Re:Phlebitis- blood clots ??

[Guest guest]

The small phlebitis in my right arm (inside the elbow) has developed into a

large clot the size of 4 x 8 inches! The doctor thinks that the poking

around a month ago for an IV line during my sinus surgery may have started

this mess. The treatment so far is at home heparin shots twice a day, hot

packs, elevation of the arm, etc...What I cannot figure out is why it is

growing since I have been on the heparin for the last two weeks. I only

stopped it for a month for the surgery and the procedure after the surgery in

the office and then I went back on the heparin. This developed a week after

I started back on the heparin...wierd!

Please pray for a resolution and that the clot stays put. I do not want any

little pieces taking any trips!

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 12/29/01 7:00:04 PM Central Standard Time,

CTNATIVE@... writes:

> What I cannot figure out is why it is

> growing since I have been on the heparin for the last two weeks.

I'm sorry to hear about the clot. Have you started on coumadin yet? I know

from my experience that you take the heparin and then start taking coumadin

until the blood coagulation levels are set and they take you off heparin and

keep you on coumadin for about 9 months. I was told by my pulmonary doc that

it takes about that long for the clot to disintegrate to those microscopic

pieces that flow through your bloodstream. I think the best way it was

defined for me was: hold a glass of water up to the suns rays and you can see

all the " floating things " in the water. Your blood also has those " floating

things " and when your veins are inflamed due to phlebitis the passage is

narrowed and those floating things catch on the walls of the vein during

circulation to create the clot. The clot continues to grow until the

inflammation wears away (which is not an overnight fix). When the vein

returns to normal the coumadin will ever so slowly start to break the clot

up--turning it back into floating things. In the first stages of leveling

off your coagulation levels (there are 2- a PT reading which is also called

an INR and a PTT reading) it is so important to keep the part of your body

hosting the clot immobilized. I always had them in my legs and had to be

hospitalized because I would get up to use the bathroom or brush my teeth or

take a shower. The hospital made sure I did not get out of bed for the first

couple of weeks. The most important fact stressed to me was that you cannot

feel a clot anywhere above the knee so immobilization is extremely important.

I know that this is a hard thing to do and I don't want to 'scare' you but

these are things I learned the hard way. I have had multiple episodes of

phlebitis and deep vein thrombosis' and now I stay on coumadin the rest of my

life (I'm 46). I wish you God Speed on your recovery.

Hoping the New Year will bring you less suffering and more joy.

Chicagoland Sharon