Nurse couldn't get any blood out of me today!

Oh gosh.

I had blood taken last time at an evening clinic[I think the GP Surgery had got behind].
The nurse said mine came out easily.
She said she preferred taking blood out later in the day, as people generally were more hydrated then, and it came out easier.

So you could try drinking more than you usually would, beforehand?

Have you had enough water to drink before going for that test?

I loathe needles with a passion and so will very rarely let one near me for anything - but I do recall being told to have a blood test first thing of a morning since moving to Wales and that I mustnt have anything to eat/drink before coming for it. Cue for they struggled and struggled and it managed to be painful - despite the painkilling ointment I'd put on beforehand. They asked me if I'd had anything to drink before going there - and I replied "I was told to have nothing!!!"

Cue for I came back home and googled and I don't think I managed to get relevant how-to info from the Welsh part of the NHS. Looked up the English part of the info and there it was - all loud and clear and easy to find - telling me that "nil by mouth" meant = no food. It did not mean "no water" and it would be necessary to drink a reasonable amount of water before going for a blood test.

I was not a happy bunny with the local health place here - for misleading verbal "Don't have anything" - when what they should have done is hand me a nice clear how-to leaflet - including saying it was necessary to drink water beforehand and how much water (so that the veins were plump enough).

NB; That must have been painful - with them struggling. There is a local anaesthetic ointment one can buy at the chemist and put that on 30 minutes or so beforehand and that should prevent any pain. I think they maybe do do their job and use it on children - but don't think to mention it for adults! So one has to buy a tube of it for them and apply a suitable amount of time before going.

I just asked a quick "how to" question on Chat GPT. Am now annoyed with the English part of the NHS too (though it was that bit more efficient - it wasnt efficient enough).

It said:
- drink plenty of water
- have warm arms for better bloodflow
- avoid caffeine and nicotine
- ask for a smaller needle ("Butterfly needle") especially if small or sensitive veins (Why why why don't the NHS do that automatically then for everyone??????)
- the topical numbing cream that is necessary/but they don't provide it is lidocaine-based (ie in case you get a chemist assistant who isn't as au fait as they should be with requirements for this).

Was just about to say, make sure you have had a good drink of water. Cariad got in first with this good advice, given to me by a nurse, in the same situation you found yourself in.
Not sure how long in advance you take the water, or how much, but check it out online, or maybe someone on this Thread will bring an answer.
Good luck.
Did you try the squeeze fist as well?

Took my Dad in yesterday afternoon and the nurse couldn’t find his vein in either arm so he’s under instruction to drink gallons of water before another attempt is made on Friday afternoon.

He’s now terrified that all that liquid will necessitate more frequent loo stops…

I used to have this problem. One day the nurse called in one of the doctors who had training as an anaesthetist and he did it. He told me in future to drink lots of liquid before the test and to wrap up warm, too warm really so that's what I do and it's much easier now.

My advice is two pints of water before you go, long sleeved top, warm jumper, warmest coat you have.., gloves and warm feet.

Might not work for you but worth a go. Good luck.

Have you had enough water to drink before going for that test?

Just what I was going to suggest too, CariadAgain.

DH is known to our nurses and phlobotemists for being difficult to extract blood from and is often told to go home and drink plenty of water.

I do suggest it but you can take a horse to water etc.

Did they attempt to take it from your hand? I’ve been told that they sometimes have to resort to taking it from feet!

The reason they don’t automatically use a smaller needle is because the blood can start to coagulate before they have enough.

Did they attempt to take it from your hand?

I'm cringing, memories of cannula in the back of the hand 😲

I did drink plenty of water but I learnt from AI that also applies to the previous 12 hours or so, so am swigging it now. I also was a bit chilly in the surgery so will take a hot water bottle in the car en-route.

I'm not afraid of needles or indeed of the butterfly, the 2nd nurse muttered about that.

My blood should come out more easily these days cos I am on blood thinning drugs.

I am determined NOT to go to hospital for such a simple thing!

Allira

^Did they attempt to take it from your hand?^

I'm cringing, memories of cannula in the back of the hand 😲

It was less painful than in the arm. It makes my eyes water thinking about taking it from my foot!

Just make sure that you are not dehydrated when you go for a blood test, and encourage them to use a vein that has never given any problems previously. In some people one elbow is usually more cooperative than the other!!
I find that some of my surgery staff are very skilled at taking blood, and some much less so.
Your veins are NOT being uncooperative, it is their lack of skill at locating/palpating an appropriate and suitable vein that is the issue, especially if you have not had a problem before.
I'm not sure a butterfly is any better - still a needle, and has the same size range as the other needles (venflon)
Good luck.

My husband had this problem. He was told to drink a lot of liquids before having the blood test and he doesn't seem to have had any problems since. Hooe your next one is more successful. Bet you felt like a pin cushion.

I gave blood today at a blood donor session.

It took 6minutes 45 seconds to complete.

I was in and out of the session in just over half an hour, including a drink and snack.

Feel quite fortunate after reading this.

I'm a nightmare to get blood from - even with drinking water beforehand, having hot packs put on my veins etc etc. I invariably end up like a pin cushion, and even if I tell them all that beforehand, they usually have to resort to the back of my hand. I've only ever met one phlebotomist who managed to get blood from me first time with no problems!

Madmeg

I did drink plenty of water but I learnt from AI that also applies to the previous 12 hours or so, so am swigging it now. I also was a bit chilly in the surgery so will take a hot water bottle in the car en-route.

I'm not afraid of needles or indeed of the butterfly, the 2nd nurse muttered about that.

My blood should come out more easily these days cos I am on blood thinning drugs.

I am determined NOT to go to hospital for such a simple thing!

I wonder whether sometimes the threat of an unnecessary hospital visit is a "tactic" by them - maybe the purpose being to get one to forget the whole idea?

I had that one tried on me recently. A local podiatrist here (via the NHS) reading through a health questionnaire with me over the phone and confusing a drug I'm allergic to with one I'm not allergic to and threatening me I'd have to wait to be sent elsewhere to have an ingrowing toenail taken off under general anaesthetic!!!! I eventually realised she was not "first language English" and would not admit she didn't speak English as perfectly as she liked to think she did and wanted me speaking to her in her language I think (which it's obvious I don't know). I really had to "hold strong" and be very firm that she had confused the two drugs and I could have it done the normal way (ie under local anaesthetic) and locally. She never would apologise to me. Some medics just do not want to be seen to give the patient their 50% of the say about things and are downright arrogant.

I eventually sorted it out by going a bit further away privately to someone of "first language English" to get it sorted under local anaesthetic in a normal way.

So - yep...why indeed should you be put to extra hassle and time spent just because they seem to be refusing to make that bit extra effort to do their job properly? If need be - I would have thought you could just ask for another person to do this simple task instead of her.

I feel Charley's comment about THEIR lack of skill is relevant indeed here.

As I'm SO anti-needles I'd decided not to go back to an acupuncturist ever again - as I thought it was acupuncture at fault. Until a friend pointed out to me that an acupuncturist is bad at their job if they hurt when using those needles and some of them won't. I - very cautiously - gave a different one a trial and told her I'm very anti-needles and maybe I should have acupressure instead. I agreed to a trial run of needles to see what was what with her - and I couldn't even feel some needles going in/out and others it was very minimal/very quick and she's really gentle. Yep....in other words = she's good at her job and previous ones have been in the wrong job for them.

Some people really arent good enough/gentle enough to do any needle work - and they try and cover for themselves being in the wrong job by making out it's the patients fault if there's a problem.

My veins have been awful all my life. When I was in hospital 3 years ago, after a pulmonary embolism, they had to do blood tests every day. Sometimes the phlebotomist was able to get hold of the hospitals ultrasound machine, but it didn't always help. Sometimes you could see the veins sliding away from the needle. I gave up with the surgery after going two days running while different nurses failed to get any blood. I now insist on seeing a phlebotomist at the hospital and even they are reduced to using my hands.

My daughter can’t give blood, much to her disappointment as no one can ever get it out of her, everyone struggles

My very elderly Mum had such tiny veins that none of the nurses at her surgery could get blood. They had to get the paramedic to do it as he had finer equipment apparently.

To add to the suggestions here, try being as active as possible immediately before you get there.
I used to do regular samples for research and had to get my own with a finger prick . They needed a few ml but it was really slow. The blood flowed better if I waved my arms about for a few minutes. Not suggesting you do that in the surgery but you get the gist.

What a shame there wasn’t a phlebotomist they could have called on.
Medics have problems with me too, but a phlebotomist manages it in a matter of seconds, with no discomfort at all.

drink lots of water so you are really well hydrated, and practice swinging your arms in circles (if you can) before you go in.

My husband has found he's a "difficlt" person to take blood from.
One nurse some years ago resorted to a foot and it came easily... after another two had finished poking him in the arms!