Fainting/Blacking out while have blood drawn

[MsDisney23]

Yesterday while I was having my blood drawn, I completely passed out, after two techs used two smelling salts I came around. They said they were about to call 911... Now I have to tell you that was scary... I ended up resting the rest of the day yesterday. I will be seeing the transplant team on Thursday and this is on the top of my list.

Anyone else ever have this happen?

 

[Angelhalo]

Yep! Almost every time. I just HATE needles.

 

[DVC~OKW~96]

No, but I do know the stress of blood draws (and other procedures involving syringes) makes many folks faint.

Is this new to you? (The fainting, I mean)?

 

[The Mystery Machine]

My 12yodd passes out with blood drawn, blood pressure, and other medical procedures. She is a blast...

My DH passed out in the public bathroom while going to the bathroom after having his blood drawn. He woke up on the floor with his pants down.

 

[MushyMushy]

This has happened to my son twice now! Once at a blood drive at school, and then last week when he was having blood drawn for lab work.

The nurses who checked him over said it's very common and that a lot of people will hold their breath without even realizing it, which causes them to pass out. They said we should have someone go with him from now on and talk him through some breathing exercises. It's got nothing to do with fear. Oh, and it can also have something to do with the fasting.

But what I think is odd is with you. You've obviously been through tons of blood work, so why now? Was it a fasting blood test? Did you do anything different this time that you don't normally do?

 

[bigbabyblues]

Yep, it's happened to me before. When I have blood drawn now, I always tell the tech and they'll usually let me lay down when they stick me.

 

[Carpenters]

I have had 2 patients pass out while I was drawing their blood , and I just wanted to tell you to inform everyone from here on out that you have passed out while having your blood drawn. There is a good likelihood that it may happen again if it's happened once, and the techs would much rather find you a place to lie down to have your blood drawn rather than risk it happening again. Usually if a person has this issue it goes much more smoothly lying down than sitting up. Sorry this happened to you (and to the people attempting the blood draw!), but being prepared the next time will make all the difference in the world.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

They said we should have someone go with him from now on and talk him through some breathing exercises. It's got nothing to do with fear. Oh, and it can also have something to do with the fasting.

It has everything to do with fear here.

We do visualization (pictures her dog) with dd now and she does breathing techniques. She lies down for blood and sits for blood pressure.

It has helped.

 

[MsDisney23]

This has happened to my son twice now! Once at a blood drive at school, and then last week when he was having blood drawn for lab work.

The nurses who checked him over said it's very common and that a lot of people will hold their breath without even realizing it, which causes them to pass out. They said we should have someone go with him from now on and talk him through some breathing exercises. It's got nothing to do with fear. Oh, and it can also have something to do with the fasting.

But what I think is odd is with you. You've obviously been through tons of blood work, so why now? Was it a fasting blood test? Did you do anything different this time that you don't normally do?

Ding Ding! I have had tons of bloodwork done, sometimes 3x's a week due to my transplant, I have no fear, this is the first time this has ever happened. The girls at the Lab know me very well... they are alll so nice. This was my normal blood work being done for my transplant team...

 

[kristilew]

I always get faint when I'm having blood drawn. When I was pregnant, my ob's staff was so sweet and had me lie down, brought me cookies, totally spoiled me .....

....then we moved and I quit working and had to finish the pregnancy in the Army health care system. When they drew blood, there were about 20 of us all lined up in old wooden "school chairs," the kind with a big arm for use as a desk. I tried to explain that I might faint and the nurse said it was ok if I did, they'd just tie me to the chair! Quite a different experience.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

[/b]

Ding Ding! I have had tons of bloodwork done, sometimes 3x's a week due to my transplant, I have no fear, this is the first time this has ever happened. The girls at the Lab know me very well... they are alll so nice. This was my normal blood work being done for my transplant team...

Could you have been dehydrated? I know that is a factor with my dd.

 

[LJC1861]

It happens to me just about every single time I have to have blood drawn.

I now insist on lying down, and sometimes I still faint. It is a bit better if I am talking, or have a small piece of candy tucked in the side of my mouth, and the skill of the phlebotemist definitely makes a big difference.

I once had a tech tell me that no one ever fainted when he took blood and that I would be fine. Well, I sat in the chair he pointed to and he began. The next thing I knew I was on the floor, with my arm above my head with a very very pale tech finishing up the blood draw.

The doctor that I see now is wonderful and she has had the best luck with getting blood without me fainting. We had one time when she couldn't find a vein....that is the other problem I have......and needed to stick me over and over. Needless to say I was getting really anxious. She offered to come to my house later that evening to do the draw!!!! That was one of the few times that I made it all the way through a blood draw without having a problem.

For me, it is stress and plain old fear....and my blood pressure dropping really fast. It is both strange and really annoying when it happens. Of course I have also fainted at the mere sight and thought of blood and pain....movies, ER on TV, conversations about gross things, pictures of icky surgical scars, and actual scars and stitches. What is strange is that if I am the only person in an emergency, and a person's life depends on me....I can provide care. As soon as someone else arrives on the scene I have to so and lie down.....and typically faint.

I wish it were different, but I have been living with this since the first time I fainted at age 5.


Linda

 

[Angelhalo]

It has everything to do with fear here.

We do visualization (pictures her dog) with dd now and she does breathing techniques. She lies down for blood and sits for blood pressure.

It has helped.

Mine has everything to do with fear too. My phlebotamist even told me so. I freak out so much that I start hyperventhilating. Yes that has to do with breathing, but my breathing wouldn't be a problem if I weren't so darn scared! LOL!

 

[Angelhalo]

The doctor that I see now is wonderful and she has had the best luck with getting blood without me fainting. We had one time when she couldn't find a vein....that is the other problem I have......and needed to stick me over and over. Needless to say I was getting really anxious. She offered to come to my house later that evening to do the draw!!!! That was one of the few times that I made it all the way through a blood draw without having a problem.

This is where my fear stems from. Never can NEVER find a good vein on me and they end up sticking me OVER AND OVER AND OVER again. Every single one of them assures me that it never happens with them and that they are the best blah blah blah, but it still happens every time.

 

[BCV513]

[/B]

Ding Ding! I have had tons of bloodwork done, sometimes 3x's a week due to my transplant, I have no fear, this is the first time this has ever happened. The girls at the Lab know me very well... they are alll so nice. This was my normal blood work being done for my transplant team...

The only time I ever came close to passing out during a blood draw was when the tech accidentally went through my vein and collapsed it. She didn't tell me until afterwards, but I felt a very strange sensation in my arm and then got very dizzy and faint. Could something like that have happened to you?

 

[phamton]

It is called vasovagal episode or vasovagal response. I've only had it once when they haven't been able to find a vein. I'm not even scared of needles and I wasn't in a lot of pain so I was surprised when it happened.

 

[Savsmommy]

I always have to drink orange juice and eat cookies while getting my blood taken. If I dont I will faint.

 

[LeeLeeLuvsDisney]

I passed out once after donating blood. But, it's never happened when I've had a smaller amount of blood drawn for a test.

 

[ckay87]

How do smelling salts smell? I always wondered.

 

[teacherforhi]

Let's see...Since I arrived in the hospital Sunday night, I've had blood drawn three times (so that's three faints), one panic attack when they put the IV in, and accidentally kicked the anestheologist when they tried to do a nerve block on my leg before surgery. Good times!

So yes, it happens and happens often.