Guest ANCY Posted December 17, 2015 Report Share Posted December 17, 2015 I've been having IVIG infusions all week and maintaining IV access has turned into a nightmare. I have never had the greatest veins but this is getting ridiculous. The nurse today said she has not seen a problem like mine before where she can get the vein every time but it blows the second she starts pushing saline. My veins are blowing 4 out of 5 times.Just wondering if week veins are a common problem with Dysautonomia? Is there anything to help strengthen veins? Thanks for your replies. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Faye Posted December 17, 2015 Report Share Posted December 17, 2015 I don't have an answer but feel for you...my spouse is a dialysis patient.... So thought I would share what they suggest at center....it may not apply here...and may have already tried....sometimes they have him lower his arms down to help circulate and increase blood to arms, sometimes they use warm packs, they try to use different parts of his fistula because over use of an area will also blow his veins...and then they also rotate the RN...I am hoping you are able to find something that helps you .....or a vascular dr who can help Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Becia Posted December 17, 2015 Report Share Posted December 17, 2015 I know with me having EDS, my veins are fragile and can easily blow. I've only got a few decent ones keft for IVs if needed. I had PICC lines for over a year since I do IV saline infusions at home, but the doctor finally placed a port in my chest for access. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest ANCY Posted December 17, 2015 Report Share Posted December 17, 2015 Thank you both for your replies.Faye - thank you for your well wishes and yes they were rotating nurses using gravity and heat but nothing seemed to be helping. Sorry that your husband has to go through dialysis, it must be hard with both of you ill.Becia- thank you for your input I am not currently diagnosed with EDS but my little sister and mother have been. I am hypermobile and have dislocated my shoulders and hips on several occasions but with everything else going on getting to a Geneticists is kind of low on the priority list. Do you know what type of EDS you have? My sister has been dx with the hypermobility type and didn't think there were vascular concerns with that one. I have had several PICCs as well as a port however I seem to get sepsis very easily and after five times of having sepsis I don't think there is a Dr left who will place a more permanent access. Hope you are doing as well as can be and thanks again for your input, maybe I will investigate EDS fruther. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
angelloz Posted December 17, 2015 Report Share Posted December 17, 2015 I have plenty of problems with blowing a vein or hitting a valve etc...that I did not have before autonomic problems. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest ANCY Posted December 17, 2015 Report Share Posted December 17, 2015 Thank you angelloz sorry you have trouble too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PupLoverKV Posted December 20, 2015 Report Share Posted December 20, 2015 I see a doctor with a lot of POTS patients and her nurse does a lot of IVs for them. She tells me that the POTS gals she sees commonly have horrible veins.I know that when I was younger they used to rave about my veins. Since getting POTS they are so bad we are talking about putting a port in me. I definitely think they have either degraded over time or the POTS has directly and specifically affected them.I'm pretty opposed to a port right now because I don't want one in my chest (hoping to apply for new jobs sometime soon) but if they could put it in my arm I would be down 100%. I am very prone to infection and everything I get seems to be resistant to antibiotics... So the idea of a PICC line terrifies me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest ANCY Posted December 20, 2015 Report Share Posted December 20, 2015 Thank you for your reply Puplover. Thankfully I am done with the IVIG so my veins can get a rest. Good to know im not alone with the vein troubles. I stated earlier a Port is not a good option for me with my history of infections. I hope that it works out for you! The rate of infection is actually lower for ports than it is for PICCs so maybe it is worth consideration. They are not to noticeable unless they are accessed. How often would you be using it? It left a scar about 2 inches where it was put in but otherwise could not really tell it was there. They were also able to implant it below the normal shirt line. Hope all goes well with whatever you decide! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Katybug Posted December 20, 2015 Report Share Posted December 20, 2015 My POTS doc told me to drink a 32 oz. Gatorade during the hour and a half before I get a blood draw or IV. I know that doesn't work if you have to fast for a test, but, the rest of the time I have found it to be really helpful. I try to actually get the Gatorade down and then nurse a bottle of water if I can. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest ANCY Posted December 21, 2015 Report Share Posted December 21, 2015 Thank you Katy bug good advice. I can't do Gatorade but I have turned the fluid bolus up on my J tube pump so an extra 16 oz than normal. Unfortunately didn't seem to make a difference this week which is where my query came from. (My regular steady rate is around 96 oz of fluid plus whatever I can handle orally on that day, about 4-12 oz.) I am done with the infusions now and the nurse did say that IVIG is extra hard on the veins. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SarahA33 Posted December 24, 2015 Report Share Posted December 24, 2015 Hi there,Sorry I'm late here. Everyone has given great tips. The only one I have to add is perhaps using a Bp cuff as a tourniquet. That always seems to help the nurses at my infusions center! Along with a heating pad and bottle of water! I hope the ivig works for you. Hope you are feeling better soon.Sarah Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest ANCY Posted December 24, 2015 Report Share Posted December 24, 2015 Thank you Sarah. At one point they tried using a BP cuff, didn't really see much of a difference though. They tried the heating pad and a glove filled with hot water, also unsuccessful...Thankfully I am finished with the infusions and already seeing some worthwhile results. Today I was up in my wheelchair for 6 hours total, a long time for me, and only passed out 4 times. Before being up that long would have been in excess of 15 times. My BP averages have come up and my hr has come down some as well. Looking forward to seeing how much more improvment I see in the next 2 weeks.Thanks everyone for your helpful replies! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
artsystacey Posted December 24, 2015 Report Share Posted December 24, 2015 I'm not sure if I have EDS but I was always told that my veins tend to bunch up when they put an IV in me. Is that a symptom? They once stuck me like 10 times and couldn't get it to work. I wanted to be like "Ookay that's enough!" Since it became super painful. I was about to punch the nurse - lol. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest ANCY Posted December 24, 2015 Report Share Posted December 24, 2015 Sorry you have such trouble artsystacey. I can certainly sympathize... I don't know about veins bunching up but I have had a couple nurses comment that maybe my veins were spasming and that was why they had such trouble. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Becia Posted December 26, 2015 Report Share Posted December 26, 2015 I echo Sarah's comments of using the BP as a tournequet and using heat to help the vessels. Being a former phlebotomist/lab tech, for people who were difficult sticks, we used many warm towels, heating packs and sometimes even a little light massage to help the veins relax and come near the surface. Only bad thing about doing this sometimes before a blood draw is it could sometimes lead to changing the results, as manipulation could lead to hemolysis (breaking down of red blood cells). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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