Your veins / IV Access

[gwenllian111]

Hi

I wondered if WG patients tend to have bad veins, and as a result, have difficulty getting IV access? My veins are terrible, and i'm waiting to have a central line put in.

Anyone else struggling in this area?

[elephant]

I think our disease, medicines we take are hard on our veins. If your dehydrated it is also hard to put an IV in.

[DEE]

I have rubbish veins and local nurses that do my bloods asked me to drink a pint of water a least before giving blood seems to work

if not i just let them use alternate arm each week

[gwenllian111]

That's a good idea, drinking a load of water before hand. x

[Hammy8241]

I have no trouble with my veins Gwen, but saying that I've not been used as a pin cushion. :unsure:

Hope your CL goes well.

[Jack]

I have huge, fat veins that cause no problems, but some can still mess up taking bloods and leave a bruise. :mad1:

[Sangye]

I have a major problem with vein access. Mine were used heavily in the early days and some scarred up. I'm missing a couple also--weird congenital glitch. Pred makes veins fragile. After 2 years off of it mine were barely starting to come back to life. Since I've been back on higher doses, I'm having major trouble again. My veins are very small and they can only use the tiniest needles. Even so, it's hard to get an IV in. They usually blow right away.

It definitely helps to drink lots of water. Taking some vitamin C daily helps, too-- builds connective tissue. It's safe to take around 1,000 mg, but doses above that run the risk of boosting your immune system too much.

[JanW]

Huge fat veins like Jack here. No problems with the frequent bloods or IVs on occasion.

[pberggren1]

I had a PICC put in on July 28 to take the IV meds I am taking now. They have had quite a bit of trouble getting blood out on a regular basis. The doc says that blood is an enemy of the line and that they are not drawing and flushing fast enough so the blood clots in the line. My veins are usually good and haven't had any trouble the last couple of years getting poked.

[brocky99]

I have no problems usually but when i was ill in feb they struggled but they said it was cos i was dehydrated.

[jola57]

I have happy fat veins also but, when I was on ctx they were nowhere to be found. Since getting of of it last year they are happily comming back.

[pberggren1]

Yes, if I remember correctly my veins were no hot **** either while on ctx.

[DEE]

thats good news guys mmy local nurses run the oppoisite way when they see me coming to give blood maybe get better now im of cxt mot so good wednesday but can live in hope :thumbup:

[misskay]

The longer I'm on all these meds, the harder it is for them to get blood or IV access. Yesterday I went for my weekly blood draw and it took them 6 sticks to get a vein... feel like a pincushion. They're starting to hate to see me walk into the lab :/

[Fran]

I too had trouble when on ctx - nurses would fetch a bowl of fairly warm water to put my hand in to try to bring up a vein, but would still have trouble getting the cannular in and usually resorted to fetching a doctor to do it and then giggle at his efforts. Good luck with you CL http://www.wegeners-granulomatosis.com/forum/images/editor/smilie.png (javascript://)

[Sangye]

I didn't notice that I was worse on ctx. The pred definitely makes them worse, according to my hematologist. Every time I have to do labs I have to make sure I get the best stick. I only have 2-3 veins and if they miss them we can't get blood. It's a good thing I have no needle phobia--I'd be in real trouble by now!

One long night in JHU ER, they dug for 9.5 hrs straight (not kidding) for an IV. They'd get one in but it would infiltrate when they flushed it. They tried everywhere, including my neck. It was like torture-- digging and digging and then constant infiltrates. They kept getting another nurse to try, so I didn't get a break the entire time. After 9.5 hrs of it, I finally burst into tears.

[Fran]

Sangye - you've not had many breaks darlin' have you over the past few years yet you have a wonderful sense of humour (brit sp) - I find you an absolute inspiration (no blushing allowed) !

[Sangye]

Aww, so sweet. Yup, there hasn't been any break in the entire 4+ years. My friends describe it as "relentless." Laughing about it definitely helps. :smile1:

[jola57]

When I was taking blood many many moons ago from cancer patients I never thought that I would be on the receiving end with poor veins. for many months only butterfly needles were used on my veins.

[drz]

I had a PICC put in on July 28 to take the IV meds I am taking now. They have had quite a bit of trouble getting blood out on a regular basis. The doc says that blood is an enemy of the line and that they are not drawing and flushing fast enough so the blood clots in the line. My veins are usually good and haven't had any trouble the last couple of years getting poked.

I liked having the PICC for draws and IV's but unfortunately they have to remove them so often due to risk of infection. I also had a couple of those. I was told by one IV access person that "I could do these veins in the dark". Even so every once in a while they screw up or have trouble and I get the black and blue bruise mark around the vein.

[drz]

I didn't notice that I was worse on ctx. The pred definitely makes them worse, according to my hematologist. Every time I have to do labs I have to make sure I get the best stick. I only have 2-3 veins and if they miss them we can't get blood. It's a good thing I have no needle phobia--I'd be in real trouble by now!

One long night in JHU ER, they dug for 9.5 hrs straight (not kidding) for an IV. They'd get one in but it would infiltrate when they flushed it. They tried everywhere, including my neck. It was like torture-- digging and digging and then constant infiltrates. They kept getting another nurse to try, so I didn't get a break the entire time. After 9.5 hrs of it, I finally burst into tears.

I would have given up long before that. You must really have a high tolerance for torture or else were very heavily medicated ata that time to endure this ordeal.

[Sangye]

I don't take pain meds. I have a very high tolerance for pain. I actually have to warn my docs about it and make sure they understand that by the time I say I'm hurting, most people would have passed out. Of course most of them doubt it until they see some objective evidence..... :glare:

[Doug]

My veins were such a mess at start that they installed a Grashong line in my chest, where it did me good service between late December 2003 through mid-February 2005. It was a weekly maintenance chore to assure it was functioning still, that the site wasn't infected (the line went into my aortic arch, so this was a big concern). I'd go in to the hospital once a week for the service, and they'd take blood samples those days I had a doctor's follow-up appointment. Even with this wonderful convenience, some skill was necessary to draw blood through it. The main thing I liked" NO pain! NO stabbing was good, too. NO bruising!

[Lightwarrior]

My veins are pretty much junk, I look like a pin cushion.

[pberggren1]

My veins were such a mess at start that they installed a Grashong line in my chest, where it did me good service between late December 2003 through mid-February 2005. It was a weekly maintenance chore to assure it was functioning still, that the site wasn't infected (the line went into my aortic arch, so this was a big concern). I'd go in to the hospital once a week for the service, and they'd take blood samples those days I had a doctor's follow-up appointment. Even with this wonderful convenience, some skill was necessary to draw blood through it. The main thing I liked" NO pain! NO stabbing was good, too. NO bruising!

Can't draw blood from my PICC line anymore because the nurses don't do it fast enough.

[drz]

Can't draw blood from my PICC line anymore because the nurses don't do it fast enough.
Are they going to install a new PICC for you?

[pberggren1]

Are they going to install a new PICC for you?

No they will not. By doc said to just get poked for a few more weeks.

[drz]

No they will not. By doc said to just get poked for a few more weeks.

I guess we sort get used to all the blood draws. I think I even slept through some of them while in hospital. Some times they would wake me up to be sure i was all right.

[elephant]

I was just the opposite drz, I could never sleep in the hospital...the nurse were wanting to give me sleeping pills. I was wide awake for every lab draw and all the other stuff.

[drz]

I was just the opposite drz, I could never sleep in the hospital...the nurse were wanting to give me sleeping pills. I was wide awake for every lab draw and all the other stuff.
Did you watch them too during draws?

[elephant]

Yep, like a hawk! Eye's wide open like a owl!:w00t:

[Sangye]

Even if I was sleeping, I woke up for blood draws. I have to guard my remaining veins like a hawk, so everyone who comes near them with a needle has to hear my little speech first. :wink1:

[DEE]

same here Sangye i even have the same nurse at gp surgery because i know she can usually get it the first time and without causing any brusing and because the other nurse smile at me if they think they have to do it :rolleyes1: