The treatment options for DVT aim toward three key things. Firstly, it works towards restricting the clot, and not letting it grow bigger. Secondly, the treatment also ensures that the clot does not break loose or lead to some pulmonary embolism. Thirdly, the treatment’s objective is to lower your chance of developing DVT again in the future. Now, let us take a quick look at the conventional treatments used in curing DVT.

• Blood Thinners
  The first and the most popular treatment method of DVT is the use of blood thinners or anticoagulants. These are drugs that are either consumed in the pill form or are injected into the body. They do not break the existing clots. However, they do help in preventing the clots from growing bigger. It also lowers the chances of developing any further clots. Injectable forms of blood thinners can either be injected into the arm via the vein or be taken as an under-skin shot.

Heparin, a blood thinner, is intravenously injected. Some other forms of blood thinners, which are commonly used include dalteparin (Fragmin), fondaparinux (Arixtra), or enoxaparin (Lovenox). These are all injected into the skin. In this treatment option for DVT, the doctor will initially use injectable blood thinners. Following it, he’ll give you the pills like the dabigatran (Pradaxa) or warfarin (Jantoven, Coumadin). So, after warfarin has adequately performed the blood-thinning, you’ll no longer receive blood thinners’ injections. Then some other blood thinners will be given. These would include apixaban (Eliquis), edoxaban (Savaysa), or rivaroxaban (Xarelto). The blood thinners have to be continued for about three months, but sometimes a little longer than that. In all cases, you need to take the blood thinners precisely as prescribed. It is because a low or high intake of it can lead to side effects. People taking warfarin will have to undergo periodic blood examinations. These screenings are essential to examine the time it is taking for your blood to start clotting. Pregnant women must not take a few medications of blood thinning.

• Clot busters
  When you have a grave pulmonary embolism or DVT, or if no other medication works as required, the doctor will prescribe you drugs, which break the clots quickly. Such medications are the thrombolytics or clot busters. You can either take these drugs via IV or via a catheter-directed inserted into the requisite clot. As these medications can lead to severe bleeding, they found use only for extreme blood clot cases.
• Filters
  When you are unable to take the blood-thinning medications, you might get a filter injected. These filters do not let the clots, which break loose to lodge into the lungs.
• Compression stockings
  The stockings help prevent the swelling related to DVT. These must be worn on the legs from the feet to the knees.