A gym fanatic claims she almost died after hip pain she ruled out because a pulled muscle turned out to be a symptom of blood clots throughout the body.
Holly Whitehall first felt pain in her left hip in October last year but simply blamed it on going to the gym too much.
The 22-year-old paralegal from Nottingham decided to visit her GP when the pain worsened and she was advised to go to A&E after doctors suspected an ovarian cyst.
But further tests at Nottingham City Hospital revealed he actually had multiple fatal blood clots in his lungs, stomach and left leg.
Whitehall says doctors detected the killer clusters just 10 days before she flew to Australia, a six-month dream trip that doctors said could have killed her before she returned home.
Holly Whitehall, 22, first felt pain in her left hip in October last year, but put it down to going to the gym too much.
She decided to visit her GP when the pain worsened and was advised to go to A&E, where tests revealed she had blood clots.
She said she is “lucky to be alive” as she claims doctors told her blood clots were a rare complication of taking the combined contraceptive pill.
Whitehall had tested three different combination pills since the beginning of 2022.
But she believes the “growing, aching pain” in her hip was caused by the contraceptive.
“I suddenly felt this pain in the top of my hip, but I go to the gym a lot, so I thought I had torn a muscle,” he said.
‘I didn’t think anything of it. It was like a growing, aching pain.
He had tried three different combination pills since early 2022, but did not believe the “increasing, aching pain” was caused by the pill.
I had tried everything to relieve the hip pain, from ice packs to heat, but nothing worked.
Doctors found clots in his lungs, stomach and left leg and were surprised it had not affected his breathing.
‘A couple of days later I thought “this is getting quite painful” so I tried the classic ice and heat pack, but nothing helped.
“Actually, my parents said, ‘maybe you should go to the doctor and get yourself checked out,’ so I went to the doctors and they did tests.
‘At A&E I felt increasingly uncomfortable. I was in a lot of pain and they basically told me that they found blood clots in my leg and that they had traveled to my hip.
“The pain in my leg got so bad that in the end I couldn’t walk.
‘There were clots in my lungs, stomach and left leg. They were surprised it hadn’t affected my breathing.
Ms Whitehall underwent two surgeries to remove the clots and had a stent placed in her hip.
Mrs Whitehall will continue to take blood-thinning medication for the rest of her life.
Although blood clots are a side effect of the pill, only one in 1,000 are affected by them as a direct result of the contraceptive.
‘They said it was a significant amount and that he was lucky to be alive. He was quite petrified.
“I was supposed to fly to Australia two weeks later and they basically said if I had gotten on the plane I wouldn’t have made it home.”
Mrs Whitehall underwent two surgeries to remove the clots and an operation to restore circulation to her hip.
He will now continue to take blood-thinning medications for the rest of his life.
Blood clots are a side effect of taking the combined pill, but this risk is very small.
Further tests revealed that Ms Whitehall had antiphospholipid syndrome (APS), an immune system disorder that causes an increased risk of blood clots.
In fact, according to the NHS, only one in 1,000 people using combined hormonal contraceptives, such as the pill, are at risk of blood clots.
These blood clots can appear in the legs or lungs and put you at risk for a heart attack or stroke.
A doctor, nurse or pharmacist should check if you have certain risk factors, such as blood clots, a heart problem or migraines, before prescribing the pill. They should also monitor their blood pressure.
Further tests revealed that Ms Whitehall had antiphospholipid syndrome (APS), an immune system disorder that causes an increased risk of blood clots.
Certain medications, including the combined birth control pill, can trigger APS in some people. According to the NHS, eating an unhealthy diet, not getting enough exercise and smoking are also risk factors.
Whitehall warns others not to ignore possible warning signs of a blood clot
Following her three-week hospital stay last year, she now urges others not to ignore any pain or discomfort, especially when taking the combined pill.
“Doctors said this could have happened in the future due to underlying problems with APS, but that it was triggered and contributed to by the pill,” he said.
‘What scares me the most is that I didn’t know what was happening in my body and how quickly it came out of nowhere. You never think it’s going to happen to you.
‘I would tell people not to ignore any signs or pain you are feeling, especially if you are on the pill.
‘I tell everyone to check things just to be sure. I probably delayed treatment because I thought it was minor.
“Just consider all your contraceptive options and whether you really need them.”
