Wedding stylist thought she was 'on feet too much at work' only to discover blood clots 'caused by pill'

Charlotte Collis began to experience sharp pains in her right calf in April 2025 but put her discomfort down to long days on her feet during 'high wedding fair season'.

When the 37-year-old began to develop a cough and noticed her face flush red throughout the day, she brushed it off as being caused by her asthma or allergies.

But when the symptoms persisted, Charlotte's wedding stylist husband Paul Collis, 42, urged her to go to the doctors.

At her first GP appointment on June 2, the mum-of-two was checked for a chest infection and underwent a saliva test and x-ray but was told all her results were clear.

But when Paul spotted articles online about the dangers of blood clots developing while on some contraceptive pills, he pushed for her to get a second opinion.

After visiting her GP on June 25 again, the wedding and events venue dresser was sent to A&E at the Royal Derby Hospital in Derby as a precautionary measure.

A scan revealed she had multiple blood clots in her lower left lung - known as a pulmonary embolism (PE).

Charlotte had been taking a progesterone-only pill for eight months as contraception and also to help manage her irregular periods.

After being diagnosed with a PE she claims a doctor told her it was caused by the pill, which had caused a blood clot to develop in her leg and travel up into her lung.

Now, Charlotte has stopped taking the pill and is on blood thinners, and credits her hubby Paul for saving her life as she claims she could have died if the blood clots weren't discovered.

Charlotte, from Derby in the East Midlands, said: "I'd been getting into bed and had shooting pains going up my right calf.

"My husband and I dress venues for weddings and events. It was high wedding fair season so we were on our feet a lot and I thought I had just stood for too long and made my legs tired.

"I then had nothing until about a month later until I started to get pains in my right thigh. I didn't connect these two symptoms but now I know this was the blood clots.

"I also had a cough in total for around eight or nine weeks before I was treated. At first I just put the cough down to the weather changing or a chest infection as I'm asthmatic.

"After I had eaten, my face would go bright red. I thought it was a reaction to the food because I have an allergy to black pepper.

"But then my face started to just go red throughout the day. It was really concerning my husband as my face kept going red and he said this wasn't normal.

"Before we went to the second appointment, my husband had seen a second article online about a woman passing away from a blood clot caused by the contraceptive pill.

"[At the hospital], I was told the scan had found multiple blood clots in the lower part of my left lung.

"I was told it was really serious and could have been fatal. If I hadn't come and my husband hadn't pushed it because of my symptoms, I may not have found the blood clot.

"We've been on quite an emotional rollercoaster.

"In a few days, I went from having what I thought was a chest infection to in essence having something that was killing me without me even knowing it.

"My husband said it was a silent killer because the symptoms can be so many other things. He has actually saved my life by seeing my symptoms and pushing for me [at the doctor's]."

Now taking two blood thinner tablets every day for at least three months, Charlotte's awaiting a follow-up appointment at the chest clinic.

Charlotte said: "The doctor told me this was caused by the pill. I know it's [the blood clots] are bad but I don't know the full extent until I've gone to the chest clinic.

"It happened in a short amount of time due to being on the pill. The blood clots started in my leg and went up into my lung."

After her scare, Charlotte is now urging other women to push for a second opinion if they feel something is wrong.

Charlotte said: "I want to tell women to listen to their bodies. If you're a mum or have a busy lifestyle, you sometimes don't listen to what is going on with your body and it can be something really serious.

"We put other people, like our children, before ourselves and you need to get yourself checked to make sure everything is okay

"I would also say that if you know something is wrong, go and get help. If you're told that everything is fine the first time, push for a second opinion as doctors can get it wrong as they're only human."

WHAT IS A PULMONARY EMBOLISM (PE)?

According to the NHS, a pulmonary embolism (PE) is when a blood clot blocks a blood vessel in the lungs and can be life-threatening if not treated quickly. Common symptoms of a PE are chest pains, coughing up blood and pain, redness or swelling in one of your legs - usually in the calf.