Dealing with blown veins...

[cameragirl]

I get monthly infusions of IVIG (antibodies) for a neurological condition. I was planning on getting a medi-port because my veins are pretty bad, but then I got pregnant. That will have to wait until after the baby comes now. I am resistant to a PICC line, since I normally only have three days a month of treatment if I can avoid the ER.

Anyone have tips on how to make hematomas or infiltrated iv sites less painful? I have horrible veins, and the first stick today bled right away. The second site worked, but then started infiltrating when the infusion was almost done. Luckily Gammunex is formulated for IV and sub-q use, so it didn't hurt the tissue. It is just swollen and bruised, and the IV site is over a nerve so it is more painful than it normally would be. If possible, the infusions nurses like to leave a saline lock in, but it just wasn't possible today. That means two more days of sticks, and I'll be pretty bruised up. Thank you in advance.

[mbravebird]

My son has severe hemophilia, and we start IV's on him at home at least twice a week. For a long long time he had horrible veins and was a very hard stick, so I feel your pain (I am the one who does the sticks).

Arnica oil really helps with the bruising and pain, in our experience. Not the homeopathic arnica cream, but the oil. We found the cream helped with the pain, but the oil helped much more with the bruising than the cream did.

You could also soak a cloth in castor oil and wrap it around your arm all night long -- we found that really helped, but my son was young when we were trying it and he would pull it off at night. If I were you, I'd do the arnica oil right away, and repeatedly throughout the day, and then the castor oil-soaked cloth that night.

We also used a product called scarmassage to help his veins recover from multiple sticks, but it's a long term thing so I have no way of knowing if it helped or not. He has finally this year grown big enough that his veins are easier to get. We have short push infusions, not long drip infusions, so we don't deal with infiltrated veins, but we do have blown veins -- less now than we used to. But I remember when he used to get huge purple hematomas massed in the crook of his arm. Hope it gets better for you soon. Do you drink a ton of water before they try the stick? Have you tried showering right before they try the stick? Or doing a little running in place, until your heart is pounding, before they do the stick? All those things help my son's veins stand up. Actually, he jumps on the bed instead of running in place . Hope some of this helps.

[cameragirl]

Thank you! I hydrate very well the few days leading up to the infusions, during, and after, since the IVIG is very thick. My veins are just small and sometimes roll. The nurses are great - WAY better than when I have to go to the lab. I do shower just before leaving, but it is a half hour drive. I try to dress warmly if it is cool out, and they also wrap my arms in warmed blankets for several minutes before trying to stick me. It stinks, but it runs in the family.

[mylilmonkeys]

My husband gives plasma twice a week when he can work that into his schedule.  He has had good experiences with comfrey ointment when he gets a bad stick.  The label is worn so bad I can't read the brand anymore, but it is just comfrey prepared in an olive oil, and it is solid at room temp.  I'd picked it up at a pharmacy that also sells herbs and supplements, so it shouldn't be too hard to find almost anywhere.

[cameragirl]

There is a big health food store right across the street from the infusion center, so I'll have to send my husband over there tomorrow. Luckily the swelling has gone down.