Blood clot

[Sue711]

Hi, I wonder if anyone can advise. I went to my GP today as I've got a swollen vein under my arm. I can only describe it as like a rope in the middle of my armpit when I'm washing. It isn't really painful but it scared me as I have a family history of blood clots. Both my brother (only three years older than Me) and my mother died of Pulmonary Embolism so I can't help but think it's that. My Doctor poked and prodded it, and confirmed it is the vein, but said there's nothing to worry about as he doesn't think it's a clot. How would he know this just by a physical exam? He said it's more likely caused by stretching. I work as a housekeeper but have done this for 18 months so don't know why this would happen only now, or in the non dominant arm. I came away feeling like an idiot but must say I'm pretty scared in case he's wrong as I know with blood clots you may not get a second chance. He says to go back to him if the arm swells up or becomes stiff. Easy for him to say don't worry! Any advice would be valued. Many thanks. Sue

[Sue711]

Hi there, thank you for your response. I decided to put my trust in my doctor and try not to let my family history rule me. Thankfully, the swollen vein has returned to normal now so I believe he was most likely correct in his assessment and I had strained it due to my work. Your advice has helped and I will refer back to such if I have any further problems. Again, many thanks for your help. Kind regards, Sue

[Dr. Kokil Mathur]

Hi Sue!
Given your family history of blood clots it is natural for you to feel scared. If the doctor can confirm that it is a blood vessel, then you can go for a dopplar test to see if you have any clots. Also you can go for a prothrombin time and international normalized ratio (INR) test to see if you are at increased risk for blood clots.
Please consult your doctor regarding this. Hope this helps. Take care!

The medical advice given should not be considered a substitute for medical care provided by a doctor who can examine you. The advice may not be completely correct for you as the doctor cannot examine you and does not know your complete medical history. Hence this reply to your post should only be considered as a guiding line and you must consult your doctor at the earliest for your medical problem.