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Pain in arm after blood draw
Okay. My name is Connie and I had my blood draw about a month and a half ago. Now before you ask, "Why are you doing this a month and a half AFTER your blood draw?" please take this into consideration.
(P.s. I put this under Injuries because I didn't know what I should put this under.)
Anyway.
My arm started to hurt just recently exactly where I had gotten my blood drawn (right at the crook of my elbow) despite how long it has been. The reason I'm worried that it was because of my blood draw is because while I was getting it drawn, I had accidentally tensed my arm and jerked as the needle went in. Nothing too bad happened (it hurt a lot and bruised, but that was what I almost expected anyway) but now my arm is starting to hurt again.
No, it is not the skin and if I push on it (sorry, I was wondering if it was just a bruise…I know, I'm an idiot) it doesn't get worse. Or better, for that matter.
I'm scared to go to the doctor because, unfortunately, I have this terrible fear of the doctor's office (or any hospital, ER, etc.).
So if anyone has any advice on this for me, as what I should do, etc. please let me know.
Thanks!
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I have searched the internet and for pain in blood draw sites a week later, I see something. A person wrote in to an Internet MD who answered the following:
Dr. Edward Hellman
Pain in arm a week after blood drawn. Is this normal?
No: Not really normal, but also not unusual. It is often from a phlebitis, which is an inflammation of the vein the blood was drawn from. Warm compresses and NSAIDs can help. If it does not get better, be seen.
Source: HealthTap, [Link](Mouse over link to see full location)
Since it has been not one week as the questioner said, but 6 weeks for you, I would definitely see your Dr because if it is an inflammation of vein, phlebitis, and not going away, they will most likely need to prescribe you some medication to clear up whatever is going on. You probably should mention the phlebitis in case it is that. I have had so many Dr.s simply not know something because they had not ever encountered it yet in their practice.
As for the fear of going to the Dr. I have something for you to try that I did for a fear of Dentists. While I still don't like going, I have no terrifying fear. This has to do with dealing with your 'inner child' if you've ever heard the term. I happen to feel the inner child just might be connected to our subconscious mind. So to make this effective, I choose to talk aloud or inside my head to this other part of me as if it were a totally different intity. This helps to understand why my awake/conscious mind is aware there is no reason to be scared of something but like a little child that doesn't understand, some things are scary. So what I did is talk to my inner child and say, "You don't have to be scared yet because the appointment is a couple days away." The morning of: You don't have to be afraid yet, the appointment is later today. When in the car/on bus: You don't have to be afraid yet, we aren't there yet. While in waiting room: You don't have to be afraid yet, they haven't called our name yet. Once in a room waiting for a Dr: No reason to be scared yet, the Dr. isn't here yet. Then Dr. enters and I found my fear was substantially less at that time or almost gone. You tell yourself now, that you won't let anything terrible happen to you. Then calmly explain everything to your Dr and let them decide what the best plan to recover is.
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