Pulmonary Embolism Support Group

Everythign you are describing is normal after having a life threatening event. Plus you have all those preegnancy hormones flying around in your body for added drama. Can you talk to your Dr. and get some anti-anxiety medication? You are right about no one telling you how you are going to feel, and different doctors having different opinions and not knowing who to believe. This web site is an honest and true godsend. If your dr. can't help you with your anxiety problem, then I would think about trying another DR. Anyone who has gone through this and doesn't have anxiety is either lying or delusional. Sorry you had to join the Coumadin club, but welcome anyway. Now go in ther and give that new baby a big hug!! Congratulations!

Hi LouisaR,

I'm so sorry that you had a PE right after childbirth. I can't imagine how hard it is healing from the PE and taking care of a baby at the same time.

Have you seen the discussion post in this group on the impossibility of an existing clot in the lungs going back "upstream" to block the blood supply between the heart and the lungs? It is a very reassuring discussion posting. The risk of death from the PE you had has come and gone, even if it hasn't fully dissolved. Only a brand new clot could be a threat to you.

The other thing to take reassurance from is the anticoagulation treatment. The risk of having a new clot while on this treatment is very small.

One plus for you is that you know why the PE happened to you (i.e. childbirth). I think it can be anxiety-inducing to not know the reason why the PE happened and to speculate about lupus, blood disorders, etc. so thankfully I'm assuming you're OK on that front.

The best advice I have is to seek support on this discussion group when you're feeling nervous or have questions about how you're feeling physically. The support here is great and we all understand what you're going through. We're all rooting for you.

Take care and big hugs,
Shell

Absolutely agree with the other posts.... under normal circumstances having a PE is traumatic.... it takes time to heal physically and mentally and in the midst of this you have a little person totally dependant on you and hormones that won't yet have totally settled down. You will get better - the normal days will take over from the days not feeling brilliant, the stress will settle and there is a theory that that in itself can cause havoc with the INR. Stay alert - never ignore anything that you are concerned about but do ccept that this has been a horrible time - I'm afraid Drs that totally accept what an awful impact this has are rather thin on the ground. Rest as much as you can and be kind to yourself it will get much much better soon honestly and you'll enjoy life with your new baby to the full... keep well

Hi all, thanks so much for your replies. I went and spoke with a DR today and he seems to think I am suffering with post natal depression and has proscribed me with prozak (sp?) which are unti depression tablets but I am totally fine about 70% of the day. I feel anxiety rather than depression so Im not sure whether or not I should be taking these. I was very anxious at the appointment so may not have made myself clear. I didnt say that I can feel normal for most part of the day and that I get these feelings all of a sudden and they are taking over my normal day to day life and it's that which is making me really fed up.

Maybe I need to go back and explain myself a little better.

Am I depressed or anxious? I think anxious but would like your opinion.

I had a lot of chest pains and the doctors think some of them are anxiety. My anxiety has just now started to subside! I tried lexapro and it did nothing actually made me feel worse!LOL! I then was on klonopin and that helped some especially at night because it knocked me out. I'm not usually for drugging up but you have to do what you have to do. I did it for as long as I needed it. I wasnt functioning well at all. I dont really feel comfortable telling you whether you are depressed or just anxious cause I'm not a doctor and I cant be in your head and see all your thoughts lol. I will say that I was mostly anxious and a little depressed at times cause I was 5 hrs away from all family. I am now back home and doing a whole lot better. I do agree though that nothing has ever knocked me on my *** like this and I had never delt with anxiety before and I know understand the need for meds of that type.

I had a lot of chest pains and the doctors think some of them are anxiety. My anxiety has just now started to subside! I tried lexapro and it did nothing actually made me feel worse!LOL! I then was on klonopin and that helped some especially at night because it knocked me out. I'm not usually for drugging up but you have to do what you have to do. I did it for as long as I needed it. I wasnt functioning well at all. I dont really feel comfortable telling you whether you are depressed or just anxious cause I'm not a doctor and I cant be in your head and see all your thoughts lol. I will say that I was mostly anxious and a little depressed at times cause I was 5 hrs away from all family. I am now back home and doing a whole lot better. I do agree though that nothing has ever knocked me on my *** like this and I had never delt with anxiety before and I know understand the need for meds of that type.

I to had a PE after having my son. I was diagnosed with it 19 days after I delivered him. I had suffered from panic attacks before having the PE though. I will say that after getting my PE I did get severe post pardum depression.

I know how you feel when say that you just want your baby to have a normal mommy. I felt the same way. I was worried about my 2 year old too.

I promise it does get better. IF you need to talk you can always e-mail me. alicia_827@hotmail.com.

Hi Louisa,

First and foremost, I'm so sorry for all you've gone through - it must be so tough while also tending to your newborn.

I'm sure you've found some great advice here regarding PEs and symptoms (I just found it today and am so grateful since I've been so worried and feeling so lost after having a PE on 6/4/08), so I just wanted to specifically offer my advice regarding panic attacks.

I agree with you that you are suffering from anxiety rather than depression (although feeling so helpless in the face of such anxiety can lead to depression for sure). I know that I have a tendency to have anxiety related conditions, and was diagnosed with mild panic disorder some years ago, and have had what I believe to be a full-blown panic attack earlier this week: racing heart, tightness in throat, trembling, weak, dizzy, light-headed, just feeling that a freight train was barrelling towards me, and that I was going to collapse and die at any second. Sound familiar? This is essentially your body's "flight-or-fight" response to a life-threatening situation. It's a "disorder" when no such situation is present. Well, those of us who have experienced a PE HAVE been through a life-threatening situation! Sometimes even reading or talking about a PE brings on the first waves of panic for me - it just triggers what I was going through at the time. What I've done in the past is - instead of fighting the panic (which just makes it worse in my experience)- I just say to myself, "Okay, here we go ... I just need to ride this out, I am going to be fine." I picture it as a wave in the ocean, and that I just need to let it wash over me. Usually accepting it with open arms (so to speak) is enough for it to just go away. It sounds counterintuitive, but it works for me a lot of the time. Lately, I've just been listening to reassuring voicemails, reading reassuring emails (rather than going over the hard, cold facts which tends to bring on a panic attack). Of course it does not help that many of the symptoms of a panic attack mimic those of an embolism! And of course you run through all the scenarios of how you were unlikely to wind up with a PE in the first place, so who is to say you don't wind up with another while on blood thinners? Don't let your mind play this dirty trick on you! Trick it back. It sounds silly, but just talk yourself through it, and repeat "I'm okay, I'm fine," and you will be. If I can't get through it myself, I call my boyfriend (who is currently in the UK, and I'm in the States), and he is a pillar of strength, support and patience for me. Lean on your loved ones - they'll welcome the chance to help!

Hope you are feeling better, and please do keep the group updated! Good luck!

Hi LouisaR- Just want to commiserate with you about wishing things had gone differently after the birth of your child! I had a PE about a day after my C-section in October 07. I couldn't see my daughter for a time because they put me in the Intermediate Care Ward to be treated. So then, not only was I recovering from a C-section, but the PE as well! Thankfully, mine wasn't big and I recovered quickly. The Prozac you're on (which I have been on before for Anxiety/Depression) should treat symptoms of both anxiety and depression. I too had some false alarms after the initial PE. It's funny NOW, but I panicked in the hospital a few days after the PE when I had chest pains again- it turned out to be my milk coming in. Man, did I feel bad about making those nurses scramble for another chest x-ray!! From what I'm reading on this site (which I just found last week), that worry is really normal! Also, how unprofessional and unFEELING for that nurse to tell you you'd die of a blood clot! I'm sorry you had to hear such a completely ignorant statement at such a difficult time.

hi
i read your story and it was like reading my own i to had a baby in july by c section came home and found it hard walking up the stairs as was very short of breath. then went to hospital and was told i had pe in right lung was on clexane and warfarin now just on warfarin they are still trying to get my inr level right they struggle on keeping it up at the mo im on 7mg a day as its gone down again to 1.9 so there are trying to get it back up there. but like you im having the same attacks all of a sudden i get a slight pain and i think its my pe then i get this horrible feeling like something bad is going to happen to me then i cant breath my throat tightens up and end up at a&e thinking its due to clot so i totally understand what your going through.and i sit and think am i going mad iv even ask doctors if there is anything i can have to clam me down but said he can give me nothing as it will affect my inr level i find when these attacks come i talk to myself and tell myself its me panicking theres nothing wrong with you your fine big deep breaths help and breathing into a brown paper bag when your breathing gets bad really helps but i truly understand how you feel cause im the same and its so hard trying to get people to understand how you feel and there not nice attacks to have. and you just need to keep telling yourself your on the right treatment for the clot and you will be fine it does help hope this helps lisa x x