Ask a doctor on the topic of Other questions to doctors

Thigh pain - possible thrombosis?

July 13, 2011 | 10,00 EUR | answered by Uni-Arzt Freddy Feuerstein

Dear Dr. ....!

I (22 years young) have a question and request an answer, I am not sure which category this belongs to. Please forward this to a doctor (Phlebologist?) who is knowledgeable about this!

11 months ago, I had a CAESAREAN SECTION. I was lying in the hospital for 6 days!!! I never walked around or stood up, they did not mobilize me or explain to me that this was important, and did not care for me at all except for giving me the thrombosis injection every day.

When I was discharged, I have never exercised since then, even though I was very athletic before. I have never had leg pain in my life!

A few months after the caesarean section, I started taking the birth control pill (Implanon) again.

From that point on, I started experiencing pain in my upper left thigh, exclusively in the left upper thigh (back) (pulling & tearing).

The pain comes and goes, and is strongest when sitting.

My leg does not feel hot, nor is it blue.

I have NO pain in the calf.

I only felt a brief pulling in the back of my knee.

I am wondering now what the likelihood is, and whether it is even possible, that I have a thrombosis?

Is it possible to have pain exclusively in the thigh with a thrombosis? Or are there always calf pain as well?

Is there a vein in the thigh that could be responsible for this?

This uncertainty is bothering me, especially since I read that many thromboses occur without major symptoms. I visited my GP who laughed off my fears and said that your leg is not swollen or hot, so it is not a thrombosis. Without ultrasound or further investigation, he sent me away.

Could a thrombosis have occurred in relation to the caesarean section (bedrest) + hormones?

Yes, it may sound hypochondriacal, but sometimes or on some days I also "breathe" heavier than usual! Pulmonary embolism *fear*???

Have I perhaps misinterpreted my hypochondria and it is sciatica? But then again, I am puzzled by the fact that it is exclusively the LEFT thigh and I also have NO pain in the back!

Thank you for your advice!

Uni-Arzt Freddy Feuerstein

Dear inquirer,

I can reassure you for the time being that you probably do NOT have a thrombosis and NOT a pulmonary embolism.

1. A thrombosis is very unlikely, especially because you received injections in the hospital, and that was the only phase in your life where you were not mobilized. After that, you had offspring and have always been on your feet.
2. Are there any known clotting disorders/thromboses in your family? Do you smoke?
3. There are theoretically also thigh vein thromboses, so it could theoretically happen. A thrombosis can occur in any vein in your body. But this is more of a theoretical nature.
4. The symptoms vary greatly from patient to patient, so it is not clear where and when you should have pain.
5. A definitive clarification will be provided by an ultrasound, for which you should see a phlebologist or well-equipped internist.
6. A pulmonary embolism is also extremely unlikely, a PE is a massive, life-threatening event that is not just indicated by sometimes "difficult breathing". With a real pulmonary embolism, you would have a real problem.
7. You are right, it could be pain originating from a nerve or something muscular.

So DO NOT panic, calmly see a specialist if you really want to confirm it, and then see a neurologist/orthopedist to get to the bottom of the pain.

I wish you all the best and apologize for the delayed response (was in the clinic ;-)

Sincerely,

T.C. Müller