Flying with a blood clot

Hi Dunes,

Thank you for getting in touch with us and welcome back to our online community.  I see that you are a member of our melanoma forum.  I hope you are finding it helpful and supportive. 

My name is Adrienne and I’m one of the Cancer Information Nurse Specialists at Macmillan.

It’s great to hear that the blood clot in your spleen has reduced in size since starting apixaban.  Although it is safe to fly short distances whilst taking blood thinning medication, it’s very important that you speak to your consultant or hospital team first.  Just to ensure the clot is stable enough and they are happy for you to fly to Amsterdam.  They may also give you more information on how to reduce risk of developing further blood clots, despite being on apixaban.  E.g. measure you for flight socks, wearing loose comfortable clothing, perform frequent calf muscle exercises and maintain normal fluid intake whilst avoiding excessive alcohol consumption. 

Whilst the risk of travel related blood clots is associated with long haul flights (longer than 4 hours), as you are high risk, it’s important to take precautions. 

The main thing is to contact your treatment team to find out if it is safe for you to fly, and what else (if anything) they would recommend to keep your risk as low as possible.

I hope this was helpful but please know you can also give us a call on the support line to talk things through.  Our lines are open every day, from 8am to 8pm and the number to call is 0808 808 0000.

Take care and best wishes,

Adrienne

Cancer Information Nurse Specialist

REF:  AMc/RH

Thank you very much for this prompt and detailed response. It really is appreciated.