How can I test my pain threshold?

Leg pain with elevated D'dimer test?

• Okay I am a little worried about my D'dimer results. On October 8th I went to the ER because my right leg was hurting and my knee and thigh were swollen a bit. They gave me a D'dimer test that came back slightly elevated at 0.59 where the cut off is 0.53 because of that they gave me an ultrasound of my right leg and it was found that there was no clot. Now I have worried about clots before and I have had the D'dimer test before and it was never elevated. So 2 days later my right leg started to hurt and it looked swollen so I went back to the ER and instead of running another D'dimer they just went ahead and did an ultrasound my right leg and it was found that there were no clots in that leg either. So I think what has got my legs hurting was I have been urinating a lot at night lately so when I get up to go sometimes I am half asleep. A day or 2 before the first leg starting hurting I had fell asleep on the toilett and I know I must have been on there for a long time cause when I got up I could not put pressure on my left leg, it was completely numb! I know I have had to been there for a decent amount of time before I woke up.. So after knowing that I had no clots in my legs I felt better even though my D'dimer test was elevated however, a few hours ago I started to get chest pains... I am feeling 2 different kinds of pains, one of the pains I have felt before but there is this one that is right under my left breast that is a sharp pain like I have never had before... Its not a very bad pain but it does hurt.. It feels like someone is stabbing me there. The pain is not constant it does come and go.. I am worried about the pain because of the elevated D'dimer test.. In order for the D'dimer test to be positive doesnt that mean there has to be some clot breaking down in my body? I am concerned now with a PE.. I know they checked my legs and found nothing but the D'dimer doesnt tell you where the clot is, so maybe there is a clot somewhere in my body and I am worried about that. Has anyone else had an elevated D'dimer but not clot?? I know D'dimer can be elevated for things like infection or trauma but I have and had none of those... I want to go to the ER but I feel a little embarrassed. I did call my doctor and left a message though I dont know when and if he will call me back... How accurate are those ultrasounds n the legs anyway cause I am having pain still in my left leg behind my knee mostly when I walk.. Does anyone know if the pain from a PE will come and go or if it is constant?? Wow I am really freaked out.. Hopefully my doctor will call me back soon to advise me what to do...

• Answer:

  A slightly elevated d-dimer may not be the criteria for diagnosis of your problem, there are other many things like lymphangitis or cellulitis etc, your doctors should've done a preliminary blood, urine, and ekg, d-dimer and doppler are not the preliminary tests for a swollen leg or leg pain, if all other criterias like infection etc is not proved then they can go for all the above tests and even an mri angio, so better to go for a second opinion. Take care.