I’ve just returned from a blood test. The Nurse could not draw blood from my right arm, which has generally been the better one, and after a bit of twisting and prodding, said the vein had collapsed.
I do have Peripheral Artery Disease in my left leg but no pain or restrictions in my arms.
She did manage to take blood from my left arm. Is this something to worry about?
oh, I’m taking Clopidogrel, Atorvastatin and Famotidine.
I now always make sure I am fully hydrated by drinking lots of water over an hour or two before before I give a blood sample, which now works for me, following a tip passed on by a phlebotomist. In the past as I have got older if I didn't do that there was a struggle to find a vein. On one occasion on the ward it took three different people of ascending experience before I could provide a sample, and on other occasions I have had at least four sites tried before I could give a sample. Plus they sometimes have had to use a smaller needle. So my tip to anyone giving blood is to get hydrated especially if it is an early morning sample you are providing.
Thank you for that post. I was in hospital at Christmas and a trainee phlebotomist gave me a massive haematoma which took 6 weeks plus to go. There is still the area where the haematoma was. It was frightful. I complained by writing but was told as I took dispersible aspirin that was the cause!!! Nobody else while inserting cannulae gave me one whilst in there!
I found when in hospital that those taking blood ranged from hopeless to effortless.
Generally if there was a problem someone would name a specific person as the one needed to get the sample.
Agree Devonian, I found this when I was in my local hospital last year.
hey! Peripheral arterial disease and a collapsed vein are thankfully not linked. PAD is a condition on fatty deposits in the arteries (most often the legs) and as the name suggests, it affects arteries. Although they are both blood vessels, a collapsed vein was just bad luck, so no, although annoying it’s not a sign of anything progressing xx
My husband has a similar problem and always has blood taken from the back of his hand, usually with no bother
I had to have chemotherapy in 2011 after which the veins in my right arm collapsed and they have problems getting blood. I find drinking well before I have to give a blood sample helps. Usually the nurses who have experience in taking blood are successful in the end but it always poses problems. However they sometimes use my hands to obtain it and use the veins there rather than around my elbow. All the best but I would not worry about it too much. They usually cannot get a cannulae into my right arm either and cannot use my left arm as I have no lymph nodes. However I find the experienced phlebotomists are usually successful.
I had something similar whilst in hospital for my OHS and I was told it wasn’t an issue and occurred at random.
I used to take blood all the time ( loved doing it🙈😂), and sometimes a vein will collapse when you stick a needle into it. It’s the veins way of saying leave me alone. Young or old, health problems or not. I wouldn’t worry about it.
I was in hospital for an extended time and they basically took bloods every day. Both my arms were a beautiful hue of every colour you could imagine.
I hated it when ward nurses or doctors wanted to take bloods because I knew it was going to hurt and take ages.
BUT when the phlebotomists came round, it was great as they were straight in and out and you hardly felt it. Most of my bruising was down to the drugs.
They always had trouble taking blood from my mom. Until a wonderful male nurse used a children's needle and it was taken no problem from either of my mom's arms and mom never felt them take it . Next time ask them to use a child's needle.
I've had some awful experiences giving blood samples from a doctor who had to take blood every hour but forgot to turn off the tap on the canula afterwards, spraying me,the curtains, bed and floor to a nurse who tried 4 times then wanted to go into my hand which I find very painful. I Insisted on a GP doing it and they got it first time, then when having an angiogram, it leaked and my arm was black from wrist to elbow.. My veins tend to jump away when teh needle touches them. I also have a nerve running very close so I usually get pain up my arm. I've learned that the minute they start to have problems, I ask for someone else. Years ago a GP was injecting an iodine based dye into a vein to do a kidney x ray. My arm started to burn like crazy. A quick x ray showed he'd either missed the vein or gone through it and injected the iodine into my muscle. Some people are just useless at it.
No, nothing to worry about. Drink plenty of water before you have bloods taken. Maybe even a bit of exercise to get the blood flowing. Last time I needed bloods and a canula it took 5 members of staff and 5 attempts to get in a vein. I'm used to being a pin cushion. Usually end up with inside of wrist or halfway up forearm. Just have to grin and bear it. 🤪
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Claudication of Veins
