Thrombosis
August 18, 2011 | 30,00 EUR | answered by Christian Welsch
Hello,
for about a week now I have been experiencing pain in my left calf. In the mornings, after getting up and when I have had my legs elevated for a long time and then lower them again, it hurts the most. I can only lift my foot towards my shin with pain. When my legs are elevated, I hardly feel anything. If I have walked a longer distance or cycled, the pain is almost gone. I also feel a slight pain when I press on the calf.
Since my first pregnancy, I have had varicose veins. I am now 45 years old. I have had surgery twice on my right leg. I have never had a vein inflammation or thrombosis before. I have been doing sports my whole life but have been taking the pill for 20 years now.
I just came back from the doctor. He only looked at it and touched it, asked me if I had a fever, and then concluded that there was nothing wrong and prescribed me painkillers. I should mention that I am currently living in Uruguay.
Can a thrombosis heal without treatment, and how long does it take? Is the thrombosis considered healed if there is no more pain?
What would be the consequences if no treatment is received, and can a thorough examination by a phlebologist later show if there was a thrombosis?
Kind regards.
Dear inquirer,
Unfortunately, the diagnosis of "thrombosis" cannot be proven or ruled out based on the symptoms described. At the beginning of a thrombosis, one often has no symptoms at all, which is why it is often overlooked. What speaks in favor of it in your case is the decrease in pain when elevating the affected area. Since you do not report any swelling of the leg, excessive warmth, or redness, it seems that at least there is no deep thrombosis present. Varicose veins and taking birth control pills, as you have already identified, are risk factors for thrombosis.
The diagnosis of thrombosis can only be confirmed with a Doppler/Duplex ultrasound flow measurement or with a contrast X-ray. Perhaps you can find a medical laboratory that can measure D-dimers in your blood (fibrin split products from a blood clot). If these are negative, thrombosis is ruled out with a high percentage of certainty. However, a positive test result does not necessarily indicate a thrombosis.
Thrombosis can also heal without consequences, as collateral circulation pathways may form. This should still be visible after some time.
I hope I could help you. Best regards to South America.
C. Welsch
