# Anyone else have NO veins???



## LoriS (Dec 9, 2010)

I used to think it was because of my weight- at over 300 pounds, nurses would grumble about not being able to draw my blood or hook up an IV because of my fat obscuring the veins. Well, I've lost down to 165 now but STILL have no damn veins! My seizures sometimes cause me to injure my head and I end up in the ER, but I have been stuck literally dozens of times by dozens of nurses and always end up having to have the IV in my neck. I do have some veins of course, but they are thin and spidery. It hurts getting the line in my neck, but it is not nearly as painful as when they tried sticking my feet for a line before!  But I digress. My question is: do any of you have problems with vein access because of your weight, or was that just an excuse for the nurses to gripe at me for being fat?


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## Fat Brian (Dec 9, 2010)

My wife has challenging veins though I don't think her weigh is a factor. Now if she has to give blood she drinks a few glasses of water before to make sure her veins are nice a full. On a side note, smoking can cause constricted veins.


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## Cynthia (Dec 9, 2010)

After a few too many vampire jokes at blood drives, I decided many years ago to do my part by being a registration desk volunteer instead. My aunt, who worked for about a decade as an IV nurse, said that weight shouldn't be a big factor for the great majority of people. Hydration does seem to make a substantial difference, though, as Brian pointed out. I usually just direct people to the veins in my hands, but I don't like collecting so many tiny scars. Here's a good link with techniques that you can recommend.

*Phlebotomy Tips*
http://www.phlebotomypages.com/expert_tips.htm


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## Miss Vickie (Dec 9, 2010)

As one of those mean ol' nurses who occasionally has to draw blood or start IV's on people, I can tell you there are lots of reasons that sometimes we can't gain access to a vein. Sometimes it's because the vessel walls are really tenacious (this is the case with my husband) and it's hard to pierce the outer lumen. Sometimes it's because veins roll, though you can usually stabilize them if you know ahead of time. Sometimes it's because they have lots of valves, but you can usually see them and can look elsewhere. Sometimes they're really friable, meaning you go in and... the vein is blown; that's usually managed with using smaller needles to access the vein.

And yes, sometimes it can be because of a lot of subcutaneous fat, making it difficult to see, or feel, the veins. I usually do two things to make it better -- use warm packs, warm blankets and positioning the arm to fill with blood, and also use a transilluminator, which allows visualization of the vein (this works better for babies). 

Not much one can do about the weight thing, but you can make it go better of you're well hydrated, are nice and warm when you get there, and try to stay calm (fear seems to makes veins disappear, too). As a patient, knowing I had bad veins, I volunteered at the blood bank to have my blood drawn. It took just one or two visits for me to find my "good" vein, and it's always the one I show to the phlebotomists or nurses when I need a poke. It's called "Old Reliable", and so far -- despite the massive amounts of blood draws I have each year -- it's never failed me.


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## Jes (Dec 9, 2010)

The 'drink a lot' trick is a good one--but I've needed IVs only when I've been having surgery/a procedure, and am therefore fasting. It compounds the problem and I wish I knew what to do (esp. since I just found out I need another procedure!). It seems dumb to focus on such a small thing, but you're fully awake for that, as opposed to being sedated/knocked out for the other stuff. My veins all hide and while I hadn't thought of fatness as a hindrance, it might well be. Interestingly, I never ever had difficult veins 'til 5 or so years ago. It went from no probs at all to almost entirely probs. I don't know why.


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## Mishty (Dec 9, 2010)

Reading this made me squirm, I've had some hellish experiences getting blood drawn,I have big rolling veins that can't be pierced, but thankfully with a little help and caring we've(nurse Gayle & me) got it down to a single vein in my left hand that can be used with a butterfly needle, it works every time.
I think though, my paranoia and fear of needles and the pain makes me tense up, my blood pressure goes all over the place and I have been known to faint. 

Drinking plenty, does work wonders though, last time I went I kept my blood sugar up and my self hydrated with ice cold apple juice. 
I've always worried that weight was the reason it was so difficult to find a vein in my arm, but the nurse told me no when I asked, she said it was just one of those things. I haven't tried the warm thing though, maybe since doctors offices are cold, bringing a warm jacket would help.


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## imfree (Dec 9, 2010)

My veins roll and are also very good at hiding form the phlebotomist. I was pretty dehydrated one time I went to the VA Hosp a couple years ago and went through hell, requiring 4 and 5 attempts each time they drew blood! Mishty's post describes me as well.


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## Miss Vickie (Dec 9, 2010)

It's also important that while they may require you to be "fasting", in some cases it's okay to drink water. Be sure to talk to your doctor (or nurse practitioner!) ahead of time to ask if it's okay to drink water before your test, and if you can -- drink up! It'll make things much easier for both you, and your friendly neighborhood poker.


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## CastingPearls (Dec 10, 2010)

My veins are a nightmare, They roll, they're tiny, they blow out like cheap tires...every trip to the lab is an adventure and they have to call in the big guns to draw blood from me and even then, some labs have a policy for how many attempts before another tech is called in. Once they were about to send me to another lab when I told them someone was getting blood drawn whether it was me or them. They said they were afraid of hurting me but I've had horrible MRSA so pain is nothing to me now--I told them to poke away and they did and got four vials. Drinking water helps a lot. Also listening to me when I tell them what spots are most likely and what spots will never yield, helps a lot too. I've never had anyone say my weight had anything to do with it and most places where blood is drawn from me doesn't have a lot of fat anyway (like the top of my hand.)


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## Luv2BNaughty (Dec 10, 2010)

Sometimes they have a hard time, sometimes they don't - and sometimes it depends on who is drawing your blood. I had one nurse trying to insert an IV at one hospital visit and she kept trying and trying and trying (ooouuccch!!)...had another nurse come in and got it done in one try.


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## Jes (Dec 10, 2010)

Miss Vickie said:


> It's also important that while they may require you to be "fasting", in some cases it's okay to drink water. Be sure to talk to your doctor (or nurse practitioner!) ahead of time to ask if it's okay to drink water before your test, and if you can -- drink up! It'll make things much easier for both you, and your friendly neighborhood poker.



Good to know. In my cases, water has been a no-no. *sad face*

In other news, the phrase 'friendly neighborhood poker' kinda turned me on.


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## Jes (Dec 10, 2010)

Remember when I got poked (!) last year, and then realized the tech wasn't wearing gloves? Who doesn't wear gloves? HORRIBLE. ALso, she did something that resulted in me having a giant bloody bruise under my skin. Like the entire inner elbow area, a good 4 inches in diameter, maybe more. 
eww.


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## littlefairywren (Dec 10, 2010)

I detest having blood drawn. My veins are there, but they "hide" or collapse when it comes to needles. I have a tendency to hold my breath when they stick me, which also hinders the flow of blood apparently, so I have to remember to keep breathing. 

I have ended up with major bruising, after not being heard when I explained where to look for blood. Five nurses tried and none were successful, and I ended up passing out after watching them move the needle from side to side looking for a vein. Just thinking about this makes me hold my breath!


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## CastingPearls (Dec 10, 2010)

No matter what they do or don't do I always get a horrible bruise but I also have a condition that makes me bruise easily so I can't say whether it's me or them.

I'm amazed at how far I've come from when I had a life-long phobia of needles to telling a tech to do whatever she had to do to draw. I was hospitalized so many times in the space of 18 months and had to have IVs on both arms changed every few hours so often that I just had to deal and accept it as part of the healing process. Now I don't even blink an eye but I sure don't recommend going my route to become desensitized. LOL


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## thatgirl08 (Dec 19, 2010)

I always bruise too, and they don't even have trouble finding my veins usually. I absolutely abhor having blood drawn. I think it's because I have a serious aversion to anything medical and anything that could in any way be associated with fainting.. the suggestion of getting my blood drawn is enough to send me into a panic attack so needless to say, I avoid it at all costs.


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