Has Anyone Had or Know of DVT?

Let me add support to the great information Lee and others have already provided. TPA is a wonder drug for heart attack and stroke victims and is administered in the emergency room within crucial hours to save hearts and brains and lives!

I used to work for the American Heart Association National HDQ in the American Stroke Association division so I studied a lot about TPA. The most important thing here is to get rid of that clot before it gets rid of you! I'm glad you're on clot-busting medication now, but apparently it is not able to do the whole job which is why you're getting TPA.

By all means, educate yourself, but be sure you do so from reputable sources. There are many, many "health care scare" sites on the internet that are more strong opinions than they are research-based information. If you use the internet to research this or any other procedure or illness, PLEASE be sure you're going to sites that are backed up by people and organizations that know what they're talking about! Otherwise, you might as well get your health info from tabloids. Blessings to you!

TPA is wht they use in the emergency room for strokes to clear the clot quickly so there is less damage and a better chance of recovery with minimal paratlisis. I am sure you are very worried and it is a good thing to have the most information. At the same time if a piece of this clot was to break loose it could travel to your heart or brain and cause a heart attack or stroke and then if quick enough in the ER they would give you TPA. The alternative to the TPA treatment is for them to go in and try to remove the clot piece by piece and you have a higher risk of a piece getting loose. It is a very high blood thinner and you will have to use caution with cuts and scratches because it stops the ability for your blood to clot and form a scab. Be aware of the side effects but try to take a brain stand on the benefits and that this is a very necessary procedure and must be done. If you follow doctors orders you will be fine. Millions of people recieve this life saving procedure everyday and live to brag on TPA. A question for your doctor if he has not already talked about it with you is if you are going to be placed on blood thinners as a daily medication after this procedure to prevent a future clot. What caused this clot? Chance of it coming back. Try to focus on the problem not the cure. Good Luck with this and remember there is no stupid question except the one you do not ask.

R.,
You're going to be fine. The risks with TPA are the same as with coumadin and lovenox. You'll most likely get an IVC filter which prevents smaller pieces of the clot from breaking off and traveling to your lungs, which is deadly. TPA, which can cause bleeding, is necessary and is used very often for DVT's.
As with any type of medication and/or procedure, you have to be aware of the risks. In your case, the benefits outweigh the risks!
Good luck with your procedure.

You were worried about the risks of the procedure your doctor recommended to get rid of your DVT (blood clot). I don't know the specifics about the procedure but you have to weigh the risks of the procedure against the risks involved in not doing anything to get rid of the DVT. Right now it's stationary in your knee, but if it were to move it could cause an embolism that could result in trauma or death. You have to decide whether your willing to risk not doing anything or whether the better option is to try the procedure. You could research if there are any other options but since you've been on blood thinners and that hasn't worked to help break the clot up your probably looking at few options. Good luck and God bless.

R., I don't have personal experience with DVT although I thought I had that going on at one time and it turned out to be something else. From what I know about what can happen to you with a blood clot (cardiac arrest, pulmonary embolism, stroke, etc.), I think the benefits of this procedure outweigh the risk of leaving that clot in there unchecked.

But I do wonder, besides the meds they have you on, did they give you any other options besides the TPA procedure??

I am so sorry you are going through all of this, I wish you all the best and will keep you in my prayers.

-C.

R., I would hope they put an IVC filter in you before they tried to break up the clot in your leg. The IVC filter prevents clots from reaching your lungs, so you don't get a pulmonary embolism. I wish you a speedy resolution to your situation.

I just wanted to second what the previous poster said. The benefits of the procedure far outweigh the risks. I'm so sorry you're going through this, and will also keep you in my prayers.

Don't be afraid to ask a million questions of your doctor. That's what they're there for.

Good luck,
K.

My mother had this at 50 due to a work injury except they did not catch it untill the big clot divided into 2 and got stuck in both lungs. She just barely survived as a miracle according to her doctors and still recovering w lung issues 2 yrs later, so as an only child who almost lost her mother please do not be afraid of the procedure because it could be way more dramatic if they do not catch it and dissolve below the waist. If want more Info send me a message and I will answer what ever I can because my mother doesn't recall much from all the meds but I was there taking notes

I had a superficial clot on my calf in 1997. Just by pure luck I had to be seen by the new doctor in the practice that my doc was in & she had just read an article in an AMA publication about a newly discovered blood DNA disorder. Factor Five Leiden. ANd yep I tested positive and my children have since tested positive. Long story short (sort of) there are many blood clotting disorders that your doc or a blood doctor can do easy tests for. PLease make sure that this gets done. When I was diagnosed most doctors knew NOTHING about Factor IV Leiden. It is more known now but still has a long way to go in the way of EVERYONE, especially women (cuz they can't take birth control) getting the simple blood test that could save lives. I wish you the best of luck.

I'm 46 now and a couple of years ago had a DVT from my upper thigh to my lower calf. I wish they had offered the TPA treatment. Instead it was Lovenox for 10 days and Coumadin for 8 months with frequent blood tests. It was a long slow waiting period. I think you're much better off with a tried and true procedure that will alleviate your worries about "what if something breaks off today." I think you'll breathe a sigh of relief that you took care of the issue and you can get on with your life. I will keep you in my prayers, but I feel confident you will be just fine. Seeking support like this was a good way to take care of yourself. Keep it up!

Hi, I am a nurse and I have administered this TPA medication you are talking about. It is nothing short of miraculous! I have seen people breathe a huge sigh of relief literally within seconds of receiving it. The nurses should be very thorough in asking you lots of questions before giving the medication, like: have you had any recent surgery, recent dental work, recent trauma including car accidents, ulcers, etc. There's a list of several things that would exclude you from getting the medication. That's because this medicine is so powerful that it will bust any clot that is currently in your body. (And sometimes we need those clots- like if you are healing from surgery- the clots need to remain until your body is able to heal completely.) It will even bust tiny clots, like the ones formed on your gums after you've been flossing. So they are very careful to ask you tons of questions. It seems to me that they have decided the risks of the medication are less than the risks of keeping that clot in your leg. Good luck!