Skiing, DVT & Warfarin

Dear All,

I would appreciate the view of somebody medically trained. I would ask anyone not medically trained to not give their view please, to reduce the risk of anyone reading this thread from taking on bad advice.

My question is whether someone with DVT and taking Warfarin should avoid skiing all together at all costs, or ski taking it easy and not pushing them self.

Thanks.

OK - here goes!
Having spoken to my personal physician !! (sister) :D
Because she phoned me just after I read your question. ..
The correct medical answer is "it depends" - don't you just love them?
But it is pretty obviously the correct answer.

If they get their blood under control and their medicines stable they should be able to exercise "normally" - whatever normal means!

There is no reason why someone who has had a DVT in the past and is on blood thinners who is stable cannot ski.

Talk to the Doctors, ask their views, find out when they are well on the road to recovery and take it from there.

Many years ago we would send our patients into hospital if we suspected a DVT. We would arrange an ambulance & forbid the patient to walk until they had been scanned & bloods taken. Now we ask our suspected DVT patients to walk into a community unit for blood tests & scans & then send them home after their fragmin injection & tell them to get on with a normal life.

It depends on where abouts you are with your journey through this experience. If there is a chance the clot still could dislodge & end up in the lung then the answer I would have thought would be a definate no. If you're having calf pain again I would have thought no.
If the worry is about the effect warfarin is having on your system then I would have thought as long as your INR is at a good enough ratio & stable then fill your boots (bearing in mind you will bruise easier with minor bumps & major bangs including head trauma could be fatal).The National Institute of Clinical Excellence states any head trauma to a patient on anticoagulants require hospital admission.

SO the answer is 'Depends'. Or a definate maybe :lol: