I have two blood clots in my leg (deep vein thrombosis), and yesterday I started taking warfarin and Lovenox for them. The pain in my leg has subsided a lot since then (thankfully!!!) but does anyone have an idea of how many days it takes for the blood clots to fully dissolve?
I had two large DVTs in my right leg about a year ago. One extended all the way from my knee to the top of my thigh in my right leg, and the other was in my right groin area. I was hospitalized for a week, and was on IV Heparin to stabilize the clots, and oral Coumadin to dissolve them. I was on Heparin only for the 6 days I was in the hospital, but had to be on the oral Coumadin for 3 months. I was told at the time that for DVTs in the legs, the timeframe was 3 months. If the DVTs were in the lungs, it would be 6 months. Coumadin is the same as Warfarin. I would check with your doctor, but I would think the minimum for you would be 3 months, based on my own similar experience.
Atrial Fibrillation
Conditions and Treatments
I had two large DVTs in my right leg about a year ago. One extended all the way from my knee to the top of my thigh in my right leg, and the other was in my right groin area. I was hospitalized for a week, and was on IV Heparin to stabilize the clots, and oral Coumadin to dissolve them. I was on Heparin only for the 6 days I was in the hospital, but had to be on the oral Coumadin for 3 months. I was told at the time that for DVTs in the legs, the timeframe was 3 months. If the DVTs were in the lungs, it would be 6 months. Coumadin is the same as Warfarin. I would check with your doctor, but I would think the minimum for you would be 3 months, based on my own similar experience.
References :
Medical Treatment
If the patient has a deep vein thrombosis, they will be treated with a blood-thinning medication (anticoagulant).
•These medications do not make the clot go away. They stabilize the clot and make it adhere to the vessel wall.
•The body normally breaks up (lyses) the clot on its own. This is a gradual process that may take several days or weeks.
References :
http://www.emedicinehealth.com/blood_clot_in_the_legs/page7_em.htm