Feeling tired after getting labs drawn?

My last one was 26 vials and I seriously needed a steak (and nap) after.  

 26!!! Oy vey.

Dang girl did you have any more blood left in you, sounds worse than an actual vampire. lol

I just had my pre-op labs drawn last week, and I felt pretty crappy for the rest of the day.  All I wanted to do was sleep.  Hope you're feeling better soon!

WOW -- 16 vials and Dogma -- 26 vials????

JEEZZ... I just had my 3 month blood work done even though my doc doesn't do 3 month tests I told him I wanted them done.  I used his standard DS blood work list and had 8 vials taken out and I thought that was a lot!!!

My blood letting technicain was even amazed and said the most he'd ever taken before was 4 vials.

The problem is when they take that many vials they can't help but move the needle around and as a result I get this huge black and blue mark at the need entry point.  Do you all get this?

Dave

I have some mild deficiencies that I am working on so I have a few extra tests each quarter but yes, I did mean 26 vials.  Plus, my local lab does not actually run any of the tests, they farm out all their testing so the vials go to several different labs. I guess they are very inefficient!

The last 2 times I insisted they take an extra vial because 3 times now I have gotten "quantity not sufficient for accurate testing," on one of the tests and have had to go back for another draw.  

Thank the FSM I have big fat juicy veins and am a super easy stick... I go in the day before and give them the paperwork, they freak out initially then get all the vials ready and I make sure they have the foil to keep the one in the dark and there is one other specialized vial they need ... acid etched or some such thing...that they invariably need to order from a different branch.  

If I remember, next time I'm going to snap a cell phone piccy of all the vials.  I had to have lots of blood work for various co-morb.s pre-op and I got mild bruising when on blood thinners.  

But I am lucky to be a very easy draw.  Even with this quantity, I have so far always gotten it done on the first stick.  

I do think the lab workers feel sorry for me and give me their bestest vampire. 
D2K

I don't get wimpy feeling after a blood draw but boy do I get heart burn, or whatever, on an empty tummy. I drink water up to the time I go in and then scarf down a protein shake as soon as they're done. It will be interesting to see if maybe your protein or iron levels are a little low. Those might contribute.

--gina

Hi Gina,

Thanks for the input. I do suspect my iron might be a bit low, even aside from the blood draw. 

Have to say, I hope it's not my protein or I will officially need to panic!  I'm up to about 140 grams per day from food, and I'm still allergic to all the bars and powders. 

Thanks everyone for the input! I'm back to feeling full of energy today, so whatever the cause, it seems to have passed.

In hospital we are always giving people "blood test" anemia.....especially little old ladies!  It works like this...you need a blood profile daily to see if your course of treatment is working.  Before you know it you've removed an entire unit of blood from their circulating blood volume in the space of 2 weeks. 

Think of it this way...most of those vacu tubes take about 8mls so you've had 16 drawn (the FBC is only 5 mls) that's about 125mls out of your circulating blood volume. 

Yup you're going to feel tired...you're going to make the blood cells soon enough but it is hardly surprising you're feeling below par.  It isn't a huge blood loss but it can be enough to make you feel funky...trust me!