Cycling with DVT

[presta]

In retrospect I wonder if I might have had a clot that went undiagnosed.

In 2011 I had undiagnosed AF, and one day whilst cycle touring I fell off the bike. I wasn't hurt, not even bruises, but in the hours later I developed a very painful left calf. It wasn't particularly painful to walk or cycle, but even the slightest touch (eg bed clothes), and the pain was off the scale.

I didn't see a doctor because I was hundreds of miles from home, but I'm wondering if the fall dislodged a clot in my heart which then travelled to an artery in my leg.

 

[ColinJ]

At what point did folks see swelling significantly reduced or other evidence of clot dissolution?

The initial improvement took a few weeks and after that time my left leg wasn't ultra-swollen and red any more. It was still 2-3 cm bigger round the calf than the other one though.

It is never going to get better than that - too much damage to the valves in the veins. 10 years on and the L calf is STILL 2-3 cms bigger than the R!

 

[PK99]

In retrospect I wonder if I might have had a clot that went undiagnosed.

In 2011 I had undiagnosed AF, and one day whilst cycle touring I fell off the bike. I wasn't hurt, not even bruises, but in the hours later I developed a very painful left calf. It wasn't particularly painful to walk or cycle, but even the slightest touch (eg bed clothes), and the pain was off the scale.

I didn't see a doctor because I was hundreds of miles from home, but I'm wondering if the fall dislodged a clot in my heart which then travelled to an artery in my leg.

That does not sound like DVT.

My experience was textbook - felt like a pulled muscle on the inner upper thigh that did not get better with RICE. Swollen, red, tense, sweaty in bed.

Gout on the other hand was "even the slightest touch (eg bedclothes), and the pain was off the scale". Not being able to stand the weight of bedclothes is oft described as a symptom of gout, which I have had at various times in the Achilles tendon and multiple toe joints.

IANADB .. a clot moving from heart to leg sounds very unusual

 

[ColinJ]

IANADB .. a clot moving from heart to leg sounds very unusual

It sounded odd to me too but the blood does flow in both directions. DVT clots in legs break off, go through the heart and end up in the lungs (pulmonary embolism) - I felt the buggers do it, like someone had stuck a needle in my heart! AF can cause clots in the heart so I suppose one of those might end up going in the opposite direction, depending on where in the heart it formed?

 

[recumbenteer]

The initial improvement took a few weeks and after that time my left leg wasn't ultra-swollen and red any more. It was still 2-3 cm bigger round the calf than the other one though.

It is never going to get better than that - too much damage to the valves in the veins. 10 years on and the L calf is STILL 2-3 cms bigger than the R!

Ooops, sounds like I should get used to a permanently swollen leg. Power output is still improving. Did 7 mins at 120W last night after a warm up. Super hi tech Lidl exercise bike/ergometer bought Oct 2003 so not sure how accurate but at least repeatable. Set power output required and gearing adjusts to cadence to deliver required wattage. Finished my 7 days of double strength meds now. Been wary of anything more than moderate activity as don't want to risk breaking up the clot and getting a PE. Doctor last week said I could go back to heavier exercise after the 7 days - think I'll err on the side of caution.

 

[heatstroke]

Hi, I was just diagnosed with extensive dvt in my left leg from the knee to the groin. I thought it was a strained calf muscle 3 weeks ago but it progressively got more painful. There was some swelling after a hard ride. I'm now 50 and have been cycling since I was 23. I noticed during the past 3 weeks I would start to hurt after an hr over say 190w while my ftp is around 250. Left calf muscle would start to feel engorged.

Was diagnosed this morning, and just had my first blood anticoagulant injection and am in hospital to make sure it is all ok for a few days. then to oral meds..... I am praying I can maintain my riding....

 

[Dogtrousers]

Welcome to CC @heatstroke wishing you well for your recovery

 

[ColinJ]

Good luck with that, @heatstroke. It sounds like they caught it before it became more serious.

Lots of us do carry on cycling. My swollen leg is a nuisance but doesn't really affect my cycling much. (My lung damage is another matter, but you avoided that.)

 

[recumbenteer]

Good luck with that, @heatstroke. It sounds like they caught it before it became more serious.

Lots of us do carry on cycling. My swollen leg is a nuisance but doesn't really affect my cycling much. (My lung damage is another matter, but you avoided that.)

Sorry to hear about your DVT @heatstroke. About four months on from mine my left leg is still 3/4 to 1 inch bigger than my right (depends how tight I pull the tape measure) call it 2cm. Doesn't affect me in any way exercise wise.

However, I do wonder if I tried to walk in a straight line with my eyes closed... would the extra weight of the left leg cause a shorter stride and result in walking a gradual curve to the left?

 

[heatstroke]

The leg is improving significantly.. Treatment was clexhane for 3 days, now on Pradaxa. I will go in next week for a checkup.

I started some exercise immediately after being released :
Week 1 was easy rides at 25% effort daily for 1 hr.
Week 2-3. 50%, daily for 1 hr
Week 4, about 75% about 5 days a week for 1 hr.
Now at week 5. Just did a couple of 1.5 hr rides @ up to about 90% of preDVT efforts.
Swelling : No change pre and post ride. The left calf is about 10mm larger than the right ( but i don't know if this is back to preDVT size)

 

[ColinJ]

I'm glad that your leg is recovering. Mine decided to celebrate 10 years of recovery by going a bit numb and swelling up more than usual a couple of days ago!

I am trying to nurse the leg back to its mildly swollen state. I definitely don't want it to get worse than this.

The calf always swells more during rides but then usually slowly shrinks again back at home. I did a 100 km ride last weekend though and the leg didn't fully recover from that.

 

[heatstroke]

The leg is improving significantly.. Treatment was clexhane for 3 days, now on Pradaxa. I will go in next week for a checkup.

I started some exercise immediately after being released :
Week 1 was easy rides at 25% effort daily for 1 hr.
Week 2-3. 50%, daily for 1 hr
Week 4, about 75% about 5 days a week for 1 hr.
Now at week 5. Just did a couple of 1.5 hr rides @ up to about 90% of preDVT efforts.
Swelling : No change pre and post ride. The left calf is about 10mm larger than the right ( but i don't know if this is back to preDVT size)

Its now month 5.
From week 5 I have been pretty much on the trainer or bike 5-6 days a week.
I have just had my ultrasound. Looks like 100% recovery - all the plumbing looks normal. Fitness is pretty much back to normal. No swelling pre/post ride and sizes are relatively similar between both calf muscles.

One more month of anticoagulants - just in case, as cause is undiagnosed. Then I'll resume MTB.

Now to fix my dodgy knees....

 

[heatstroke]

I'm glad that your leg is recovering. Mine decided to celebrate 10 years of recovery by going a bit numb and swelling up more than usual a couple of days ago!

I am trying to nurse the leg back to its mildly swollen state. I definitely don't want it to get worse than this.

The calf always swells more during rides but then usually slowly shrinks again back at home. I did a 100 km ride last weekend though and the leg didn't fully recover from that.

Good luck..