction, Smell You Later: Exposure to Smells in Early Infancy Can Modulate Adult Behavior, Research Reveals Why Redheads May Have Different Pain Thresholds, Wisdom, Loneliness and Your Intestinal Multitude, People Affected by COVID-19 Are Being Nicer to Machines, Facial Recognition ID With a Twist: Smiles, Winks and Other Facial Movements for Access. 3 months off warfarin. This content is accurate and true to the best of the author’s knowledge and does not substitute for diagnosis, prognosis, treatment, prescription, and/or dietary advice from a licensed health professional. My blood pressure was fine, my oxygen saturation was fine, the ECG for my heart was fine - I just had lungs full of clots. I'm frustrated I cannot make it through an entire workday without wanting to rest or be completely distracted. I am pleased with my progress as it has been a long road. I did have a lumbar puncture ie spinal tap and a blood patch. Hopefully the surgery will get to bottom of the pain. The physician in the emergency room told my with I was lucky to be alive. This went on for over a month and again a further 2 doctors visits sent him away with pneumonia. That evening I was placed in the step down unit. My first pulmonary embolism (PE) was in March of 2017, a saddle pulmonary embolism. i searched for alternative treatment before i was introduced to Health herbal clinic by a friend here in the United states she told me they have successful herbal treatment to Emphysema and other lungs diseases. For a year now he has been passing out. I will sleep past 1:30 in the afternoon now without an alarm. My Doctor advised me this tablet for life time. She decided to override what the Pulmonologist concluded and say it was my sedentary lifestyle. Another trip to A&E the same day and they put Pete on the blood thinning injection and booked him in for an ultrasound a week later on his leg looking for a DVT. For the first few weeks back to work if I did a lot of moving merchandise my chest would hurt as well as my shoulders. So, after having been on coumidin for 2 years , I'm going to stop it next week for 5 days until surgery and will resume it a day after surgery plus lovinox for 10-12 days following surgery. With in about 30 minutes I could take very small breaths, and was able to get back to sleep. Your article was insightful and understandable. Neither, they scratched their head. I hope to be better this time next year. Walking up one flight of steps exhausted me. Thinking that he had a slipped disc he booked in with an osteopath. I spent 6 days in the hospital getting my warfarin going and get my INR high enough to go home. Okay, that means only 1 driving break each way. I had a burning sort of sensation go up the back of my throat, up each side of my neck and then into my ears. I had every side effect on the Zeralto, back pain, body aches, my fingers even hurt, it felt like I had the flu for 6 months, I was too tired to work. So I caught a taxi to the hospital and fronted up to the triage desk. It is now 6 months later and my Dr. (primary) who has monitored by PT/INR levels throughout was ready to take me off Warfarin. I hope so as I can't picture mixing them! My Dr thinks I am crazy when I talk about ongoing sternum pain, occasional light head and ongoing discomfort in my left shoulder and back. I am pulmonary embolism patient since 4 jun 2015 until now I am taking medicine (Apixaban). I now have an inhaler that helps the breathing aspect. I will go off the warfarin in July to have additional testing and to see if I can stay off of it. My BP is the highest its ever been, but still not horrible. On the other hand, some patients enter the hospital in an ambulance because they have collapsed. Thank you very much for this article. “This is a very important question to discuss with your … Some of the blood work will need to be done after your clots have healed and you are off of blood thinners because blood thinners will skew your body's chemistry and invalidate some types of blood tests. There are more days of feeling good than there are of feeling bad now. Did have echocardiogram yesterday. No difference was detected between rivaroxaban and the It was huge I saw the cat scan. All I remember is, on the fateful day, feeling a bit dizzy - then I began struggling for air. So my question is, has anyone else experienced something similar and if so, how long does it last? Normal takes time and the knowledge that you are mortal will never leave. ScienceDaily. I was given low molecular weight heparin to self inject until my primary care doctor could get me to therapeutic range. To all who write in: DO NOT GIVE UP. 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Treating a pulmonary embolism. I just brought this page to the attention of new members at the DailyStrength forum. It helps to know others have had this experience and lived to tell the tale. You all know how it is. And to top off the bad news, they found 2 x 21mm gallstones, which I cannot remove as am on blood thinners. Feel free to get second opinions. follow up is in another 2 weeks. The most important long‐term complication of PE is chronic pulmonary hypertension (which may manifest as fatigue, limited exercise tolerance or shortness of breath), which was shown to affect 3.8% of PE patients within 2 years following the initial event in one study . After reading your article I realise that everything he is experiencing is normal for the condition, which does help enormously. It does give me some hope that many of you have said the clots have dissolved? Your doctor schedules routine follow-up visits, during which imaging testsmay be performed. I also have osteoporosis and psoriatic arthritis. If you need any info, let me know. Now I'm back to low level mountain biking. Thankyou so much Lena, I've been in hospital for 5 days undergoing different tests for my heart. Hi there. I can't tell I had them physically but mentally it will always be there. (2017, March 20). Here are some things that you might experience once home: While these symptoms are common you should not dismiss them. Just wondering if anyone has had severe muscle aches, back aches and muscle spasms. As I got better they became fewer and fewer. I want to sleep all day some days and am great others. Depression or anxiety are also very common and may further impede daily activities. I thought it was a lot of fuss about nothing because I was feeling fine, just a little bit breathless if I walked too far. Had massive truncated PE late Dec. Was recovering from chest cold. I am now taking warfarin and have my INR monitored every two weeks [dose varies between 12.5 mgs and 15 mgs – last INR result was 1.8]. This is caused by vocal cord paralysis, thyromegaly, neoplasm and other things. I was not prepared for anything, as I drove around for tests on my own. Thank you again for your wonderful helpful advice - and for being so dedicated to helping others in their journey. Hi all. Was in for a few days then released. The radiologist really had to convince me to go to the nearest hospital and wasn't happy when I talked about going home first to get some things. Lena Welch (author) from USA on January 29, 2014: It sounds like you need to work on finding some mental health help. It is looking like that was a good estimate for my body. I've done ok lately but in the last few days have started having a heavy chest, can't focus, light headed and dizzy, depressed, disoriented etc etc Just not myself. Perhaps they bruise in the same way that our skin does. The first year was tough with lots of false alarm rushing to hospital and extra CT scans I didn't need. Association of fatigue and psychological distress with quality of life in patients with a previous venous thromboembolic event. This helped me a lot, I got my pe in the lung because of a broken hip surgery. So feeling hopefull for the all clear when go for my check up later this month. I was 2 weeks from my surgery and had just gotten a hard cast 2 days ago. It should be fine. Due to the major changes that have happened to me while I am recovering I have been polishing a 9mm round to load into my Glock. I was given heparin straight into the same vein that the dye had gone in and was taken up to a ward as soon as a bed became available (6 hours later in the middle of the night!) 48 (38%) with pulmonary embolism, and 21 (17%) with both. Recovery from a pulmonary embolism often begins in an emergency room or an emergency squad. You've definitely made being a survivor seem more manageable. He advised me to check into the hospital, but the nearest hospital was a Private Hospital, and they needed a $20k deposit in case I went into Cardiac Arrest! I really appreciate the information on what I can generally expect on my recovery. I am on blood thinner tablets and am due to go back to hospital for a check up in 3 weeks. and feel free to add our support group if you would like as well, we off plenty of help, with no sales oe asking for donations from people! These are especially important if you were discharged home from the emergency department. I also did not have most of the visible symptoms of DVT, just a lot of pain and a little warmth behind the knee. I could feel intense pressure and throbbing in my ears, kind of like a displaced headache. This is very helpful. So I chose to go home (honestly, I didn't know how serious PE really was). You helped me tremendously with your thoroughness and first hand experience. After pulmonary embolism, there is a lot you need to do to help yourself recover and to prevent future events. We humans are so strong and yet so fragile at the same time. A pulmonary embolism (PE) happens when a blood clot gets caught in an artery in the lungs. I decided to take it easy all weekend and not go anywhere, then on Monday morning made a doctor's appointment but couldn't get in until early Tuesday afternoon. I've learned much. This is how doctors determine when to do a CT scan. Thank you for this post it definitely helped. After an extensive hematologic work up, all tests were negative. A pulmonary embolism (PE) is the sudden blockage of a blood vessel in the lungs by an embolus. Interesting article a hernia other drugs are newer and mostly for heart issues. Was losing my voice, the outcomes vary greatly from person to sit by and wait to my... 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