Avoid NSAIDs NSAIDs are blood thinners. Even a single dose of a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID), such as aspirin, ibuprofen, or naproxen, can nearly double the risk of a bleeding event for patients taking anticoagulants.
Prostaglandins are involved in inflammation and blood clot formation. By blocking the production of prostaglandins, ibuprofen reduces symptoms of pain and inflammation, but it can also slow down the normal process of blood clotting.
If you think you have a blood clot, call your doctor or go to the emergency room right away! Blood clots can be dangerous. Blood clots that form in the veins in your legs, arms, and groin can break loose and move to other parts of your body, including your lungs.
If you visit a vein clinic or hospital for a blood clot and blood thinners are suggested to you, taking aspirin may be an option, instead. It is not for everyone, and will not be enough in all cases, but it does have a similar effect and may work well to reduce the chances of another blood clot in the future.
There's no proven way to treat a blood clot at home with natural remedies. If you try to dissolve a blood clot at home, it may take longer for you to get proper medical treatment. This can increase your risk of developing a potentially life threatening condition.
While aspirin prevents blood platelets from clumping together to form dangerous clots in blood vessels, non-aspirin NSAIDs can increase blood clot formation, which can lead to heart attacks and strokes.
Anticoagulants. Anticoagulants, such as heparin, warfarin, dabigatran, apixaban, and rivaroxaban, are medications that thin the blood and help to dissolve blood clots.
It takes about 3 to 6 months for a blood clot to go away. During this time, there are things you can do to relieve symptoms. Elevate your leg to reduce swelling. Talk to your doctor about using compression stockings.
Blood clots can be very serious, so symptoms of blood clots should be evaluated by a doctor immediately. If not treated, a clot can break free and cause a pulmonary embolism—where the clot gets stuck in a blood vessel in the lung, causing severe shortness of breath and even sudden death.
Blood clots are a medical emergency. They can causes stroke, heart attack, pulmonary embolism, and other life-threatening health problems. Emergency treatment may be necessary if you have a blood clot.
The feeling can range from a dull ache to intense pain. You may notice the pain throbs in your leg, belly, or even your arm. Warm skin. The skin around painful areas or in the arm or leg with the DVT may feel warmer than other skin.
Aspirin may be used at a low dose to reduce the risk of a heart attack or stroke or to prevent blood clotting. Ibuprofen has less of an effect on blood cells or platelets so is not used for this indication.
If you are currently being treated for DVT, do not massage your legs. Massage could cause the clot to break loose. If you are scheduled for surgery, ask your surgeon what you can do to help prevent blood clots after surgery. Stop smoking.
This evaluation, known as Homan's Test, consists of laying flat on your back and extending the knee in the suspected leg. Have a friend or family member raise the extended leg to 10 degrees, then have them squeeze the calf. If there's deep pain in the calf, it may be indicative of DVT.
Eat natural pineapple or take a nutritional supplement with bromelain. Increase your intake of other foods and drinks that may help dissolve blood clots such as garlic, kiwi, kale, spinach, red wine, and grape juice. Drink more water. Increase your exercise.
Thrombolytic therapy is a treatment that dissolves blood clots. At Tampa General Hospital, our cardiovascular specialists often use this technique in emergencies when the threat of a heart attack, stroke or pulmonary embolism is imminent.
When you can't take a blood thinner for DVT, your doctor may suggest: Thrombectomy. This is a nonsurgical procedure your doctor can do to physically remove a clot from your vein. This may be a good option to treat sudden DVT that's causing issues.
Conclusions: Platelet function seems to normalize within 24 hours after cessation of regular ibuprofen use in healthy individuals.
To help reduce the pain and swelling that can occur with DVT, patients are often told to elevate their leg(s), use a heating pad, take walks and wear compression stockings.
Typically, your body will naturally dissolve the blood clot after the injury has healed. Sometimes, however, clots form on the inside of vessels without an obvious injury or do not dissolve naturally. These situations can be dangerous and require accurate diagnosis and appropriate treatment.
Duplex ultrasonography is an imaging test that uses sound waves to look at the flow of blood in the veins. It can detect blockages or blood clots in the deep veins. It is the standard imaging test to diagnose DVT. A D-dimer blood test measures a substance in the blood that is released when a clot breaks up.