First time poster- originally from the fertility network- difficult veins any ideas?

[CC2018]

Hi All, i'm currently 22 weeks pregnant with dd from a first round of ivf due to unexplained infertility.I also have lupus and i'm classed as high risk and undergo tests and scans regularly. My issue is blood tests- i've had these since I was 9 but they are always an issue and can take over an hour and several attempts on different areas of my body and ultra sound machines to help find my veins. I've had several phloebotomists try at each one, doctors and anaesthetists but apparently I have very difficult veins, too thin, deep set and they jump about making it difficult to get the needle in. I've tried drinking lots of water, keeping warm, doing exercise * a brisk walk up and down while waiting. Any ideas to make my blood tests easier would be very welcome. TIA

[Lovefood1984]

What kind of needle do they use? Apparently butterfly needles are thinner and are better at finding difficult veins. Funnily enough for my IVF cannula they couldn’t put it in my arm and had to use the back of my hand due to my veins and sometimes nurses make a mess of getting blood from me and others are fine 🤷‍♀️ Other than the needle I can’t think of anything else to help x

[CC2018 in reply to Lovefood1984]

They always use butterfly but still no use thanks for replying x

[CC2018 in reply to CC2018]

They also mainly use my left hand- it's my best bet x

[Lovefood1984 in reply to CC2018]

I hope you find something that makes it a little easier....they do like to prod you a lot when you are pregnant x

[Hidden]

I’ve always had difficult veins and no matter what I do most people can’t get blood. I normally go to a particular person and my local hospital and she does it straight away. If I can’t do that then I tell them to use a paediatric needle or they end up going through my hand. I think your doing everything you can though xx

[CC2018 in reply to Hidden]

Thanks- they can get blood from my right arm or left-hand but it's very slow flowing and will stop. They sometimes have to push down on the vein to keep it going. I try to see someone who's good but it such a busy clinic there's no guarantee x

[Hidden in reply to CC2018]

You sound just like me. It’s not nice as a simple blood test can be quite painful. I remember my booking bloods they literally got 1/2 a centimetre amount of blood but luckily it was enough to be tested x

[CC2018 in reply to Hidden]

They always want some when I go in. At my first clinic they wanted 8 large tubes but could only get 6. I end up covered in bruises.

[Hidden in reply to CC2018]

Oh no that’s horrible 😔 xx

[embiemomma]

hi, i work on a cancer unit and our patients have notoriously difficult veins! Our best trick is heat! You can buy microwavable heat packs or the ones that click to activate... Use that for 5 minutes on the area beforehand and it really helps bring the vein up. I would also always mention it so hopefully you get someone experienced. Xx

[CC2018 in reply to embiemomma]

Thank you but I've tried that. In fact I had an oncology nurse tell me I have the worst veins she's seen in 20 years. She took great pleasure digging a needle round the back of my hand until she hit the the vein and said it was her proudest work. I wasn't so thrilled and had terrible pain in my hand afterwards. She had a go after 4 phloebotomists failed- they tried everywhere several times and 4 different types of needle x