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Terrible left calf pain - no obvious cause

tiacattiacat Posts: 22,521
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Its so bad I cant walk around the house properly, let alone up and down the stairs, Ive just walked the dog round the block and got seriously out of breath and was limping along like an elderly person.

It started properly late on Saturday night but it just felt slightly tight, nothing major, by yesterday it was really really stiff and seemed to get worse through the day. Today its done the same thing, got worse and worse throughout the day.

Now, I dont know if any of the following is relevant.

On last Wednesday night around midnight I started being violently sick and didnt stop until Friday morning. I was drinking lots of water until I noticed that I was just throwing up water by then and my heart rate was racing, it suddenly ocurred to me that I had probably depleted my electrolytes and instead started drinking small amounts of lemon barley water until my OH came home with some mineral replacement, I started to feel better, bit sicky still but wasnt sick anymore. Very weak over the weekend but apart from this awful pain in my leg, nothing else.

I was taking some anti sickness pills on Thursday and part of Friday but have stopped those now.

Im still not eating properly but am eating enough to sustain myself and am not particularly hunrgy. Im not dehydrated.

I am very overweight and unfit.

I didnt have any muscle cramp or do anything obvious to damage the muscle. When Im trying to walk there is also stiffness shooting into the back of the thigh but not pain as such.

Any ideas? If it doesnt go I'll have to go to the GP and come away disappointed as usual as they shrug their shoulder and say 'take anti inflammatories'.

Something else,I also started on Saturday in the day to take a new supplement that I want to take which is 5htp. I havent taken any today so I cant see a connection.
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    WizsisterWizsister Posts: 481
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    It sounds like all the symptoms of a blood clot to me, is it swollen at all? I would call nhs direct or go to a walk in centre if it was me.
    http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Deep-vein-thrombosis/Pages/Symptoms.aspx
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    TelevisionUserTelevisionUser Posts: 41,417
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    Wizsister wrote: »
    It sounds like all the symptoms of a blood clot to me, is it swollen at all? I would call nhs direct or go to a walk in centre if it was me.

    ...or book a GP's appointment as soon as possible.
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    Misty08Misty08 Posts: 1,113
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    Get medical advice as soon as possible. I rea;;y wouldn`t worry about being "disappointed".
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    justascarecrowjustascarecrow Posts: 109
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    I concur - I had a blood clot in my calf 13 years ago after food poisoning. Please get medical attention - clots can move and be fatal.
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    vodkamargarinevodkamargarine Posts: 1,777
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    I would definitely agree with everyone else,please get some medical help immediately!!! I've had DVT whilst in hospital and a bit broke off and went into my lung (Pulmonary embolism), its a very serious situation! :o
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    tiacattiacat Posts: 22,521
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    Wizsister wrote: »
    It sounds like all the symptoms of a blood clot to me, is it swollen at all? I would call nhs direct or go to a walk in centre if it was me.
    http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Deep-vein-thrombosis/Pages/Symptoms.aspx

    No, its not swollen and not discoloured as I am worried about that possibility. But is odd that it came on after being in bed since Wednesday night until Saturday, so just lying around not moving.
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    tarotangeltarotangel Posts: 1,090
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    I would definitely agree with everyone else,please get some medical help immediately!!! I've had DVT whilst in hospital and a bit broke off and went into my lung (Pulmonary embolism), its a very serious situation! :o

    I've had a PE too. I would advise going to A&E. It's entirely possible it could be something else but best to get checked out.
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    tarotangeltarotangel Posts: 1,090
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    tiacat wrote: »
    No, its not swollen and not discoloured as I am worried about that possibility. But is odd that it came on after being in bed since Wednesday night until Saturday, so just lying around not moving.

    Mine wasn't swollen or discoloured either, just incredibly painful.
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    Judge MentalJudge Mental Posts: 18,593
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    Go and get it checked out - I also had a PE after being laid up following surgery. No redness or swelling just sore - definitely worth getting looked at as clots can prove fatal.
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    vodkamargarinevodkamargarine Posts: 1,777
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    Go and get it checked out - I also had a PE after being laid up following surgery. No redness or swelling just sore - definitely worth getting looked at as clots can prove fatal.

    Yes, this is right ^. OP, I notice that you say you are breathless as well so this is definitely an indication that you should get this checked out ASAP!
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    tiacattiacat Posts: 22,521
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    Well NHS direct say they are getting the OOH GP to ring me back some time. I should specify it only hurts when I try to walk or put weight on it, or flex my foot up toward my knee, but even at rest it feels 'tight', although not painful.

    Im wary of turning up at a+e because of that thing where they get the hump if theres nothing wrong, they send a letter to your gp apparently theres posters all over the surgery about it.
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    tiacattiacat Posts: 22,521
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    Also I have just remembered that at the time after I stopped being sick I had lots of burst blood vessels in my eyes, they both went an ugly mixture of yellow and red. One is still very red.

    On the other hand, I know that I am due a period and that over the last few months when Im due on I get the most awful heavy swellings that affect my lower back, buttocks, tops of my legs, pelvis and I can feel that as well. I wonder if its that.

    Im a bit worried now.
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    Judge MentalJudge Mental Posts: 18,593
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    Yes, this is right ^. OP, I notice that you say you are breathless as well so this is definitely an indication that you should get this checked out ASAP!

    Yes to the breathless thing which eventually turned into severe chest pain.
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    Bus Stop2012Bus Stop2012 Posts: 5,624
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    OP, for goodness sake, please don't be worrying unnecessarily about being thought of as some sort of timewaster. From what I've seen of your posts you are remarkably level headed and sensible, and don't sound at all like someone prone to exaggeration.
    I agree with everyone else, that it sounds like it needs investigating. Hopefully it will be nothing, though.
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    tiacattiacat Posts: 22,521
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    Yes to the breathless thing which eventually turned into severe chest pain.

    Thanks everyone, Im waiting for the OOH GP to ring me, I do get terribly breathless when Im due on, but also having been laid up for 3 days and not eating properly I thought it might just be weakness.

    Hopefully its nothing but we'll see what they say.
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    tarotangeltarotangel Posts: 1,090
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    Glad that you've got some medical help. Hope that you see the GP soon.
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    tiacattiacat Posts: 22,521
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    Ok, well they rang me back and there were 2 GPs on loud speaker. She asked me a series of questions and said that basically because its not painful when at rest, not swollen and not discoloured its 'extremely unlikely' to be a clot and I have sprained it somehow.

    I told her about th 5htp and she asked 'did your GP give you those' and then later when I expressed concern that 'on the internet' (I didnt say, on a forum!) it says it doesnt need to be swollen or discoloured to be a clot, I could hear her laugh and I said, I can hear you laughing and laughed myself and said I know what you're thinkcing, internet diagnosis, she said she wasnt laughing at me but she can hear Im worried and then the other doctor spoke to me. He said that I might have been lying around but it would be unusual for a 'fairly fit' person to be affected by lying in bed after being ill, I did say, Im really not fit at all (I cant emphasise this enough I am very overweight) and he said it would still be unusual.

    I think they have me down as someone who buys their drugs off the internet and looks for things wrong with them!

    Anyway, we settled on if its still bad in a few days I will book a normal GP appointment.

    It does worry me, hopefuly they are right but they can make mistakes.
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    WizsisterWizsister Posts: 481
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    I'm glad you called nhs direct its far better to be safe than sorry. Hope everything gets better over the next few days.
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    Bus Stop2012Bus Stop2012 Posts: 5,624
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    tiacat wrote: »
    Ok, well they rang me back and there were 2 GPs on loud speaker. She asked me a series of questions and said that basically because its not painful when at rest, not swollen and not discoloured its 'extremely unlikely' to be a clot and I have sprained it somehow.

    I told her about th 5htp and she asked 'did your GP give you those' and then later when I expressed concern that 'on the internet' (I didnt say, on a forum!) it says it doesnt need to be swollen or discoloured to be a clot, I could hear her laugh and I said, I can hear you laughing and laughed myself and said I know what you're thinkcing, internet diagnosis, she said she wasnt laughing at me but she can hear Im worried and then the other doctor spoke to me. He said that I might have been lying around but it would be unusual for a 'fairly fit' person to be affected by lying in bed after being ill, I did say, Im really not fit at all (I cant emphasise this enough I am very overweight) and he said it would still be unusual.

    I think they have me down as someone who buys their drugs off the internet and looks for things wrong with them!

    Anyway, we settled on if its still bad in a few days I will book a normal GP appointment.

    It does worry me, hopefuly they are right but they can make mistakes.

    Aw, well at least you should be ok. As you say, see how it goes.
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    tiacattiacat Posts: 22,521
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    Aw, well at least you should be ok. As you say, see how it goes.

    Thanks I cant help think that they are just being dismissive and theres something really wrong. How on earth could I have sprained it lying in bed, unless, when I was being sick I leant over in a strange way or something. I did have a very sore back, middle and neck from vomiting.
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    [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 16,986
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    tiacat wrote: »
    Thanks I cant help think that they are just being dismissive and theres something really wrong. How on earth could I have sprained it lying in bed, unless, when I was being sick I leant over in a strange way or something. I did have a very sore back, middle and neck from vomiting.

    Overweight, unwell, dehydrated, confined to bed for days, painful calf, breathless. I'm afraid I think the members above are right and the phone GPs are wrong. You are a DVT waiting to happen if it hasn't already. Go to A&E.
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    tiacattiacat Posts: 22,521
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    Overweight, unwell, dehydrated, confined to bed for days, painful calf, breathless. I'm afraid I think the members above are right and the phone GPs are wrong. You are a DVT waiting to happen if it hasn't already. Go to A&E.

    I should add Im up and about now and went to work today. But my job is largely sedentary, I drive to people's houses or use the computer at work. I have taken to parking away from the office as it gives a little walk but it was so painful today.

    I feel like I cant now because of their diagnosis?
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    kiteflyerkiteflyer Posts: 1,675
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    tarotangel wrote: »
    Mine wasn't swollen or discoloured either, just incredibly painful.

    I had the same thing. Pain at top of leg. No heat, discolouration or swelling but twenty four hours later I collapsed with a pulminary embolism. I was lucky as I was in hospital at the time . As soon as I read the original post my first thought was DVT. I hope that the OP will get to a and e and get her calf examined.
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    kiteflyerkiteflyer Posts: 1,675
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    tiacat wrote: »
    Ok, well they rang me back and there were 2 GPs on loud speaker. She asked me a series of questions and said that basically because its not painful when at rest, not swollen and not discoloured its 'extremely unlikely' to be a clot and I have sprained it somehow.

    I told her about th 5htp and she asked 'did your GP give you those' and then later when I expressed concern that 'on the internet' (I didnt say, on a forum!) it says it doesnt need to be swollen or discoloured to be a clot, I could hear her laugh and I said, I can hear you laughing and laughed myself and said I know what you're thinkcing, internet diagnosis, she said she wasnt laughing at me but she can hear Im worried and then the other doctor spoke to me. He said that I might have been lying around but it would be unusual for a 'fairly fit' person to be affected by lying in bed after being ill, I did say, Im really not fit at all (I cant emphasise this enough I am very overweight) and he said it would still be unusual.

    I think they have me down as someone who buys their drugs off the internet and looks for things wrong with them!

    Anyway, we settled on if its still bad in a few days I will book a normal GP appointment.

    It does worry me, hopefuly they are right but they can make mistakes.

    Your doctor is talking nonsense. I only had pain when I put weight on my leg. It was fine when I wasn't on it. I had no discolouration, no heat, no swelling but it was a dvt. Get to a and e. Your doctor can't possibly diagnose a dvt over the phone.
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    viertevierte Posts: 4,286
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    tiacat wrote: »
    I should add Im up and about now and went to work today. But my job is largely sedentary, I drive to people's houses or use the computer at work. I have taken to parking away from the office as it gives a little walk but it was so painful today.

    I feel like I cant now because of their diagnosis?
    Well at least make an appointment with your GP now. It will probably take a few days for you to get seen and if you feel better in a few days like they say then you can just cancel it.
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