
What Causes Leg Pain After Using Birth Control Medicines?

Nothing to worry about.
Detailed Answer:
Hello
Thanks for writing to us with your health concern.
An elevated D dimer level in itself is no cause for concern.
It is a very non specific test, as you may well be aware of.
It is just used for screening patients at high risk of thrombosis.
Just being on birth control is not a very high risk factor for thrombosis, unless there are other associated factors - obesity, smoking, history of blood clots etc.
D dimer levels can be elevated by various conditions - stress, pregnancy, fever, injury, trauma, liver conditions, apart from blood clots itself of course.
There is no indication for taking a blood thinner based on these results.
It is not an indication to stop birth control either, unless you have persistent calf pain.
You have no symptoms of a thrombotic disorder.
Anyways, before starting treatment, patients with high D dimer levels are first subjected to diagnostic imaging ( doppler of the affected leg, where you had pain, for example ).
ALl the best
Please feel free to discuss further.


I am a bit overweight, but I do not smoke.
I am heterozygous for the MTHFR mutation, but I take folic acid.
I still do not think there is anything to worry about.
Detailed Answer:
MTHFR heterozygosity is a vary prevalent condition, most of the mutations in MTHFR gene do not increase your risk of a clotting disorder.
My opinion remains the same - treat the patient, not the lab report !


This elevation started after taking birth control. I am now in my 3rd month of taking it. That's what I am worried about- that the birth control is putting me into a hypercoagulable state.
Why dont you stop the birth control and see the repeat levels.
Detailed Answer:
I thought this was a once off result.
If you have had negative values in the past, then yes, it is possible that the birth control is putting you into a hypercoagulable state.
What you can do, is stop the birth control.
Then retest after 4 weeks.
If you have lower values again, then you can stop the birth control for good.
Either that, or Doppler ultrasound of the legs, to rule out any possible clots.
Take care.

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