The Student Room Group

Blood tests - do they hurt?

I've never had a blood test before and I need to have one next week about my immunity to Rubella before I go to uni 'cos I have to send my health form off. (I wish I'd picked another course now..:p:) I'm getting conflicting views from everyone here..and I know it's subjective, but does it really hurt a lot? I'm normally okay with injections. I don't particularly like them, but I'm not petrified of needles or anything.

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Reply 1
spacecowgirl89
I've never had a blood test before and I need to have one next week about my immunity to Rubella before I go to uni 'cos I have to send my health form off. (I wish I'd picked another course now..:p:) I'm getting conflicting views from everyone here..and I know it's subjective, but does it really hurt a lot? I'm normally okay with injections. I don't particularly like them, but I'm not petrified of needles or anything.


I've had several blood tests - and in my own subjective opinion, they hurt a damn sight less than injections. And injections don't tend to hurt for me.

Really, if you're fine with injections normally, I don't think you've anything to worry about. :smile:
Haha ok thanks! :smile: My boyfriend wasn't most helpful..he's completely petrified of needles and last time he went for a blood test they collapsed 3 of his veins and he fainted... o.O So, that didn't make me feel at ease at all!
I had mine a few years ago, and I (as you can imagine) was more squeamish then as I am now, and it was completely fine.

I had about 8 or 9 needles in me in that one session, and not one of them was anything like a "real" injection, that that they hurt much either. They hurt much less, although I did have a tiny mosquito-bite-like thing there. That probably hurt most to be quite honest.

Theres nothing to worry about, blood tests hurt less than you'd expect. :smile:
Reply 4
To be honest they hurt me a lot. It takes ages to find a vein, it's really sore and I feel really faint afterwards. But most people seem to be fine. Just depends. Either way, it needs to be done.
Reply 5
I had one a couple of years ago and didn't mind it. If you're normally fine with injections, then you should be OK with blood tests. They are a bit uncomfortable, but no more so than a normal injection.
10 or so years ago I found them really painful but I had one last year and it was fine (despite the fact they had to jab both arms repeatedly before they could find a suitable vein).. I thought the torniquet hurt the most!!
Reply 7
I'm kind of like your boyfriend, my veins always seem to collapse or they never can seem to find any 'good' veins to take blood from so I usually end up fainting. As long as you don't get scared it's completely fine because you can never really feel the needle too much. Since it's for your uni health check thing I doubt they would take large amounts out either so it'll probably just be a small needle and syringe. It's also a good idea to eat well the day you have the test just so you can make sure you don't faint or feel dizzy or anything. I know that when you go donate blood they give you lots of biscuits before and after!
nah blood tests don't hurt at all. i only had one bad experience but it was my fault for sneezing as they put the needle in... that hurt for a few days after with major bruising.

i've had a fair few blood tests and theres nothing to wory about
Reply 9
From my experience (and i've had a few) they vary depending on who's doing it. It had one where i had to have 4 bottles taken and, although she found the vien straight away, pushed the needle in way too far and it hurt quite a bit - i had a huge bruise for weeks afterwards.

However my first one ever and the last one i had were ok, it's just like a little pinch. You do feel the needle in your arm but try not to tense because it will hurt more.

It only takes a few seconds (a minute at most), think of something else and i'm sure you'll be fine :smile:
Just out of curiosity, what course are you doing that requires you to be up to date specifically for rubella?
Reply 11
I've had quite a few of them, and I think it depends on the nurse. When I had one nurse it was just a sting (about 14 times) and when I had the other one (8 times) it was a sting and then a really nasty ache.

It hurts like hell, much like it hurts to breathe.

Just relax and it wont hurt at all. I always used to be scared of having them done, but I kinda enjoy them now 0.o
It's weird watching your blood enter the tube. Im pretty sure a paper cut hurts more than a blood test.
Reply 13
Hixxy
It hurts like hell, much like it hurts to breathe.

Just relax and it wont hurt at all. I always used to be scared of having them done, but I kinda enjoy them now 0.o
It's weird watching your blood enter the tube. Im pretty sure a paper cut hurts more than a blood test.

Blood tests are fine - my (medical student) friends have taken blood from me and it didn't bother me at all. A paper cut hurts a HELL OF A LOT more and I would never allow someone to give me one of those...
Reply 14
Yeh, paper cuts are ten times worse, though I think a lot of the time with paper cuts it's the injustice of it all that stings.

Blood tests sting very slightly, and can sometimes not hurt at all.
tinkerbellejess
Just out of curiosity, what course are you doing that requires you to be up to date specifically for rubella?


Physiotherapy - I don't specifically have to be up to date for it [I don't think], it's just I've never had the MMR jab, mum didn't want me to, she's always said I'd need a blood test to determine whether or not I was immune to it, she says I've had it but the doc can't remember or something ridiculous...anyway, on my health form I have to state whether I've had a blood test to test my immunity for it/if I've had the jab, so seeing as I need a blood test anyway, I'm off to get it... :frown:
Reply 16
I'm really really scared of blood tests.
Thing is, they aren't painful at all.
If you close your eyes and look away you feel the prick and that's it.
It's just the idea of it that I don't like :smile:
Reply 17
lessthanthree
not really mate.

this may sound horrid, but bear with me...the needles they use are VERY sharp..so sharp infact that you just feel a little pinch and then it's in and any twinges are over.

Seriously, don't sweat it. you might like it :eek:



hahaha true say !! im used to them bc i give blood like every 6 months bc i have a very rare blood type, if ur fine with needles then all u will feel is a tiny pinch, ul be fine !! :wink:
Reply 18
Type! that's the word. I was talking about blood types earlier but couldn't remember the word, and resorted to asking people what flavour blood they had. Now people seem to be avoiding me :frown:
helenkr
Type! that's the word. I was talking about blood types earlier but couldn't remember the word, and resorted to asking people what flavour blood they had. Now people seem to be avoiding me :frown:


Hahahahahaha! :biggrin: Flavour...

thanks for all the help guys, I'm sure I'll be fine! :smile: