Dried vain due to chemo?

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Margun
Margun Member Posts: 419
edited November 2019 in Chemotherapy - Before, During, and After

I had lost arm stiffness and arm discomfort for awhile. When I slightly twisted my arm a concave line appeared so I thought i pulled a muscle. Today i was taking My herceptin infusion and showed that line to the nurse. She said it is a vain dryed due to chemo and nothing can be done about that. Anyone heard such thing and it is not worrisome that this can crate a blood pumping or other problem

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  • Cowgirl13
    Cowgirl13 Member Posts: 1,936
    edited November 2019

    I'm so sorry to hear this. This can happen and its why some people have a port put in. Any chance you can have a port put in?

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  • exbrnxgrl
    exbrnxgrl Member Posts: 12,424
    edited November 2019

    I second what cowgirl wrote. You have not made your dx public, but if you still have a while to go on herceptin and your veins are starting to get trashed, a port may be worth looking into. I can only use my right arm for infusions so my port, now in it’s eighth year, has saved my veins. Take care

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  • Margun
    Margun Member Posts: 419
    edited November 2019

    My dx is that I am triple positive and 10 herceptin to go.. the port is connected to the vain I guess and if chemo is drying vains it would harm the vain as well? From what you wrote I am assuming that the numerous IV insertions are causing this problem. The problem is local where they put the needles or can be generated anywhere in the body

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  • exbrnxgrl
    exbrnxgrl Member Posts: 12,424
    edited November 2019

    When you have a port, generally placed somewhere on the upper chest, the port is the point of entry for the infusion, not a vein. The port itself is like a little connector placed between the two ends of the vein that has been cut. Kind of like a connector on a child’s building set. The connector has a permeable area that the needle is inserted into, so the infusion then flows into the vein. Your vein is not the entry point for the needle, the permeable part of the port is so your vein is not pierced by the needle. There is no damage to the vein because it is not the point of entry for the needle.

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  • MountainMia
    MountainMia Member Posts: 1,307
    edited November 2019

    Margun, I have a vein in my chemo arm that seems to have died. Like your description, it shows a concave line now where the vein used to be. The line was dark at first but now doesn't seem to have color, just the indent. Everything else works fine, so I guess I won't worry about it. I am not having more infusions since chemo.

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  • Cowgirl13
    Cowgirl13 Member Posts: 1,936
    edited November 2019

    Exbrnxgrl, excellent description! I had no idea.

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