Swollen Vein in leg????

[Kelly87]

Hey ladies.I havent been on much... i have alot going on with taking care of my grandma and everything... I have a question. I am 28 weeks pregnant and I noticed today that on the inside of my thigh I have a painful bump and when you push on it it feels like a swollen vein. I had my fiancee feel it and he said the same thing. I have been having alot of cramping in my legs lately. I am visiting here in Florida from California for the next 2 weeks so I cant just go in my docs office.. have any of you had this? Is this something I should call my doc about or can it wait until I get back in 2 weeks?

[Kellmomb2]

Thrombophlebitis

Leg cramps may be harmless, but it is crucial to differentiate this pain from the pain of thrombophlebitis, which is an inflammation of the deep veins of the legs. Thrombophlebitis is an emergency and a very big deal, because deep leg veins so inflamed can develop blood clots that can fling off toward your lungs and endanger your life suddenly.

Now before there is a flood of hysteria about leg cramps possibly being thrombophlebitis, please know that there is a
simple method of distinguishing between the two.  With sporadic leg cramps, the legs should not hurt when there is not a cramp.  Squeezing the calf muscles shouldn't be painful in between these episodes.  On the other hand, squeezing the calf muscles causing pain any time would be be very disturbing.

The treatment for thrombophlebitis involves anticoagulants ("blood thinners"), which are medicines that decrease the blood's ability to clot.  The management of the doses of the anticoagulants can be quite tricky, so it is necessary to hospitalize such patients for a while.

On the one hand we have leg cramps, which are an inconvenience at worst; on the other we have thrombophlebitis, which is extremely dangerous if not diagnosed and treated.  Thankfully, it's easy to tell the difference with a simple squeeze of the calf muscles.  And if there's any doubt, ultrasound can look at the deep leg veins to see if there are any clots.

[hkenny]

I am 36 weeks and have the same thing behind my knee, dr told me its just another joy of pregnancy. Defiantly mention it but as from what my dr said there is nothing you can do and its not "bad". she told me it will go away after the birth.

[Kellmomb2]

What about varicose veins?

Varicose veins are not dangerous, and they are NOT thrombophlebitis. Varicose veins are a problem with gravity and the weight of the baby on the drainage of superficial veins back up toward the heart.  Varicose veins are mere engorgements of these structures and have nothing to do with clots in the deep veins of the legs.  Although they can hurt, they don't present as the danger that deep blood clots are.  Because they are a result of partial obstruction of their drainage, wearing those nasty grandma stockings can help keep them compressed.  There are other specialty girdles that are sold that can help all the way up to varicose veins of the vulva, too.

[Kellmomb2]

When to Talk to Your Health Care Provider
Leg cramps usually go away on their own without medical treatment. But they can be a sign of a more serious problem. Talk to your health care provider right away if:

    * The pain is frequent and severe
    * You notice any redness, warmth, swelling or tenderness in your leg

[Kelly87]

yeah the cramping was just in my calfs but now on my left side i get them on my side, back, and leg all at the same time... i have to get up and walk it off. The bump is on my right side though. It is flesh colored but you can see a blue vein there where the bump is under the skin... im still waiting for the doc to call. it is 830 cali time. if he doesnt call by 11 his time i will call him..

[jessbbg]

has the cramping gotten any worse over the last few days or weeks?  also, is there a color to the bump that you feel?  red or blue?  or flesh colored?  

hope you hear from your doc soon...

[Kelly87]

I dont want to go to the ER and im not planning on it unless my doc tells me to go to make sure everything is ok. No my doc hasnt called back :( I called them back about an hour ago and they said that he had an emergency and he will call me back in the morning. I will keep you posted. Yes we flew... it was 3 weeks ago that we flew and i just noticed this today...you cant see the vein its like 2 bumps and when you touch it it moves.. my fiance said its prob some type of swollen vein. it is on the inside of my thigh and i have been getting alot of leg cramps lately so i didnt know if they were related. I will keep you posted..

[Kellmomb2]

I think the first thing you should do is have a doctor look at it to make sure it is a varicose vein, having a swollen blood vein in pregnancy is not something to just forget about (that is my opinion) I mean any swelling in pregnancy the doctor needs to know about, there could be cause for a blood clot or something, since it is painful, I would go the ER or wait to see what the doctor says, but I would not just assume it is a varicose vein. Blood clots are bad, SO I would have Doctor look at it right away. ER if you have to.

[jessbbg]

Depending on the severity of the varicose veins, there are a number of procedures that can eliminate them.  Surgery isn't always necessary and isn't always the best option, even though every vascular surgeon in the country would have my head if they heard me say that.  it's the truth.  Whenever possible, it's better to sclerose them--preferably with sotradecol (sodium tetradecyl sulfate solution) foamed, ultrasound guided.  

But I'm getting ahead of myself.  Basically my point was to be: 1. Don't jump straight to surgery. 2. Usually it is cosmetic only and often insurance won't cover it but sometimes they will if it causes pain or your doc will fight for a vascular disease diagnosis (which varicose vein IS vascular disease it's just hard to get an insurance company to acknowledge it since they are pretty stuck in their ways and slow to adopt new ideas even when they are right).

So seek out a good and progressive Phlebologist (not vascular surgeon).  Often dermatologists/cosmetic surgeons will also perform sclerotherapy for varicose veins.  and make sure they aren't using polidocanol ;-)  it's illegal in the US, but tons of docs still use it.  many don't even know it's illegal.  

egads. i'll shut up before i bore the life out of you.  if you have any questions at all, i know pretty much everything there is to know about sclerotherapy.  :-)

- jess

[jenkaye21]

I had varicose veins pop up with my second pregnancy.  I hated them, even tho they didn't really hurt, they bothered me MUCH more than the stretch marks! lol
There isn't much you can do at this point, maybe have surgery after baby comes, but mine did got a lot better after he was born.

Unfortunately this time around I am getting them worse than ever-- I will hate even wearing shorts this summer = (.  Definitely considering surgery on them after baby is born, but don't know if insurance covers it.

[jessbbg]

keep us posted on what he says, i'm really interested to know.  sorry you're having to go through that!  any concerns suck, but really strange ones and anything dealing with veins and legs can be scary and worrisome.

unfortunately i don't know anyone in ft lauderdale.  

[Kelly87]

I am in Fort Lauderdale. I just called my doc. Im waiting for him to call me back..

[jessbbg]

Maybe leave a message on the nurse line with your doc and ask them to call you back just to make sure, but it does sound like it's probably just the start of some possible varicose veins, which is common and typically nothing to worry about, though they can be rather uncomfortable.  

That's just what i'd do if i were in the same boat.  what area in florida are you visiting?  i'm in orlando---lemme know if you are nearby and want a doc recommendation :-)  i also spend the other half of my life in jacksonville, so i'm familiar with that area too.