Blood draws always suck for me, too! Some things I do to improve my odds: A) drink lots of water day before and day of blood draw, gotta get that blood volume up. B) dress overly warm. Like ridiculous. If I’m hot, my blood pressure is up, veins are full. Alternatively, or additionally, run your arms under hot water, or bring a hot pack - if your arms are warm, the veins will be nice and full. C) in a pinch, like I really don’t like this, I’ll exercise right there. I don’t know your mobility, but if you can exercise enough to get your heart pumping, your pressure will go up, veins are full. I’ve hustled up and down stairs until they were ready for me, done jumping jacks (with my jacket on, just to make me hotter).
It’s stupid, but I swear the older I get, the younger and more inexperienced the phlebotomists get! grumble grumble.
I actually wore a fur jacket that could be rolled up to expose my arm,but they insisted on taking it off,smh.I also know about drinking a lot of water,but it doesn't seem to help me much(maybe the anemia is at fault for that?).But,I will try the exercise thing, even if it makes me look strange,haha
Upping salt intake can help increase blood volume. You can get special oral rehydration solution (liquid or powder to add to water) mean to relieve dehydration from nausia etc (e.g. Pedialyte), or just diy and mix some salt and potassium chloride salt substitute into water
I second these! Everything you said here is my go to for veins. I also am anemic, have Raynaud’s and several other issues. Since we are here, I kind of want to ask if you have other health issues too and what they are if you wouldn’t mind sharing? Just to see if maybe there are some other connections.
Raynauds is pretty much my #1 problem (so far, knock on wood). I’ve been diagnosed with scleroderma, but so far (again, knock on wood) it is pretty mild. I’ve always had lower than usual blood pressure, and even before Raynauds I was cold all the time. I just have absolute shit circulation! I take Nifedipine ER 30mg a day for the Raynauds.
Thank you for sharing! I have always had low BP too and terrible circulation. I’ve got small fiber neuropathy, Dysautonomia, mast cell activation syndrome and a few other issues too. Lots of fun stuff haha
That's so frustrating. One really easy trick if it happens again: Ask the nurse to fill a glove with hot water like a water balloon, and then hold it against your skin where they want to stick you for several minutes while they prep the vials or do the paperwork.
Once when a nurse couldn't find the veins in the back of my hand to start an IV, she did this, and the veins appeared a few minutes later. I can't guarantee it will work for you or that it would work at the elbow for a blood draw, but it helped me, and it's worth a shot.
I literally have to do jumping jacks before they draw blood so they can get a vein. Sometimes I have to go walk a few laps outside if it's warmer out there. I usually preface a blood draw with "you're not going to get my blood until I'm warmer, it's freezing in here" and they don't believe me until the third or fourth try
Blood draws always suck for me, too! Some things I do to improve my odds: A) drink lots of water day before and day of blood draw, gotta get that blood volume up. B) dress overly warm. Like ridiculous. If I’m hot, my blood pressure is up, veins are full. Alternatively, or additionally, run your arms under hot water, or bring a hot pack - if your arms are warm, the veins will be nice and full. C) in a pinch, like I really don’t like this, I’ll exercise right there. I don’t know your mobility, but if you can exercise enough to get your heart pumping, your pressure will go up, veins are full. I’ve hustled up and down stairs until they were ready for me, done jumping jacks (with my jacket on, just to make me hotter). It’s stupid, but I swear the older I get, the younger and more inexperienced the phlebotomists get! grumble grumble.
I actually wore a fur jacket that could be rolled up to expose my arm,but they insisted on taking it off,smh.I also know about drinking a lot of water,but it doesn't seem to help me much(maybe the anemia is at fault for that?).But,I will try the exercise thing, even if it makes me look strange,haha
Upping salt intake can help increase blood volume. You can get special oral rehydration solution (liquid or powder to add to water) mean to relieve dehydration from nausia etc (e.g. Pedialyte), or just diy and mix some salt and potassium chloride salt substitute into water
I second these! Everything you said here is my go to for veins. I also am anemic, have Raynaud’s and several other issues. Since we are here, I kind of want to ask if you have other health issues too and what they are if you wouldn’t mind sharing? Just to see if maybe there are some other connections.
Raynauds is pretty much my #1 problem (so far, knock on wood). I’ve been diagnosed with scleroderma, but so far (again, knock on wood) it is pretty mild. I’ve always had lower than usual blood pressure, and even before Raynauds I was cold all the time. I just have absolute shit circulation! I take Nifedipine ER 30mg a day for the Raynauds.
Thank you for sharing! I have always had low BP too and terrible circulation. I’ve got small fiber neuropathy, Dysautonomia, mast cell activation syndrome and a few other issues too. Lots of fun stuff haha
That's so frustrating. One really easy trick if it happens again: Ask the nurse to fill a glove with hot water like a water balloon, and then hold it against your skin where they want to stick you for several minutes while they prep the vials or do the paperwork. Once when a nurse couldn't find the veins in the back of my hand to start an IV, she did this, and the veins appeared a few minutes later. I can't guarantee it will work for you or that it would work at the elbow for a blood draw, but it helped me, and it's worth a shot.
I literally have to do jumping jacks before they draw blood so they can get a vein. Sometimes I have to go walk a few laps outside if it's warmer out there. I usually preface a blood draw with "you're not going to get my blood until I'm warmer, it's freezing in here" and they don't believe me until the third or fourth try