White coat syndrome
Discussion
For the next 6 months at least I'll be needing regular blood tests. However before actually having the blood taken I find myself getting very wound up with classic white coat syndrome.
Once the needle is removed I'm back to normal fairly quickly - but despite telling myself to 'pull yourself together', and knowing that I can cause myself more pain during simple DIY accidents, I find the whole experience stressful.
Any hints / tips / simple remedies?
Once the needle is removed I'm back to normal fairly quickly - but despite telling myself to 'pull yourself together', and knowing that I can cause myself more pain during simple DIY accidents, I find the whole experience stressful.
Any hints / tips / simple remedies?
I don't suffer with it too badly, but it does throw off my blood pressure readings and resting heart rate. I think it depends on what aspects of it bother you, personally I'm fine with needles / pain, it's more of the putting quite high levels of trust in a complete stranger. To moderate that I talk to them, takes my mind off it and makes them less of a stranger.
Lol! I'm training to be a Paramedic for feck's sake, and even I get White Coat Syndrome!
A couple of years ago, I went in for a knee arthroscopy operation. When the nurse first hooked me up to the sphygmomanometer, she went 'ooh - eek! That's no good!' And I explained that I was a complete 'worrying wussy'. She left me on the bed, I laid on my side, and closed my eyes and daydreamed for 15 minutes.
When she came back and tried again, I stayed in that position with my eyes closed, and tried to ignore the inflating cuff this time.
The result was a reading that was as good as a reading from a completely different person!
It really does make a hell of a difference...
A couple of years ago, I went in for a knee arthroscopy operation. When the nurse first hooked me up to the sphygmomanometer, she went 'ooh - eek! That's no good!' And I explained that I was a complete 'worrying wussy'. She left me on the bed, I laid on my side, and closed my eyes and daydreamed for 15 minutes.
When she came back and tried again, I stayed in that position with my eyes closed, and tried to ignore the inflating cuff this time.
The result was a reading that was as good as a reading from a completely different person!
It really does make a hell of a difference...
jas xjr said:
i hate needles too but due to having to have my blood tested on a regular basis i am slowly getting used to it . i just look the other way now .
if i could get used to needles i could inject insulin and i would be a whole lot healthier
Sounds like a pain. Type 1 or type 2?if i could get used to needles i could inject insulin and i would be a whole lot healthier
I have to have blood tests, infusions and more blood tests all the time due to being fairly ill. not to count the numerous operations i have had where they have shoved canulars in to give me the knock-out juice.
unless its the one nurse doing my infusion (inserting a canular, twice as bad as a needle) i worry like hell and my heart rate goes up quite a bit and even when they are squirting the flush in, if i watch that i go a light headed.
if I look away and take deep breaths while they are setting up and then 'stabbing' you, its not as bad and doesnt hurt as much. ( cos they are just stabbing you, with a small bit of metal, so it does hurt.
i think the reason i go all funny is cos its not just being stabbed into meat, its into a vein, so your likely to bleed alot more and have more problems with just into meat.
but sometime i just have to look when they fit a canular as i have dodgy veins as in, they are really small and not really visible, so they have to feel for the vein 'tube' in my arm. (if you know what i mean, it feels like a squishy tube compared to muscle) and a lot of the time (unless its this 'one' nurse' they miss my veins completely)
just look away and play with your phone or something, or think of something you would rather be doing to take your mind off it while looking away from their direction
I have really rubbish veins that are really small and dont really show through the skin though, so most of the time the nurses miss and have to do it 2 or even 3 times to hit the vein, so i worry more.
I dont have a problem with blood or opened body parts or massive cuts or anything like that, its just 'into the vein' that bothers me for some reason.
unless its the one nurse doing my infusion (inserting a canular, twice as bad as a needle) i worry like hell and my heart rate goes up quite a bit and even when they are squirting the flush in, if i watch that i go a light headed.
if I look away and take deep breaths while they are setting up and then 'stabbing' you, its not as bad and doesnt hurt as much. ( cos they are just stabbing you, with a small bit of metal, so it does hurt.
i think the reason i go all funny is cos its not just being stabbed into meat, its into a vein, so your likely to bleed alot more and have more problems with just into meat.
but sometime i just have to look when they fit a canular as i have dodgy veins as in, they are really small and not really visible, so they have to feel for the vein 'tube' in my arm. (if you know what i mean, it feels like a squishy tube compared to muscle) and a lot of the time (unless its this 'one' nurse' they miss my veins completely)
just look away and play with your phone or something, or think of something you would rather be doing to take your mind off it while looking away from their direction
I have really rubbish veins that are really small and dont really show through the skin though, so most of the time the nurses miss and have to do it 2 or even 3 times to hit the vein, so i worry more.
I dont have a problem with blood or opened body parts or massive cuts or anything like that, its just 'into the vein' that bothers me for some reason.
Edited by Slink on Tuesday 18th June 02:02
I give blood fairly often and I always look away when they put the needle in; I think I'd tense up like crazy if I could see it coming. I'm fine if I can't see it though, and I'm fine once it's in. Also luckily I have obvious veins so they usually hit one first time without a problem.
The Aardvark said:
Any hints / tips / simple remedies?
Practice slow breathing while you're waiting for the nurse and remember they've done this millions of times and 99.9% of the time it's completely painless.Like other respondents on this thread I've had to give blood many times and never, not once, has there been any real pain.
I too have regular blood tests with my diabetes. I go to the local clinic where it is mostly old biddies like my Mum and her chums going for a regular chat. The phlebotomy nurses are also.....um......mature. The result is that they are so damm good at what they are doing it really is a breeze. If you can find veins in a stream of pensioners al day hitting a well built PHer is a diddle.
Only time it has been uncomfortable was when the GP practice nurse had a go. Bloomin' thing was in and out like a fiddlers elbow before she got it. That was getting irritating!
I don't look though. Can't. Either when the lancet (is that correct) is going in or when she is sucking out my life force. But it's over so quick.
I think the whole thing is more stressful if one is lying there watching someone approach with a tray of things that clink. Going to a very busy clinic seems somehow less of a big deal. I hope you find a way to chill a little through it OP as it will be so much easier if you can.
Best of luck.
Only time it has been uncomfortable was when the GP practice nurse had a go. Bloomin' thing was in and out like a fiddlers elbow before she got it. That was getting irritating!
I don't look though. Can't. Either when the lancet (is that correct) is going in or when she is sucking out my life force. But it's over so quick.
I think the whole thing is more stressful if one is lying there watching someone approach with a tray of things that clink. Going to a very busy clinic seems somehow less of a big deal. I hope you find a way to chill a little through it OP as it will be so much easier if you can.
Best of luck.
Slink said:
unless its the one nurse doing my infusion (inserting a canular, twice as bad as a needle) i worry like hell and my heart rate goes up quite a bit and even when they are squirting the flush in, if i watch that i go a light headed.
if I look away and take deep breaths while they are setting up and then 'stabbing' you, its not as bad and doesnt hurt as much. ( cos they are just stabbing you, with a small bit of metal, so it does hurt.
I find if they're good at it it doesn't hurt; unfortunately a lot of them aren't good at it(especially junior docs!). if I look away and take deep breaths while they are setting up and then 'stabbing' you, its not as bad and doesnt hurt as much. ( cos they are just stabbing you, with a small bit of metal, so it does hurt.
I look away too, if I look at the needle going in I turn into a wobbly rubber man and fall over, which is inconvenient. 
I've only ever had one nurse take blood and it didnt hurt, an she was about 70-80 years old and really slow at sticking the needle in.
at least its not as bad as one girl i see when i go for infusions, 2 times now, they have tryed to get a canular in over 10 times and only succeeded when they got a docter that does bloods and canulars for children.
at least its not as bad as one girl i see when i go for infusions, 2 times now, they have tryed to get a canular in over 10 times and only succeeded when they got a docter that does bloods and canulars for children.
Ray Luxury-Yacht said:
jas xjr said:
i hate needles too but due to having to have my blood tested on a regular basis i am slowly getting used to it . i just look the other way now .
if i could get used to needles i could inject insulin and i would be a whole lot healthier
Sounds like a pain. Type 1 or type 2?if i could get used to needles i could inject insulin and i would be a whole lot healthier
whereas the old ladies are the best.Thanks for the tips and comments. I'm glad I'm not alone.
Agree that a proper phlebotomist is the preferred option - worst one I had was when my GP volunteered to do my blood test to save me waiting a while for the nurse - he wasn't joking when he said he hadn't done this for a while! Huge black and green bruise on my arm lasted for a week (but apparently that was my fault for not pressing hard enough when the needle was removed!)
Well deep slow breathing, no looking, and nice thoughts about beer, curry and holidays - and if all else fails give myself a slap and tell myself to grow a pair.......
Agree that a proper phlebotomist is the preferred option - worst one I had was when my GP volunteered to do my blood test to save me waiting a while for the nurse - he wasn't joking when he said he hadn't done this for a while! Huge black and green bruise on my arm lasted for a week (but apparently that was my fault for not pressing hard enough when the needle was removed!)
Well deep slow breathing, no looking, and nice thoughts about beer, curry and holidays - and if all else fails give myself a slap and tell myself to grow a pair.......
Glad it's not just me. 
I've given blood twice; flaked out both times (both right at the end). Blood tests: invariably my body tries to hit the reset button at some point well after it's all over. Couple of weeks ago in A&E I switched off while having some gravel rash cleaned up. Had a STI test some time ago: was really close to going even for that tiny blood sample. Needed an I&D for an infected fingernail... fine with the cut and squish until I saw the pile of gack that was in my finger: fell off the chair.
It's infuriating. I'm not squeamish if, for instance, I've cut the end of my index finger off and it's dripping juice; and my pain tolerance is fine (I'm a specialist in kicking stuff barefoot, hitting my hands with hammers and catching things in doors). But medical 'intervention', I'm a pansy.
I've given blood twice; flaked out both times (both right at the end). Blood tests: invariably my body tries to hit the reset button at some point well after it's all over. Couple of weeks ago in A&E I switched off while having some gravel rash cleaned up. Had a STI test some time ago: was really close to going even for that tiny blood sample. Needed an I&D for an infected fingernail... fine with the cut and squish until I saw the pile of gack that was in my finger: fell off the chair.
It's infuriating. I'm not squeamish if, for instance, I've cut the end of my index finger off and it's dripping juice; and my pain tolerance is fine (I'm a specialist in kicking stuff barefoot, hitting my hands with hammers and catching things in doors). But medical 'intervention', I'm a pansy.
I'm the same OP, but it's purely having a blood sample taken. Injections I'm fine with, but if they are taking blood I tend to get lightheaded and faint. Not a good look for a 6ft 1", 15 stone bloke
Still, I have them every 3 months and I find the best thing to do is talk to the doctor/nurse while they are doing it. Distraction seems to be the only thing that keeps me upright. Also, do you have a prefered arm? It sounds stupid, but unless I have the blood taken from my dominant arm (left in my case) I tend to feel much worse.
Still, I have them every 3 months and I find the best thing to do is talk to the doctor/nurse while they are doing it. Distraction seems to be the only thing that keeps me upright. Also, do you have a prefered arm? It sounds stupid, but unless I have the blood taken from my dominant arm (left in my case) I tend to feel much worse.
Survived the trip to the vampires earlier. Odd thing is the anticipation for me is far worse than the actual blood taking. Sitting in the waiting area I'm concentrating on deep slow breathing, but once in the chair staring at the wall, I'm chatting away about holidays to the nurse who has just shoved the (what feels like) the 6 inch nail into my arm.
I still think that a large swift brandy would work wonders beforehand, but may not pass the fasting test!
I still think that a large swift brandy would work wonders beforehand, but may not pass the fasting test!
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