A Personal Story – With A Warning For Almost Everyone - Update

[Tonto21]

Hi ‘David48’

Your advice is well taken, thank you, I, as you described consider myself fit…… and I fly a lot with my work. I know the basics when it comes to DVT and like most think….. ‘I won’t get that’…… Well, I’m no spring chicken so I’ll take your advice, (and that of the free world) and get a pair of compression shocks.

Best of luck dealing with the DVT.

Tonto

Edited December 10, 2014 by Tonto21

[jacksam]

Good post David... As an aside but certainly related. I see some folk here with different levels of leg trauma ...such as leg fracture etc. Possible after big night. Also such a procedure as arthoscope .....Make sure you obtain correct medical advice from your doctor. Flying to soon after these procedures can cause DVT ,,,and can be FATAL.

PS...by "see" I'm referring to observe not treat.

Edited December 10, 2014 by jacksam

[onionluke]

Get well soon mate . I take turmeric these days , it has anti inflammatory " powers" that may well benifit my legs in the long run .

[meatboy]

David, I hope everything improves for you with the effects of the DVT .

.

I understand that with DVT the chance of stroke increases too . And my ex-wife got DVT from having her leg in plaster when she broke it and spent time in a hospital bed.

And taking Warfarin is no fun just having to be aware of your intake of green vegetables like broccoli ,kale etc that contain Vitamin K that counteract the effect blood thinning of warfarin. .

The other side effect of taking blood thinners is travel insurance if you take blood thinners like Warfarin. Alliance Insurance or any insurance that is underwritten by Alliance completely wipes you completely . Look at the small print ,usually under the pre-existing medical conditions. I guess this is because if you have, for example , a car accident you can , in theory , bleed to death. Even dental treatment such as canal root therapy needs pre-op precautions.

Best of luck mate.

yes taking warfarin is easy but its the control that has to be monitered,i know i have a mechanical aota valve so my inr has to be checked every month also the pt.that is the time your blood takes to clot.sometimes even a small prick,

[no not you david] can bleed like hell if your pt.is out.

not to alarm you but it is a killer,a young girl living just around the corner from me in newport south wales died after a flight from australia.

and those stockings i have 2 sets and wear them whenever flying.

[meatboy]

the story of emma christoffersen who died oct.2008 can be googled and the link is bbc.wales mp.calls for flight warnings.

[billd766]

Over 20 years ago I used to work offshore and any longhaul flights over 6 hours we were entitled to business class.

I had flown from the UK to Singapore on onwards to Medan in Indonesia for a job and about 3 weeks after I arrived I felt a serious pain in my left leg. I was off to Singapore the next day and then on to Brunei but the pain was so bad I got the hotel to get me a doctor and nurse who gave me a pain killing injection and then I called head office in Chicago.

They set me up with a hotel and hospital appointment in Singapore the next day and when I checked into the Singapore local feeder airline they looked at me and asked the problem. When I told them they bumped a passenger to a lower class and put me in his seat and offered a wheelchair to get to the aircraft. I politely refused but walked very slowly and was boarded first. When we got to Changi I was the first of and put into a wheelchair then taken to Immigration and customs. The company sent a minivan for me and my gear which took me directly to the hotel.

They had booked me in, gave me a wheelchair and helper, took me to the room and then back to the van and off to the hospital where I was examined, poked, prodded, xrayed, asked questions at 9pm before being allowed to my room and fed. I had forgotten my briefcase at the hotel and a lovely receptionist brought it over with my passport, money, books etc and a bunch of flowers too.

Next morning I saw the doctors again who came to the conclusion that I probably had DVT but was OK now but each hospital department had its own accounting package, some with Amex,some Visa but I managed to escape as I had medical insurance too. Back to the hotel for rest and a few days later to Brunei for a job then back to the UK via the Singapore hospital for copies of everything for the insurance company.

Nobody was 100% sure if it was DVT but since then, touch wood, I have had no problems.

Now at 70 I haven't left Thailand since 2009 and probably never will.

DVT equals serious pain.

[balo]

Not only DVT will give you that kind of pain in the leg .

I experienced the same thing but it was a blood clot in the outer vein called SVT (superficial venous thrombosis) . It was very painful for the first few days but thanks to quick help from Bangkok Pattaya hospital it all went well . I had been sitting for hours working without moving my legs so that must have caused it.

My doctor did not recommend blood thinners like Warfarin but he gave me Daflon 500 mg , I have been taken it twice daily since and I feel very good now. Daflon is based on a natural flavonoid Diosmin. And it really works.

Also I do exercise daily now to avoid any further problems.

Edited December 10, 2014 by balo

[Ianatlarge]

Best of luck. I am no expect, but I know some people who have overcome this. Hang in there.

[David48]

Get well soon mate . I take turmeric these days , it has anti inflammatory " powers" that may well benifit my legs in the long run .

I heard that recently on the Radio.

Turmeric has many good health benefits.

I'll need to read more.

[monkey4u]

The syringe to administer Clexane is similar to the one a diabetic uses

You don't feel it

Also you only use it for about 5 days

Warfrin is no longer a rat poison

You are now one of millions who use Warfrin

[ScottMallon]

Take good care of yourself, DVT is nothing to play with. I had a buddy come over to visit and not longer after he returned home he died from a blood clot in his leg that broke free.

[johninbkk]

Remedy the problem before it starts. Fly Busso Class....

Sorry to hear of your ailment.....I can imagine the pain.

[dao16]

I used to ignore the warnings, too, but then I knew someone who had the same problem as the OP. Now I actually do those exercises they advise and then get up, walk and even do stretches like I would when I was playing sports. I do that about once an hour or two hours. It looks a little ridiculous, I guess, but I actually feel better after a long flight than in the days when I would sit down for hours on end.

[Guitar God]

Good timing, I have a 23 hour flight next week. 22 hours in the air with one transfer.

[Bill Miller]

I hunted out the compression stockings I was given after my cardiac bypass surgery , and of course 81 mg aspirin is part of the daily routine. Lots of wiggling and stretching, which I am sure annoyed some of my neighbours, but probably not as much if I had some sort of coronary event.

Thanks for the thoughtful update, David. LAX to Beijing is quite a haul!

[Northwindhermit]

A thank you to everyone who posted on this subject. I had my first DVT episode three years ago (in my right leg) and my second (in the left leg) just last month. I’m doing the Warfarin routine now. I’m a 64-year-old expat here and am usually quite active, walking regularly and doing home treadmill workouts when I can. However, a couple of months ago I became inactive for a bit while reading a huge biography and then writing a long review of it. Then I sat around for too long trying to catch up on email correspondence. Bottom line: I lapsed in my exercise routines, and I’m quite confident that this contributed to the problem. I see my doctor the day after tomorrow, and I have a new list of questions for him that I became aware of through your discussions. Thanks again. -Northwindhermit. .

[nuananddon]

David, after reading your post I thought that I must have wrote that. Been there done that so to speak. You are spot on with everything you mentioned. The socks that I like best are brand named "Jobes" and I believe they are made in Germany, best of any that I've used. People,u you should see a doctor and have him prescribe the socks for you and go to a medical supply company to be professionally fitted to the correct compression.They are difficult to put on, here is a good method, turn the sock inside out, put your hand inside, pull the toe to the heel then slip your foot inside until the your toes meet the sock toe then pull the sock up your leg a little at a time, that works the best I've found. Hope this was of some assistance.

[enufsaid]

DVTs can still occur for up to 8 weeks of flying anything over 4 hours. Specialist 1st & 2nd information , lots of water on flight, avoid alcohol, not only seat excersises but get up every 2 hours for 10 minutes and excersise . From ex nurse who also thut she wouldn't get a clot. Mine went from leg into lungs, was told I cud have a stroke or die. My response, DNR. And yes blood tests & blood thinners are a blimin nuisance , u have to watch u don't change your diet, no red wine, no Panadol , no this no that. So be warned.

[WhamBam]

I was told a half aspirin works well in prevention.

[gcbruk]

Wow, I've just opened this and what a surprise! The exact same thing happened to me. I got back to UK in July for a couple of months and within days started getting chest pains. Felt like I had broken a rib but knew I hadn't. Dr talked about pneumonia etc but a CT scan revealed a clot on the lung and the evidence suggests it was flight induced. So I'm on Warfarin since July which finishes end of this month. Dr says it's technically ok to fly back again after that although it is perhaps a little soon. So even with precautionary stockings and some exercise I'm a bit worried about the risk. However, it's too gloomy and cold here to want to stay any longer than I have to...

[westward]

There are definately some advantages having von Willebrands disease, this is one of them.

[nithisa78]

Alcohol works as a blood thinning agent quite well.

moron.

[The manic]

You are not allowed to walk round on aircraft. If you are a white male this rule is strongly applied on Gulf Air.

[DekDaeng]

You are not allowed to walk round on aircraft. If you are a white male this rule is strongly applied on Gulf Air.

Don't take Gulf Air.

[KittenKong]

I take an 85mg aspirin tablet every day and have done for several years.

A few years ago I stopped flying economy on flights of more than 2 hours.

In business class I only fly with airlines that have fully-reclining seats (or very close to fully-reclining). This means that I never need to take pills or drink myself to sleep.

And I get up and walk around every hour or so when I'm awake.

[greenchair]

Where to buy the socks.

[The manic]

Where to buy the socks.

Airport travel shop.

[Gecko123]

Sitting too long anywhere -- including in front of a computer screen -- isn't good for you.

[khunPer]

Now, it's close to the peak travelling season ... a lot of long haul flights to Thailand are under-way or planned.

I never planned to have a DVT.

Indeed, when I got this one ... I was in Premium Economy Class ... extra leg-room.

I'd had 1 beer ... repeat, 1 beer. It was an overnight flight.

But, having a window seat, I never got up ... I didn't need to.

Never the less .. I got a DVT.

Now ... sometimes, it hits you like a Heart Attack ... mine didn't.

About a week later, after the flight, when I was due to play Squash for the Club ... it was a Tuesday.

A member emailed me ... David, can you play twice tonight ... someone has pulled out.

Sure, I replied ... after a holiday in Thailand ... I need the run.

Well, a few hours later, I developed a 'tightness' in my leg. Closest I can describe is it's like a mild toothache in the leg.

sort of all over ... but no specific spot.

This was a week after I returned home.

It sneaks up on you.

Since returning home, I've had the full gamut of Blood Tests.

Nothing to show I have no pre-disposition to blood clots.

Nothing hereditary ... no 'Sticky Blood'.

I was just 'un-lucky'.

So, again ... why now.

I don't want anyone to go through what I did ... and still do.

Warfin is no fun.

Clexain Injections into the Stomach are no fun.

Compression stockings ... even those socks which are available are great.

Alcohol is not good. Red wine is OK in moderate doses.

An Aspirin Tablet helps.

The socks/compression stockings are best.

Just my friendly advice as a patient who has had this, come out the other side ... but not yet, fully recovered.

I still take the Warfin and occasionally, when my leg is having a bad day ... I have to roll the stocking on.

.

»An Aspirin Tablet helps.«

Aspirin thins the blood. The so-called “heart Aspirin” with about 75mg – not the stronger ones on 500mg – can “do the trick” without side effects (the stronger ones may give stomach problems).

Several recent scientific studies have shown, that regular intake the 75mg dose improve health, not only for the blood thinning effect, but also as cancer prevention with between 10 percent and up some 60 percent for various types of cancer (prostate 10%, lung 30%, colon 40%, esophagus 60%). A stronger dose like 2 x 75mg and up to several 500mg daily intakes shows no better cancer protection, but side effects – can cause bleedings that can be as bad as too thick blood – whilst the low dose have no serious side effects apart from some participants in the studies felt little stomach problems.

New Scientists (2011): http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn21119-everyday-drugs-could-stop-cancers-before-they-hit.html

BBC (2012): http://www.bbc.com/news/health-17443454

Worth considering...

[In Search of Space]

Now, it's close to the peak travelling season ... a lot of long haul flights to Thailand are under-way or planned.

I never planned to have a DVT.

Indeed, when I got this one ... I was in Premium Economy Class ... extra leg-room.

I'd had 1 beer ... repeat, 1 beer. It was an overnight flight.

But, having a window seat, I never got up ... I didn't need to.

Never the less .. I got a DVT.

Now ... sometimes, it hits you like a Heart Attack ... mine didn't.

About a week later, after the flight, when I was due to play Squash for the Club ... it was a Tuesday.

A member emailed me ... David, can you play twice tonight ... someone has pulled out.

Sure, I replied ... after a holiday in Thailand ... I need the run.

Well, a few hours later, I developed a 'tightness' in my leg. Closest I can describe is it's like a mild toothache in the leg.

sort of all over ... but no specific spot.

This was a week after I returned home.

It sneaks up on you.

Since returning home, I've had the full gamut of Blood Tests.

Nothing to show I have no pre-disposition to blood clots.

Nothing hereditary ... no 'Sticky Blood'.

I was just 'un-lucky'.

So, again ... why now.

I don't want anyone to go through what I did ... and still do.

Warfin is no fun.

Clexain Injections into the Stomach are no fun.

Compression stockings ... even those socks which are available are great.

Alcohol is not good. Red wine is OK in moderate doses.

An Aspirin Tablet helps.

The socks/compression stockings are best.

Just my friendly advice as a patient who has had this, come out the other side ... but not yet, fully recovered.

I still take the Warfin and occasionally, when my leg is having a bad day ... I have to roll the stocking on.

.

It is a good warning, I am in much the same situation as you, beginning of 2013 I went from London to Los Angeles to London to Bangkok in the space of 5 days. Then spent two days in hospital, stomach injections, started on walfarin, now I am on Xarelto. Get alot of pains in my right leg and it is starting to become a mess.

So head those airline warnings and wiggle your toes as you are sipping your gin and tonic.