Cannular after-effects

I'm not after urgent medical advice - I'm not worried, just curious, and I'm seeing my GP tomorrow so if it hasn't mended itself I can get her to check then...

I had my synacthen test today and had to be cannulated. I'm notoriously bad with having these in - my veins run away or they look like they're working till they try to draw blood or flush them. It's not uncommon with me that trying to get one in involves several nurses, doctors and then discussions of other parts of my body they could use (at which point I swiftly hide my feet under the nearest solid object!). And so this happened today, accompanied by the usual jubilant for a split second nurse who claims ""see, I got it in ... oh""!!

Anyway, they eventually got one in though it wasn't great and couldn't be used for everything and involved my arm spraying vast quantities of vampire juice over everything within a 5-mile radius especially when they took it out. Normally when I've had then out it's been fine, sometimes I get a bruise and I often react to the tape.

This time however, it looks/feels very odd - all the veins are very blue and right up on the surface so my whole inside elbow just looks blue (it's not a bruised blue and normally I can't see my veins) and where the cannular was feels 'bumpy' - not sure how to describe it, it raised but not painful. Is this a normal reaction and will it go down - I've had loads of cannulars in before but nothing like this. It's almost like my arm is going ""okay, okay, you want veins, here they are, have them all!!

[Annista]

Hi Ratty. As someone who could bleed for England with no trouble it all sounds horrible to me and I really feel for you. If I'm worried about anything like that I tend to go for the ice, but you've probably already done that. Not very helpful, I'm afraid, so I hope someone else can say something more sensible.

Let us know how you get on.

xx

[Skee-skee]

I think I know what you mean Ratty. After having an IV in the back of my hand for 3 days it was sore and red (you know when you feel they need to come out). After they removed it I developed what felt like 2 lumps (they were also visible) in the vein. Blood didn't seem to flow beyond this point for quite a while now a little bit does. The bad thing is now what was the big fat vein on the back of my hand is now a little useless one. A similar thing (smaller lumps) then happened with the opposite hand a few months later so at least I am symmetrical again!

Not sure if this helps at all! I would be interested to know what your GP says though!

Bryony

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Thanks both - it had gone down a fair bit by this morning, so probably just irritated more than anything. Doc was more concerned about the allergic reaction to the tape (which is looking pretty impressive right now!!) but I just reminded her I'm allergic to everything...

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what we must look like, hey ?! with all our impressive bruises - our very own roadmaps of britain on our arms

look and feel like i have gone 10 rounds with tyson and lost

after my current treks back and forth to costa my arms are battered and bruised and have been treated like pin cushions - poor babies!! thats without the ABGs and the bruises on tummy from clot prevention injections :S

i rub body potion into them after cooling them with lil ice like someone mentioned them.

also plenty radox baths, which also helps me to relax too

aaahhhh.....

x x x

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ratty - i know what you mean- i have the same problem- whenever they try to take blood its always a hassle, veins seem fine then no blood so start over with the results being that i often look like a druggie lol. my hands both have 4 bumps on them after being canulised in hospital couple of weeks ago and are showing no signs of going, although my arms are just brusied a lovely green colour now. the worst for me is when ive had blood gassess done as its never simple and hurts and leaves awful lumps and marks. i was told a hand massage would help but not tried yet x