DVT, PE and blood thinners.

[vitellan]

Thanks for the replies

I think i will just go for brisk walks and and dust off my old exercise bike

[queequeg]

Due to AstraZeneca (most likely) blood clots in my arm i have been put on blood thinners.
15mg twice a day for 3 weeks then 20mg once per day for 3 months
My doctor has advised against riding to work on this as an off may cause major problems
Especially head injury. Recommends walks and indoor cycling instead.
Is this over cautious?
Has anyone had issues with offs while on blood thinners

Depends on the thinner, but that is a pretty big dose. I am on apixaban 2.5mg after my DVT. I saw my surgeon for my annual check-up this year and I am all good. My thinners are a low bleed type of newer drug. Worst effect for me is takes maybe 30 seconds longer to clot when I cut myself. Regardless, I gave up racing bikes because hubbards sprinting at 70km make me nervous and I didn't want to be collateral damage.
Has he got you on clexane injections or something, or just tablets?

[vitellan]

I am on Xarelto tablets
Re bleeding i have always had random nose bleeds ones every couple of months caused by dry conditions. I had a bleed while on 15mg twice a day and bleeding stopped as fast as usual. (a couple of minutes)

[trailgumby]

Due to AstraZeneca (most likely) blood clots in my arm i have been put on blood thinners.
15mg twice a day for 3 weeks then 20mg once per day for 3 months
My doctor has advised against riding to work on this as an off may cause major problems
Especially head injury. Recommends walks and indoor cycling instead.
Is this over cautious?
Has anyone had issues with offs while on blood thinners

Sounds like you're on rivaroxaban like me. 15mg twice daily is the acute incident dose. The schedule he has advised you is what I was put on after my PE in 2017. Far out, that was 4 years ago.

If you have access to a trainer, I'd limit my riding to easy sessions on that, but be careful with your butt - I had saddle sores, which I'm still a bit prone to, for which I use Preparation H as a preventive. When I was allowed back on the bike I was told HR no more than 120bpm until the scans showed my lungs were clear.

Edit: Yes, Xarelto is rivaroxaban.

PS: One thing I should add is there is no antidote for rivaroxaban authorised for use in Australia, so if you do hit your head and have a bleed, the doctors will just be able to watch you bleed out until about 24hrs after you took the tablet.

I would wait until you are on the 20mg maintenance dose before going outside on your bike, which was the advice given to me.

[IncognitoMosquito]

Some interesting stuff in the thread here. I hope all of you are heading in the right direction.

I don't usually read this part of the forum, but I am another victim of PE which was a major shock as I was being treated for low blood levels including platelets for another reason. I was due to have a bone marrow biopsy the day after this thing happened, but that has been shelved with teh anticoagulants I am now on. The specialist reckons I am the man of mystery as all my blood counts are now back to normal, so that is a positive for me.

I was back on the bike the day after being diagnosed, but it was a pretty low level effort! I am also now on Apixaban. The specialist already knew I cycled a lot and his advice was just to not fall off. Still bloody hard work as major parts of my lung are just scar tissue now so the left lung has to make up the difference. I see heart rates that I haven't seen for years and that is when I am just bumbling along. On the plus side, I can hold them there for quite some time.

Most of the downside is mental for me. I did ride with a pretty fast bunch and I just can't/don't any more. I am sure they would wait for me, but I don't like that. So I am riding less and adding weight and dropping fitness in a nasty spiral. The other negative is that some days I am just tired all the time, but I think this is become less of a thing. Just hoping that as the weather warms up that I find my mojo again and get out more.

[warthog1]

That does sound very difficult.
I hope you keep going and things get better.
The warmer weather has to help make it more enjoyable.
Winter sux.

[foo on patrol]

Some interesting stuff in the thread here. I hope all of you are heading in the right direction.

I don't usually read this part of the forum, but I am another victim of PE which was a major shock as I was being treated for low blood levels including platelets for another reason. I was due to have a bone marrow biopsy the day after this thing happened, but that has been shelved with teh anticoagulants I am now on. The specialist reckons I am the man of mystery as all my blood counts are now back to normal, so that is a positive for me.

I was back on the bike the day after being diagnosed, but it was a pretty low level effort! I am also now on Apixaban. The specialist already knew I cycled a lot and his advice was just to not fall off. Still bloody hard work as major parts of my lung are just scar tissue now so the left lung has to make up the difference. I see heart rates that I haven't seen for years and that is when I am just bumbling along. On the plus side, I can hold them there for quite some time.

Most of the downside is mental for me. I did ride with a pretty fast bunch and I just can't/don't any more. I am sure they would wait for me, but I don't like that. So I am riding less and adding weight and dropping fitness in a nasty spiral. The other negative is that some days I am just tired all the time, but I think this is become less of a thing. Just hoping that as the weather warms up that I find my mojo again and get out more.

You're in a rut, so find someone that is okay to ride a little bit slower, so that you can rebuild your fitness level and the lungs have time to adapt a bit more. They won't be like a normal set but you can make them more efficient with time, so be patient with things. Now get onya bloody bike.

Foo

[queequeg]

Some interesting stuff in the thread here. I hope all of you are heading in the right direction.

…

Most of the downside is mental for me. I did ride with a pretty fast bunch and I just can't/don't any more. I am sure they would wait for me, but I don't like that. So I am riding less and adding weight and dropping fitness in a nasty spiral. The other negative is that some days I am just tired all the time, but I think this is become less of a thing. Just hoping that as the weather warms up that I find my mojo again and get out more.

Same for me. Used to rave A grade and ride with the fastest bunch. After returning to riding I started doing Audax again, just grinding out 200km rides at my own pace, and largely on my own.
Racing I have up initially because after the DVT I just didn’t have anything in my legs for constant attacks, but also because I always seem to be in races where people crash in front of me. I just decided the risk was not worth it over a few dollars and some spare tubes for prize money, and I have nothing to prove to anyone.

I’m now +4years3months from my clot and really only now getting some of that high end power back through some strength training. Ironically, my injured leg is now stronger than my good leg, perhaps due to the large stent draining the blood out of it.