Thrombophlebitis... info fr..

I was diagnosed a couple weeks ago with thrombophlebitis in my upper arm (under side). Started out as a sore, itchy red spot, then became really tender. After a couple days, you could feel 6 or 8 inches of the blood vessel was very hard under the skin. I've been taking baby aspirin and naproxen for 2 weeks, and it is much better, but still not gone. I've read tons on websites, but I'm curious from people that have actually had this - what causes it, how long does it take to go away, will it likely come back or happen again, what are the long term effects, am I more prone to other blood clotting problems like stroke, heart attack, etc? Is there anything such as massage, heat, etc that I can SAFELY do to help it go away?

The causes of a clot are really unclear. For some people, there may be some underlying hypercoaguable state from a genetic defect, but if you saw a doctor for your current problem, chances are they ran blood work to rule that out. Other than that, most blood clots form from stasis in your blood, meaning that if your blood sits around or moves too slowly it will begin to form a clot, then the clot begins to grow. Because you've had a clot, you are more proned to develop another one in the future. Most clots can dissolve on their own. Long term you should try to control factors that might predispose you to clotting (long time immobility, obesity, hypertension, diabetes, etc.). Other than that, be mindful of any unusual pain in your arms and legs or anything breathing difficulties and see your doctor regularly.