Does Pots, And Blood Pooling In The Legs Increase Our Risk Of Blood Clots?

[all4family]

Hi everyone,

I was just wondering if anyone knows if the blood pooling we get in the legs increases our risk of blood clots. My right leg has been swelling more then my left leg, and at 4 am this morning I woke with a charlie horse on the back of my left calf. Although not as severe of pain as last night it has been hurting all day. I have been very active recently, and spent a lot of time on a ladder, so I am hoping it is just sore muscles, from not being used to all the work I have been doing. I don't want to panic, but must admit I am. Any help would be appreciated..

Thanks Suzy

[ramakentesh]

there isnt anything that ive ever read that would suggest that it does. But then again this might depend on the type of POTS you have and other things. The only complication ive heard of thus far from POTs is gallbladder issues.

[futurehope]

Hi everyone,

I was just wondering if anyone knows if the blood pooling we get in the legs increases our risk of blood clots. My right leg has been swelling more then my left leg, and at 4 am this morning I woke with a charlie horse on the back of my left calf. Although not as severe of pain as last night it has been hurting all day. I have been very active recently, and spent a lot of time on a ladder, so I am hoping it is just sore muscles, from not being used to all the work I have been doing. I don't want to panic, but must admit I am. Any help would be appreciated..

Thanks Suzy

Actually, that's a good question.

If you have apprehension, your doctor can order a venous doppler on your leg vein to see if the leg vein is open. I, for one, would have difficulty telling a "charlie horse" from a "deep vein thrombosis". Maybe you can go to a walk-in clinic? If you do have a clot and it is in a superficial vein, they are not as scared (though it needs to be addressed) than if it were in a deep vein.

I have a tendancy to get clots after long trips in the car or an airplane. One doctor suggested I take an aspirin before each trip to prevent clots. I haven't really done that.

I hope you feel better soon.

[vemee]

Since your leg has been swelling it might be a good idea to see a doctor as soon as possible. You may end up feeling silly if it is just a cramp but it is better than the alternative. I had a blood clot that started at the bottom of my foot, it felt like I was walking on a pea. The doctor of course said it was nothing (there is never anything wrong with me). The clot then moved to my calf where it felt like a cramp. Actually it felt like the after effects of a cramp and lasted for a day or 2. I developed a fever and went to the er where they found multiple blood clots in both lungs. If I had waited longer I would have died. Not the best solution for curing pots. I don't know if pooling caused by pots can cause clots, I have a genetic factor (factor 5) which makes clotting more likely.

[all4family]

Thank you all for the help. I am happy to say I am not as concerned as I was yesterday. I didn't get a real bad charlie horse in my right leg again last night, although it still hurts a bit it isn't as bad. But I did get one in the left leg, and I am pretty sure a blood clot wouldn't travel from leg to leg. So I am going to guess it is just overworking muscles that have been underused.

Hi Ramakentesh, that is interesting about the gallbladder. I have had mine checked probably 4 times since I first became sick. Luckily it is ok. Thank you.

Hi Futurehope, I can't tell either. I know I have had charlie horses before, but this was accompanied by the swelling making me worry. But this morning the swelling is down, (knock on wood it will stay that way), and like I said above I was really reassured when I got the pain in the other leg. But I am going to keep a close eye on it. Sorry you get clots when you travel. That would make me nervous about traveling. In my research on this subject last night I found out that garlic is a natural blood thinner. (Ate a whole head last night). I eat it sometimes for other things also, so I am going to be eating quite a bit for now. Thank you.

Hi Vemee, wow! what an ordeal you've been through. That must have been very frightening. Nothing is ever wrong with me either. It would be nice if a doctor would just listen, and go ahead and assume you are telling the truth, instead of assuming you are just looking for attention, or whatever that doctor happens to think. I have had to "prove" to doctors time and time again that I know what I am experiencing. But every new one just goes right to the "in her head" diagnoses. UURRGGGGHHH! Sorry. You said that it moved from your foot to your calf. Do you know if it can go from one leg to the other? I wouldn't think that was possible, but I just don't really know. Anyways, thanks so much for your help. That is good to know about the fever, and I will be looking out for that.

Thank you,

Suzy

[vemee]

You are right blood clots can't go from one leg to another. If you develop a fever, have difficulty breathing or other symptoms that are not normal for you get to a doctor but if it just seems like the same type of charlie horses you have had before you'll probably be ok. And since you got me hungry for garlic bread keep eating garlic.

I was thinking about pots pooling causing blood clots and I think there is a relationship for some people. If a person who has pots also has an abnormal clotting factor such as factor 5 then they are at greater risk for clots. Factor 5 is genetic and is not a result of pots but they always tell people with factor 5 not to cross your legs, sit longer than an hour or do things that lead to blood pooling in your legs. It would probably be a good idea if pots patients with a lot of pooling got tested for the clotting factors. The problem is that insurance would probably not want to pay for such an expensive test when it was being done as screening.

[Rachel]

I have asked my doctors about this, and they said that the risk of developing a blood clot due to POTS would be minimal to none (as long as you don't have a clotting disorder like vemee mentioned).

My doctors said that as long as I was able to move around a little each day, even if all I can do is get out of bed and go to the bathroom, that I would be okay.

Rachel

[juliegee]

there isnt anything that ive ever read that would suggest that it does. But then again this might depend on the type of POTS you have and other things. The only complication ive heard of thus far from POTs is gallbladder issues.

REALLY? Gallbladder issues are a complication of POTS? Where did you get this information?

Thanks-

Julie

[all4family]

Hi Vemee, mmmmm....garlic bread with spaghetti too...I know what we are having for dinner tonight! I think that is the hard part for me, because chest pain and difficulty breathing are my "norm"! And last night while working while sitting on the floor, my right leg looked blue from the knee down. But this morning both my legs feel fine. I know that I have had several of the D-dimers I had taken when I was first sick come back slightly high. Just like 58 out of 50 being the highest. Which is how I first learned about blood clots. But I attribute that to being dehydrated, because I was vomitting a lot then. But that is why I was worried when that happened with my leg. I don't know if I have been checked for factor 5 or not. There were a lot of specialty tests done at Mayo, but I haven't heard of that one. I know something like my clotting times were checked. I think something like thrombosis time. (I don't know if that is right.) Thanks for the help in figuring this one out. I am definatly watching for fever though that is one symptom I don't normally get.

Hi Rachel, Thanks for that information. It is comforting to know that a doctor said no increased risk for people with POTS. And I certainly have been doing my fair share of moving around. In fact the more I move around the more my legs swell. Anyways thank you.

Thanks a ton,

Suzy

[vemee]

The bluish color of your leg last night may mean you have a blood clot. Do you feel like you can feel the affected vein? it might feel like a hard cord. Do a google search and compare your symptoms with the ones they list but remember blood clots don't always present with all of the symptoms and some times they have none. I know a fever can be a symptom but even that is not listed on all sites that talk about symptoms. I used to be a firefighter/emt and have had several cases of people dying from pulmonary embolism without showing evidence of them. I am not trying to scare you but I think that with your leg looking blue you need to see your doctor or go to the er. I am not sure that your legs feeling fine today is a good sign or if the pain from a clot can be intermittent.

I hope I am just over reacting and that nothing is wrong but it would be better if you got this checked out.

[ramakentesh]

Long distance flying interests me because its my worst trigger for a relapse of POTS by far and its also implicated in causing or triggering a variety of other vascular disorders - particularly thrombosis/clotting issues. Makes me wonder about the connection.

As for the gallbladder that was a comment made to me by a doctor - i dont think there is any studies on this but I was told that the gallbladder is particularly susceptible to decreases in blood flow - either from pooling or from shunting of blood to the starved brain.