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Blood tests
Former Member
Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
Are they painful? what do they involve? im just wondering because i went to my doctor today about stress/depression and im getting a blood test next week. Any help would be great thanks.
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You just have to sit down, roll your sleeve up and they'll dab you over with an anti septic wipe in the crook of your arm. Normally they'll put a fabric strap thing around the top of your arm quite tightly (not painful) and ask you to clench your fist so they can find a vein. You can look away and then they'll tell you when to expect the slight sting. They just attatch a small tube to the end of the needle and take some blood out - sometimes they'll need more but they'll just switch the tubes, which you wouldn't notice unless they told you, or you were looking.
Doesn't hurt at all when the needle is in - if you're squeamish you'll probably want to look away. It doesn't take very long.
You'll have to hold a bit of cotton wool over it for about 20 seconds whewn they'll finished, then they'll either stick a plaster on or a bit of tape over the cotton wool to keep it covered for an hour or so.
It's hugely routine, but can be a bit scary the first time. Just let them know it's your first time (o-er, obviously) and they should let you know what they're doing as they go along.
Hope you get it all sorted.
When I had one done I was already really ill with glandular fever, so having blood drawn made me feel even worse. But any faint sensation dies down after a few moments.
It's just like Smash described. I would suggest looking away though, just to take your mind of it. Your arm may feel a bit weird and heavy for a while afterwards, but it doesn't last long.
Sorry hope I haven't freaked you out or anything - it isn't that bad at all. Good luck, I hope everything goes ok.
GOOD LUCK
Dont worry too much when ur there, cos if you're all tense and everything, you'll make it harder for the doctor/nurse to put the needle in.
Hope everythings ok hun *hugs*
I hate injections, but that's rich coming from the girl with 4 tattoos! lol.
Im really bad for bloody tests, they can never get the blood out of me. I have low white blood cells, and was suspected with Leukeamia for quite some time, so i've had so many its untrue, but because of that all my veins are now scarred so much she cant get bloody off me, and can now only take it from my left hand. so im a bit buggered for them, and because of that they're really painful because it takes so long and so much rooting about in my hand, its not nice.
But if its your first one you should be fine, the first one never hurts!
ive got bad veins too and they can never find one when taking blood. i was at the hospital 2 weeks ago to get a barium enema where a tube gets put up your bum and the worst bit was an injection they tried to give me intravenously. they couldnt find a vein and i was nearly passing out in the end they left it. its just the thought it makes me so squeamish. the nurse laughed when i told her that the jag was worse than the tube up my bum!