How Do You Prevent Blood Clots?

Lots of great information from Nicole. The only thing that I want to add is what a blood clot looks like. (This is from my own experiences and is by no means the ONLY correct answer)

When I was on the pill, I developed "bruises" all over my legs, from the knees down. They were typically the size of a 50 cent coin (bigger than a quarter for those of you who don't remember the 50 cent!)

Right in the center of the bruise, it felt like a tiny pebble.

The bruises were reddish in color.

When I developed so many, I went to the doctor and was told that I had blood clots - and lots of them!!!!!

(Then he went on to ask me why I didn't stop taking the pill if I developed blood clots. Well, no one ever described what they would look like!)

So, FYI!!!!! Be careful and I would also suggest that you find other bc options. It's not worth losing you life . . . . .

D. in milwaukee

I have a genetic disorder that makes me prone to blood clots. I have been expressly told by several doctors that birth control or any other blood clot causing drugs and activities are not an option.

There are very few drugs available for treatment of clots..some you may be familiar with include Warfin, Heparin, and Aspirin. These drugs in themselves pose great risk to those who use them. They are only given in special circumstances to prevent clots. It is very dangerous to take any of these without a doctors guidance and a prescription because they all cause bleeding and complications in certain people..even if they do have blood clots.

Don't mess around. If you are predisposed to blood clots, you probably already know you are a candidate for sudden stroke and death. Many people do not have any symptoms that something is wrong until it's too late.

I strongly encourage you to find a natural birth control remedy. I use NFP (natural family planning) successfully, and have no health problems right now. Other things to do, avoid sitting for long periods of time. Blood circulation is important in preventing clots. People who do a lot of air travel are also at high risk for developing a clot. If you must travel, try to to take as many breaks as possible so you can walk about 5-10 minutes to get your blood pumping.

If you haven't already, see a Hematologist about treatments specifically appropriate and safe for you concerning clots.

If you are truly worried about blood clots, I would talk to your doctor about it. If you have no other risk factors for blood clots besides the NuvaRing and your weight (smoking, blood disorders, heart disease, history of blood clots, etc), you should not have to worry. The manufacturer has to state that there is an increase risk for blood clots because they found that a few people developed clots while on it. The only true way to prevent blood clots is by starting on a prescription anti-coagulant. Those have significant risk to them and are only prescribed to those at highest risk for clots. You could talk to your doctor about starting Aspirin therapy. That too has some risks (less than the prescriptions) and I would DEFINITELY talk to your doctor before you start that too. A simple, non-medication way to easly prevent blood clots is to not sit for long periods of time. When you sit, blood pools in your legs and increases the chance of clots. If you work at a desk job, make sure you get up an walk every now and then. Just making sure you don't sit for long periods of time however, is just a simple way to prevent clots and is not a guarentee. Hope this helps!

Have you thought about an IUD? There is one that does not have any hormones in it. My sister has that one.
I have the Mirena IUD, with progestin, only because I need to try and reduce my periods due to endometriosis. I like it alot! Very convenient!
However, my sister really likes hers. No extra hormones released into the body. It is inserted, hers stays in for 5 years, then they replace it with another one. She has been doing this for 8 years and has not had any problems.
And, if you decide you want another child, it is easily removed by the doctor.

Sorry for the late response. I saw your post the other day but didn't have time to respond until now.

This issue is very dear to my heart because I lost my sister to a blood clot when she was only 28! She was on birth control bills, didn't smoke, was overweight though. She had trouble breathing for about a week and kept going to the doctor but they found nothing. They sent her home with antibiotics of all things. The next night while at home she had a seizure because oxygen was being depleted from her brain. My sister rescusitated her and got her back only to have her have another seizure by the time the amulance arrived. She died that night.

They found in the autopsy that the cause of death was from a blood clot that started in her leg and traveled to her lungs. When the clot got to her lungs it broke up into smaller clots and prevented oxygen from transfering to the blood in her lungs. She was on birth control pills and that was what killed her.

I would take this very seriously. Yes it is true that being pregnant gives a higher risk of blood clots than being on the pill but if you have ANY predisposition to clotting including having the genes that cause this , you are at a VERY high risk. You can be tested to see if you have the genes that increase your risk. Blood clots aren't always easy to detect (even if you have symptoms and see a doctor) and they can be fatal. I don't mean to scare you but I think you need to be aware this is more common than the drug companies let on. I know two other people who have also had blood clots from birth control. Luckily they are still hear today and did not die. Talk to your doctor and get all the information.

Any medication containg any form of estrogen can cause blood clots. The nuvaring has the same chance of causing a blood clot as birth control pills. If it is a concern, I would talk to your doctor. There is a birth control pill that contains progesterone only...it has to be taking at the same time every day...even a couple hours late...increases your chance of getting pregnant. Another option is an IUD. I don't know anyone who has one, so I don't know much about it.

PS....I know a couple of people who got pregnant while using the Nuvaring. I would talk to your doctor about how effective he/she really thinks it is.