Deep Venous Thrombosis (DVT)

It is important that anticoagulant medication is taken exactly as instructed.  These medications have serious side effects when there is too much taken or not enough.  The absorption of these medications can also be affected by an individual’s nutritional intake and periodic blood tests are required in order to monitor the situation.

If anticoagulants aren’t successful, or if the physician feels their are more serious type of deep veins, other medications may be tried.  Thrombolytics are drugs given through an intravenous line and used to break up clots.  They are usually called tissue plasmogen activators (TPA) and commonly used in individuals who present to the hospital in the initial stages of a heart attack or stroke in order to break up those clots.  These drugs can cause serious bleeding and are typically used only in life-threatening situations.