Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) — advice for adults
How to look after yourself after a blood clot in a deep vein, and what to watch for.
You have a DVT — a blood clot in a deep vein, usually in the leg. It is treated with blood-thinning medicine. With treatment it gets better. Here is how to look after yourself and what to watch for.
Your care details
To be completed by the team before you leave.
A clot can travel to the lungs, and blood thinners carry a bleeding risk. Both are emergencies.
- Sudden shortness of breath, or chest pain that is worse when you breathe in
- Coughing up blood
- Feeling faint, collapsing, or a racing heart
- Bleeding that will not stop after 10 minutes of firm pressure
- Vomiting blood, or vomit that looks like coffee grounds
- A sudden, severe headache, or any fall or blow to the head
Contact the ED, the anticoagulation service, or the team named above the same day.
- Your leg becomes much more swollen, painful, or changes colour
- Black or bloody stools, or pink, red or brown urine
- Nosebleeds or gum bleeding that keep happening, or bruising much more easily than usual
- Periods that are much heavier than normal
- You have missed doses, or you are not sure how to take your blood thinner
- You are due an operation, dental work, or a procedure
The blood thinner you have been prescribed is written in Your care details above, along with how long to take it. Take it at the same time every day and do not stop it without being told to — stopping early is the commonest reason a clot comes back. Some are taken with food; follow the label. Tell any doctor, dentist, nurse or pharmacist that you are on it before any procedure, and check before starting new medicines, including over-the-counter painkillers — avoid ibuprofen and similar anti-inflammatories unless you have been told they are safe for you. Carry your anticoagulant alert card. If you are pregnant, planning pregnancy, or breastfeeding, tell your team, as the choice of medicine changes.
Caring for yourself
- Take your blood-thinning medicine exactly as prescribed. Do not miss doses, and do not stop it without medical advice.
- Keep all your follow-up and anticoagulation appointments.
- Keep moving and walk as you are able. Raise your leg when resting to ease the swelling.
- Wear compression stockings if you were given them.
- Tell any dentist, nurse or doctor that you are on a blood thinner.
- Get advice before any flights or long journeys, and carry your anticoagulant card if you have one.
What to expect
Your leg should improve over weeks. You may notice:
Full settling can take weeks to months — keep taking your medicine.