I'm going to get tested for diabetes tomorrow, meaning I'm going to be getting probably 3 vials of blood taken. I also have to fast for 12 hours before they can take the samples. However, as of recently, I've become terribly faint around needles and come quite close to passing out while/after getting blood taken.

Anyone have any ideas or techniques they use to prevent getting faint? I'd appreciate all the feedback I can get. Thanks much. :)

Sorry I can't be of much help, Michelle, regarding how NOT to pass out. But I DO get queasy around needles and find myself breathing heavier before I get pricked (no jokes please) with one. I find my breathing becomes very labored right before they put the needle in me so what I do is take a deep breath and hold it. After the needle's in me, I exhale and yeah. I mean, I don't know if that would help you since your problem is different. But I guess it doesn't hurt to try.

Try not to concentrate on it. Just think about something else, I guess.
Personally I kind of like them...It's cool to see something suck blood right out from you like that, I think.

But I'd say just talk to someone...Or sing a song it your head. I had surgery on my foot a few months ago, and I was aware during it. It didn't hurt, but I could hear and feel the pressure of skin tearing and what not. I just sung songs to myself in my head. Takes your mind off of it.

<3

Controlled Breathing - When someone becomes frightened they start to breathe more quickly, so that oxygen is pumped more quickly round the body. However, breathing to fast, deeply or irregularly can lead to more symptoms of faintness. By breathing calmly and slowly for at least 3 minutes, the alarm bell should stop ringing. This is not as easy as it sounds. Sometimes, mid-panic, focusing on breathing can make things worse. Also, as one of the effects of over-breathing is that you feel you need more air, it is difficult to do something which feels like you are getting less!

Distract yourself from frightening thoughts - This is a very simple but effective technique. Again, you need to keep distracting yourself for at least three minutes for the symptoms to reduce. There are lots of ways you can distract yourself. Really concentrate on it. You can try doing sums in your mind, or singing a song. The important thing is that your attention is taken off your body and on to something else. Use what works best for you.

I was sorry to hear about that. Often, people with diabetes have no symptoms at all. Did you notice an increased thirst, urination, appetite or fatigue, blurred vision...? :(

Good luck and lots of love Chelle! :hugs:

Michelle,

I'm sorry to hear that you might be diabetic. What makes the doctors think you might be? A previous high fasting blood level? Are you having symptoms? I'm just curious.

As for the feeling faint part, I actually have a couple of suggestions:

1. Breathe. I know this sounds stupid, but a lot of people pass out because they get so frightened of the needle that they forget to breathe enough. People who hyperventilate don't get enough oxygen because their breathing is too shallow. People who hold their breath don't get enough oxygen because, well, they're holding their breath. Don't do either of these. Try to breathe normally. Inadequate oxygen = faint.

2. Do not, I repeat DO NOT, under any circumstances, look at the needle, and especially don't watch it go into your arm. Don't watch the blood filling up the vials, either. Blood is a fainting trigger for some people.

3. Do whatever you can do distract yourself from the sensation of being pricked. Bite your lip, close your eyes, watch TV, carry on a conversation (NOT about the blood draw), whatever. But just try not to think about it.

Good luck! Oh, and I hope you don't have diabetes. Let us know how it goes.

<3 Mary

I second pretty much everything SangReal said. I, too, have issues with needles and giving / seeing large quantities of real live blood.

I'd just add... try bringing a portable cd player & listening to soft, new age, or celtic music. It'll take your mind off of it. And yeah. do not look at the needle.

Good luck, Michelle.

ask if they will allow you to suck on a mint while they take blood (it should not affect blood sugar). many years ago, a nurse told me that mint candy can keep people from passing out if they feel faint. It has always worked for me.

All of the other advice is good. Do not look at the needle, and since they will be taking a lot of blood, concentrate on your breathing. Do not hold your breath...that could make you pant. try to sing and think about anything else.

Good luck!

This is what I do when I have the occasional dizzy/nauseous/about-to-faint-any-second spell, which isn't quite the same, but will help you.

1. Focus on something. Focus your eyesight on one thing and do not move your eyes from that something. A square on the floor, a cabinet handle.

2. Concentrate on breathing. In, and out. Keep. Breathing.

3. Look at the floor or bend over so you're looking at the floor (I hope they let you do this). Doing this prevents the blood from rushing from your brain, which I think is what happens when you faint.

4. If there's someone you trust near you, hold his/her hand. I did that with my mom when I had to get a shot before my eye operation, and during my two almost-fainting spells before the Philly concert. Hold it tight. It helps give you something else to focus on.

Think of nothing but breathing steadily and what you're looking at. It might be harder for you since you're getting touched and prodded, but even shutting out some of it can help.

Don't look at the nurse, her hand, the needle, whatever. Look AWAY. It's a little easier to deal with that way.

If you feel yourself start to slip into that shut-down faint mode, keep thinking. Really. Keep thinking, and focus. Don't let your eyesight go black like they do before you faint. Remember to breathe.

*hugs* I get nervous around needles, too. So I feel ya. Good luck, emo bud of mine.

Good advice guys! I don't have personal experience with being afraid of needles, but my sister is deathly scared of them, so I asked her what she does... she told me that before she goes into the room/area, she puts in a piece of sugarfree gum (the kind with the hard outside-- like orbit whitening or whatever)... then, when the doctor brings the needle out, she exhales, then takes a deep breath in and bites on the piece of gum-- the minty blast takes her breath away and makes her focus on something else. Maybe this would work for the mint not making you faint too.... good luck!

I agree with LadyJo80. Peppermint oil helps with nausea(why Pepto is peppermint flavoured). I would go out and get a tin of peppermint Altoids. they don't have a lot of sugar, but they have a load of peppermint. Put about three in your mouth when they take the blood, and hopefully the peppermint will keep the nausea/passing out at bay, and the spiciness of the mint might take your mind off of the needle.
Good luck,
Rory

Most people here seem to agree that you shouldn't hold your breath or look at the needle. I do both. Like I said, I don't know if what I told you will help. It's just what works for me. We're all different so yeah. Good luck hobag.

I would go out and get a tin of peppermint Altoids. they don't have a lot of sugar, but they have a load of peppermint. Put about three in your mouth when they take the blood, and hopefully the peppermint will keep the nausea/passing out at bay, and the spiciness of the mint might take your mind off of the needle.
Good luck,
Rory
When going for a diabetes test they wont let you eat anything not even a mint. I went through this a few years ago. It takes several hours where they take blood every 30 min. Mine took 4 hours. Anways there is a lot of good advice. Breathing and focus on something else never look at the needle. If you do tend to faint when they take blood tell the technician who is taking your blood. I know when i felt faint they let me lay down when i was doing the same test. For this test quite a few patients become faint because of not eating.

I used to get the same way around needles until I had to have blood drawn twice a month (damn Infertility). My best advice is to drink water, lots of it. I personally had the misconception of thinking fasting= no fluids either. Not only did I get really sick, but I blacked out and they blew my vein. Drinking water will at least get the blood flowing. You might want to try asking for a butterfly needle as well, if your veins have a tendency to roll. Lastly make sure you bring juice or something to eat with you. After the blood draw you will want to get something into your system quickly. Hope all that helps and Good Luck!:)

~Melanie

Or just tell yourself that it's only a needle. Every person living gets them at one point...You'll be in and out, and it will be over.

You are fasting on food and anything else. But you can have water. Make sure you are well hydrated, that will make the blood draw easier. Less chance of them to miss and take longer.
When i get blood drawn, I just turn my head and concentrate on something else. Or carry on a conversation about anything. You can let the flabotomist know you get faint with needles and they can help ya out by keeping your mind offa it. I also bite my cheek, tongue or lip when we do it. It is also weird, but if someone is iwth you. have they say ouch when they see the prick. we do that where I work. it makes the blood sticks alot easier for our patients to handle, when one of us says ouch for the resident, it's a mild distraction at the initial poke.

I'm sorry to hear that you might be diabetic. What makes the doctors think you might be? A previous high fasting blood level? Are you having symptoms? I'm just curious.

Well, very frequent urination, constant thirst, irritability, my heart rate changes depending on what I eat and my one eye gets blurry quite a bit.

It might not be diabetes, but diabetes runs in my family and I'm having very similar symptoms. I have thyroid disease too, so it could be that or the meds I take for it, but under the circumstances the doctor as well as my family wanted me checked. And speaking of thyroid disease, I'm getting my several month thyroid check again tomorrow too, so that means probably 4 vials of blood at once. ;_; *sobsob*


Anyway, thank you all for the terrific suggestions and love. I'll put them to use. <3

Hey,

My best advice would to just look away, and think of something else. I don't know if you can just ask for it, but there is a cream that I have (because my mum was a nurse) that makes the area numb....the only thing is you have to put it on a while before you get the needle. Think of something else, don't watch, breathe deeply and distract yourself from the needle. Also, take something to eat or drink afterwards if you start feeling faint. Good luck!

<3 Gabby

This may sound stupid but if it helps then cool

Needles do make me uncomfortable.


here are some tips.

1 Breathe

2 pretend you are at a concert, and your getting an autograph.

3 don't look at it.

4 just ask the nurse who is doing the test questions

like Nice weather today continue talking, and it well forget what has happen.

to clarify what I mean on number 2 if you think on thanks you enjoy and pretend, your mind be on that, then on what really going on.

plays tricks on your mind.


Good Luck to you

... irritability ... It may not be diabetes, but Female Nature honey. Haha... <333 ~Jerry ;)

How long does it take to draw enough blood?

when I had a diabetis test, it consisted with me fasting from like 8 pm on. I could drink water but that was it. When I got to the lab where I was going to get the blood drawn. They had me drink some really sugary liquid. I don't remember how long I had to wait. like an hour or something after drinking that. Then they drew the blood to see what my blood sugar level was. They also had me pee in a cup to see if there were any traces of sugar in my urine. It was pretty easy, the hardest part was the needle poke.
As far as fasting, I was told that gum wasn't even acceptable to have before my labs. ONLY water, no candy, no mints. NOTHING. just water. So you may talk to the lab or the dr and ask them about the mints. Before you go in and you have the mints and it throws your labs off and gives a wrong reading or you have to go through it all over again.

Don't be afraid of needles, they won't eat you!! Normally, we get scared of something we know that is going to harm us. But a needle won't. Just will hurt a little bit when they prick your arm. But won't kill you or anything, so there's nothing to be afraid. Sometimes, it helps if you deal with it directly. It is like arachnophobia, that they let you hold in your hands one of those and then experiment the fears and take them out of you progressively. So maybe you could look at the whole process of taking out blood. How they prepare the needle, and see how curious it is when they prick your arm and the blood comes and is put inside test tubes.
Good luck!