Newbie has a q

[lisab3424]

Hi,

I'm a college student who is thinking about doing a clinical trial over the summer just to earn a little spare cash. I have a few questions:

1. Do you get paid to do the screening test even if you don't get selected?

2. Would you choose 20 blood draws with a needle each time or an IV/cannula thing (don't know exactly what it's called)?

3. How badly does an IV/cannula/whatever hurt?

4. What are your strategies for coping with needles? How do you keep yourself from getting freaked out by it?

5. How many trials does it take to mess up your veins?

Thanks for your help and all your threads. This place has revealed a fascinating subculture.
I'm so broke that this is looking tempting but I have these nagging questions.

Cheers
L

[antecubital]

Apr 20, 2015 19:47:53 GMT -5 lisab3424 said:

Hi,

I'm a college student who is thinking about doing a clinical trial over the summer just to earn a little spare cash. I have a few questions:

1. Do you get paid to do the screening test even if you don't get selected?

2. Would you choose 20 blood draws with a needle each time or an IV/cannula thing (don't know exactly what it's called)?

3. How badly does an IV/cannula/whatever hurt?

4. What are your strategies for coping with needles? How do you keep yourself from getting freaked out by it?

5. How many trials does it take to mess up your veins?

Thanks for your help and all your threads. This place has revealed a fascinating subculture.
I'm so broke that this is looking tempting but I have these nagging questions.

Cheers
L

1. Some places pay for screening, some don't.

2. They don't usually give you a choice. Both cannulae and straight sticks have their pluses and minuses. Choosing one over the other would depend on how long it would take for 20 straight sticks.

3. Not too bad. And if it does hurt a little bit, the pain doesn't linger. It's like pulling off a Band-Aid. Hell for a second, but then nothing.

4. Pretend like your Keith Richards?

5. I've lost count, and my veins are still better than good.

[ac]

I've had about 800-900 straight sticks over 14 trials over 22 months. Over 95% of them have been in the same vein in the same arm and it still works like new. I look away when they stick me with the needle and ue looking away until they pull the needle out.

[lisab3424]

Thank you both for responding. I have to say I admire you guys.
Doing one of these trials is a little off the wall and ballsy.
It's not soing most people do. I'm going to try and overcome my minor fear of needles and go for it.
I love how needles don't phase you guys at all!

[travelingrat]

hi! if you are a newbie, it would be a good idea to read through the opinions on this forum re how much to reveal to the screeners. my own opinion is, reveal as little as possible. when i was first starting out, i volunteered the info that as a child i had a mild rash around my mouth after eating melons. parexel banned permanently because of that! even when my own doctor wrote a long letter, they refused to ever consider me again, and believe me, i have tried!

so you should definitely think carefully beforehand about what you are going to tell them. once your personal health history is in their computers, unless you know a hacker, it is in forever.

needles: in spite of some inept phlebotomists, my veins are holding up fine. i have one vein that i try to put on "reserve" as it is my best one. i offer the others up first, hee hee.

best wishes to you!

[lisab3424]

It's kind of crazy that they banned you over that. I bet the people in charge of banning have no medical knowledge. They are probably paper pushers.

[johnjalr]

Apr 20, 2015 19:47:53 GMT -5 lisab3424 said:

Hi,

I'm a college student who is thinking about doing a clinical trial over the summer just to earn a little spare cash. I have a few questions:

1. Do you get paid to do the screening test even if you don't get selected?

2. Would you choose 20 blood draws with a needle each time or an IV/cannula thing (don't know exactly what it's called)?

3. How badly does an IV/cannula/whatever hurt?

4. What are your strategies for coping with needles? How do you keep yourself from getting freaked out by it?

5. How many trials does it take to mess up your veins?

Thanks for your help and all your threads. This place has revealed a fascinating subculture.
I'm so broke that this is looking tempting but I have these nagging questions.

Cheers
L

I think everyone has pretty much answered your questions. I will say, however, that I'd always opt for a catheter (cannula). The installation is uncomfortable - very invasive - and some people can't tolerate it, but if there are lots of blood draws on offer, a catheter is way better than repeated jabs.

[lisab3424]

I know from experience I can tolerate a phlebotomist sticking a needle in my arm and fishing around once it's in.
I hope I can take a cannula but I've never had one in before. Now I'm scared. 
I'm not the bravest person when it comes to medical procedures but I am super desperate financially as a student.

[Deleted]

It's been my experience that you rarely have a choice. They like everyone having the same procedure.

[travelingrat]

Apr 25, 2015 15:21:47 GMT -5 lisab3424 said:

I know from experience I can tolerate a phlebotomist sticking a needle in my arm and fishing around once it's in.
I hope I can take a cannula but I've never had one in before. Now I'm scared. 
I'm not the bravest person when it comes to medical procedures but I am super desperate financially as a student.

gosh don't be scared! i have done many studies and 99% of the time, there were zero problems with the IV's. usually the more experienced phlebotomists insert them in my experience. in fact, in a few clinics that do not use them, the reason is that they do not have the trained personnel (or maybe they need an extra license, i don't know) to insert them and so they just use the straight sticks.

i think you'll be just fine .... just look the other way and think of the money, that is my standard operating mode in studies and it works well.

[lisab3424]

Thanks travellingrat and all the others who posted. You guys are very knowledgeable. After so much experience in studies I think you know more than the recruiters and many of the doctors! I'm grateful for your time and responses.