Minimizing scar tissue on veins

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I donate platelets every 2-3 weeks. Feel kinda dumb always using my left arm. Should I wait say 3-5 weeks to donate to minimize scar tissue? I read if you wait and drink a lot of water and watch what you eat and drink before donation it helps. I am down to 239lbs also; as a result of ear and half ago I was pushing 310lbs


Thank You all in advance as I am a dummy in general
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I feel like I have scar tissue in my right arm, but that was after having an IV run for around a week. I don't think single injections/donations cause scar tissue, so far as I've been told.

What makes you think you have scar tissue now?
 
What do you see? I've never seen any anomalies several weeks after giving blood or getting a shot.

I give blood every six months, max, so this may have something to do with it.
 
Originally Posted by StevieC
Thank you for donating. It helps those less fortunate health wise. My hat off to you sir.
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You are more than welcome comrade and friend. I am very blessed to have A+ blood and very good iron levels and overall "healthy"

A relative of mine died from leukemia when i was 10 so when i was of legal age i decided to donate.

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We have had many family members that have needed blood over the years, one of which had Lukemia and won the battle. (7 years remission). My brother also needed transfusions when he had a surgery on his head as a kid.

I wish I could donate but with a bad thyroid they won't accept my blood and longer because of the medication I'm on for it. That said the rest of the family donates where possible and I used to until this condition happened.

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Not an area of expertise for me.

Not sure if there is much you can do to minimize it other than more time between venipunctures. Everyone has a different rate of scar tissue development.

The vein heals by regenerating native tissue. When that is not enough , fibroblasts deposit collagen and that's scar tissue. You may have just skin scar tissue and not vein scarring.

There is keloid scarring, which is quite remarkable and keeps growing past the original injury. Hypertrophic scarring , which is a raised area of the injury. And atropic scarring which is a depression of the original area.

Ask your physician at your next visit if he sees any issue with the frequency of donation and scar potential.

I donate blood every 8 weeks or so as i'm O-negative. Not really any scar that i notice, but everyone is different.
 
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Originally Posted by spasm3
Not an area of expertise for me.

Not sure if there is much you can do to minimize it other than more time between venipunctures. Everyone has a different rate of scar tissue development.

The vein heals by regenerating native tissue. When that is not enough , fibroblasts deposit collagen and that's scar tissue. You may have just skin scar tissue and not vein scarring.

There is keloid scarring, which is quite remarkable and keeps growing past the original injury. Hypertrophic scarring , which is a raised area of the injury. And atropic scarring which is a depression of the original area.

Ask your physician at your next visit if he sees any issue with the frequency of donation and scar potential.

I donate blood every 8 weeks or so as i'm O-negative. Not really any scar that i notice, but everyone is different.


Thank you sir for the info
 
A Phlebotomist is the specialized lab technician that draws blood. Perhaps you could ask that person if they can draw the blood from different locations and rotate to different spots. A trained phlebotomist should be able to handle that question with great confidence.

Ray
 
They could tell I had given blood many times from my scars. They told me the large bore needles were nicknamed "pencils"
 
I have lots of scar tissue from donating, particularly on my R arm. (I'm a lefty, so donate R when possible.) The only problem is it's getting harder and harder for them to poke through the scar tissue.

No problems other than that, but I am not able to donate as often as you are. Keep it up!
 
The good news is veins heal differently than skin. The scaring on the skin is different than what happens in the vein, so the buildup of scar tissue is not as bad in the vein.
This is true for donations, but not as much for IV infusions, since some medications can be damaging to the vein (and especially for IV drug use, those drugs do major damage to the veins).

I would have them alternate arms, and if you have decent veins, use another one on the same arm. I have 2 good ones on my right arm and 1 on the left.
On the one they used the most, the skin has some decent scaring, but it is still soft to the touch.

Using Vitamin E lotion may help reduce the external scaring (studies are mixed on results) and keeping the puncture would covered with a bandaid and antibiotic ointment for a few days helps the healing. Also keeping the spot out of the sun helps (and having a bandaid on will do that). I have also read about massaging the site a few times a day to help prevent buildup.

I have not donated in a few years (used to do the plasmapheresis donation every 4-6 weeks for about 5-6 years) and my scars have decreased in size and firmness.
 
I have donated blood sporatically for about 50 years. I am close to 10 gallons pin.

When I donate regularly for a few years I start to become a difficult stick. I have had them blow out the vein and turn my arm purple. last time this happened arm itched for a few days while reabsorbing the blood. They sent me to a doctor who also prescribed antibiotic. Then I will quit donating for a while, That time was several years. When I restarted they seem to have an easier time.

Now I tell them the history, and they get the good phlebotomist no more issues.

They do differ in skill levels.

Yes, the needle is big. the blood is needed, think of the lives you may have saved.

Rod
 
my daughter fell and hit her cheek on the side of the coffee table when she was 3-4 year old. Left a 3/4" cut that needed stitches below her eye

The doctor suggested Maderma to fade the scar.

https://www.amazon.com/Mederma-Advanced-Scar-Gel-Recommended/dp/B000052YOB?th=1

It wasn't perfect but it did fade the scar to where it is the same color as the rest of her skin. Still has small indentions where the stitches were but she's now 13 and you don't notice it much.
 
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Originally Posted by ragtoplvr
I have donated blood sporatically for about 50 years. I am close to 10 gallons pin.

When I donate regularly for a few years I start to become a difficult stick. I have had them blow out the vein and turn my arm purple. last time this happened arm itched for a few days while reabsorbing the blood. They sent me to a doctor who also prescribed antibiotic. Then I will quit donating for a while, That time was several years. When I restarted they seem to have an easier time.

Now I tell them the history, and they get the good phlebotomist no more issues.

They do differ in skill levels.

Yes, the needle is big. the blood is needed, think of the lives you may have saved.

Rod


Thank you Rod. I'm going to try the other arm and space appointments out further. I can donate 24 times a year in PA
 
Originally Posted by blupupher
The good news is veins heal differently than skin. The scaring on the skin is different than what happens in the vein, so the buildup of scar tissue is not as bad in the vein.
This is true for donations, but not as much for IV infusions, since some medications can be damaging to the vein (and especially for IV drug use, those drugs do major damage to the veins).

I would have them alternate arms, and if you have decent veins, use another one on the same arm. I have 2 good ones on my right arm and 1 on the left.
On the one they used the most, the skin has some decent scaring, but it is still soft to the touch.

Using Vitamin E lotion may help reduce the external scaring (studies are mixed on results) and keeping the puncture would covered with a bandaid and antibiotic ointment for a few days helps the healing. Also keeping the spot out of the sun helps (and having a bandaid on will do that). I have also read about massaging the site a few times a day to help prevent buildup.

I have not donated in a few years (used to do the plasmapheresis donation every 4-6 weeks for about 5-6 years) and my scars have decreased in size and firmness.


That's what I do as well. Everytime I go, including this coming Thursday, they will ask me what arm, to which I reply, it doesn't matter, but I'll tell them what arm blood was drawn from the last time.

Our (Red Cross) only allows donations every 3 months and it is recommended you inform you doctor that you donate blood regularly. I am O+ and my blood is in demand so I try to donate as often as I am allowed. O- is the most popular as it suits the most people, or so I am told, so if you're O-, especially, get out there and donate. There really is nothing to it. Just be sure you eat decently an hour or more before you go. Ask me how I know.
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