The Student Room Group
Reply 1
It's normally your left arm they draw from - well, it'll be your right arm if you're left handed. They tense your arm by tying a cord around it, look for a vein - there's normally an obvious one in the crook of your arm once it's been tensed up - then stick a needle into it, take out a tiny bit of blood, and then put a spot of cotton wool on top of the pinprick and tape it there.

Blood tests really do not hurt at all. They are nowhere near as bad as innoculation jabs. If you look the other way when it's done, you might not even realise the needle is in there. :smile:

It shouldn't take more than about 3 minutes from start to finish. :smile: If you're worried about the test, you might like to say so beforehand. The nurses who normally do these tests are really good at what they do, but if you mention you're a bit anxious, I'm sure the person looking after you will be even nicer. :smile: Really, don't stress.
Reply 2
They get a blade out and make a huge cut from your elbow to the wrist, then they collect the blood in a bucket.

:wink:
Reply 3
^yh thats what happened to me. was nasty :frown:
Reply 4
Basically, it's as the second poster said. Make sure you've eaten properly before you have it though, or you'll fell really faint afterwards. If you feel giddy once they've done it (I do, but that's because my blood pressure can be a bit low), then just stay sitting down until it passes. They're really nothing to worry about, you'll be fine!
Reply 5
It's really really simple. no pain thing :smile: I had one done awhile ago and it was in, sit on chair and out again.

Boyfriend nearly fainted before he even got to the room and had to wait in corridor....and he went with me for support....

Really it's nothing to worry about, you just have to let your arm loosen up abit :smile: If your worried about needles try not to worry, I find it helps by not looking at them. I tell the nurse and just say "as long as I don't look it's fine, heres my arm" and it relaxes me abit! :smile:
They can never find my vein when I have a blood test. They have to tap my arm like I am a junkie, and then they still cant find one, so they normally have to go deep in my arm and it hurts like mad.


However OP, I'm sure you will be OK. It is over relatively quickly.
Sithius
They get a blade out and make a huge cut from your elbow to the wrist, then they collect the blood in a bucket.

:wink:

ROFL :biggrin: :biggrin:

I had mine last year I was so nervous. I had nothing to be scared off. Within a minute she was done. It's so quick and their is no pain at all.
Ginger_Rogers
They can never find my vein when I have a blood test. They have to tap my arm like I am a junkie, and then they still cant find one, so they normally have to go deep in my arm and it hurts like mad.


However OP, I'm sure you will be OK. It is over relatively quickly.

Same here! Usually they just jab away until they find one as you can never see my veins! When I gave blood, they had to get 2 different nurses over just to find a vein so I could even give any blood!
tinkerbellejess
Same here! Usually they just jab away until they find one as you can never see my veins! When I gave blood, they had to get 2 different nurses over just to find a vein so I could even give any blood!



lol, glad it isn't just me whose veins run scared when they see a needle!
There is no physiological reason that you'd feel faint afterwards, the amount of blood they typically take out is about 2/3 teaspoons worth. It's a lie to say they don't hurt, you will feel a slight scratch, and slight discomfort whilst the needle is in and when it's withdrawn. After that, you'll be fine though, it's not bad at all :smile:
Reply 11
^My brother faints everytime he has a blood test (which is about every 2 months or so), but then again, he goes all clammy whenever he sees blood anyway, so that might be an explanation and he's been going through that since he was 10 poor thing.