Training after phlebitis

Pain & Rehab Forum [Moderated]
1

I’ve got an annual checkup with my PCM on Jan 15. In the meantime, I’d like to resume training after a layoff due to apparent phlebitis in my right arm.

Question:
In general, any issue with resuming strength training after phlebitis?

Stats: 46yo male; 72in, 210lbs; no known diseases or allergies; no Rx; normal BP; low cholesterol; 62 resting HR; meet minimum physical activity guidelines; non-smoker; non-drinker

Symptoms, diagnoses, and treatment:
I had tightness, inflammation, and pain in my right arm for about two weeks. It initially included a small lump in the armpit and inflammation that ran down the inside of my bicep to the elbow. Doc initially determined likely lymph node inflammation. After nearly a week of trying to get an appointment for the ultrasound to confirm, the armpit lump disappeared, but the symptoms got much worse in my arm, with it spreading halfway down my inner forearm. I returned to the clinic and a nurse immediately said “that’s phlebitis.” He sent me to the ER, and the ER doc agreed. They checked for blood clots (none) and put me on 10 days of antibiotics. Now at 4+ weeks from initial symptoms and day 10 of 10 for the antibiotics, it’s noticeably better - probably 90%+.

Impact on training prior to this week:
S/B/D never aggravated it, but pull-ups, barbell rows, and OH press were out of the question, as were the eccentric portion of dips. Rowing was fine, but I kept it to minimum out of caution.

Attempted rehab:
I tried pull-ups and barbell rows yesterday, and OH presses and dips today. Barbells were 60-70% e1RM for 3 sets of 5, just to ease my way back into it. Pull-ups hurt a bit, so I did band-assisted for 3 sets of 3. Dips with just BW feel fine so I did 3 sets of 5. I’d rate everything RPE 6 or lower.

So far, this feels ok. Can I trust what my body is telling me and slowly add volume and intensity? Or are there unique concerns about phlebitis that mean I should be more cautious?

2

I will preface by saying this is a bit odd; I’m not sure what caused/contributed to this “phlebitis” (if that diagnosis was indeed correct), or whether there was truly an infection present requiring antibiotics.

Regardless, at this point it does seem to be mostly improved, and there was no deep vein thrombosis identified on your ultrasound. As a result, I would not have concerns about you training essentially normally, adjusting based on your symptoms & tolerance.

3

Thanks. I’m not entirely confident in the diagnosis, The symptoms cleared up, though I have no idea if it was due to the antibiotics. Correlation is there.

I meet with my PCM next week for an annual checkup (my first “annual” check in five years). I’m nearing retirement from the Army, so I’ll be bringing a list of every injury and chronic pain that I’ve been ignoring or hiding for the last 20 years. I anticipate a few referrals, so hopefully the doc will also be inclined to order a test to explore other causes for this issue.