I remember the extensive, bilateral and multiple pulmonary embolisms I had. I spent a couple of days in an intensive care unit. The only CT-scan down was of my lungs which seemed to impress quite a few doctors. They had never seen anything like it before. There were so many blood clots throughout both of my lungs the doctors weren't quite sure how there was still blood flowing through my lungs. There were conversations outside my hospital room speculating about the probable cause. The high doses of prednisone I was taking at the time were frequently mentioned as a possible cause. However, the final determination for what caused my pulmonary embolisms was idiopathic and unprovoked.

"Warfarin for life" was my treatment. I took warfarin for 10 years until Eliquis was offered as an alternative to warfarin. My risk factors were reevaluated but the determination was I was more at risk of having a bleed than having another pulmonary embolism. I was off prednisone so that was also factored in. PMR seems to be well controlled.

"Current use of oral corticosteroids is associated with increased risk of recurrent PE. Whether this increased risk is caused by oral corticosteroids themselves, or by the underlying disease, or both, needs further investigation."