Pretty often, when my nurse cannulates my fistula, the needle hurts when it goes in. It feels like it hits the vein wall. It doesn't hurt real bad, but just enough to give me a twinge of pain at first, and my arm feels somewhat sore internally the whole run. Maybe the needle is touching a vein? The nurse will try to pull back on the needle, but it doesn't seem to help much. Once I feel that initial pain I know it's a stick that's going to be uncomfortable the whole run. Once in awhile it will ease up, but usually not. Can you tell me what causes this and if anything can help?

JC,

How old is your fistula? What size needles do you use? Is the pain in the arterial or venous needle?

Some patients experience nerve pain from the needle touching a nerve that runs along the fistula. Nerve pain will last until the needle is pulled at the end of the treatment. Is your pain from the same cannulation area on the fistula?

Deborah