Jen shares her story about blood clots following estrogen therapy.
In 2022, I went to my gynecologist with abnormal bleeding. After some tests, it was determined I had bilateral ovarian cysts. In an effort to shrink them, I was put on a short, two-month course of oral contraceptives. After having taken the pill for a month, I began to have what felt like anxiety but without a reason. Most concerning, my heart seemed to be racing, and it was hard to catch my breath. Also, I had pain in my lower calf. I had a pulse oximeter and found my heart rate was in the 130s!
After contacting my doctor to report it, I was told to go immediately to the ER. There, they did tests, including a D-dimer, which was high. That led to a CT scan with contrast, and I was diagnosed with bilateral pulmonary emboli (PEs). Both of my lungs were full of blood clots.
It scared me and my husband. After two days in the hospital, I was released with a prescription for one of the newer direct oral anticoagulants. I could barely walk across my living room or climb stairs. Now I share the risks of clotting while taking estrogen-based birth control pills. My life changed dramatically with my PEs.
