Trypanophobia

[Cack Hen]

Anybody genuinely have this? (fear of needles) I do and it's extremely annoying. I'm supposed to have some blood tests on monday and I'm really worried about it, because the last few times I've had them I've passed out. And it isn't a nice feeling the minute or so before you pass out. Your herat races, you get a cold sweat, you fade in and out of consciousness so you don't really feel in control anymore. Just not nice at all.

But it's absurd, I know it is. My fear isn't actually at the stage where I have a panic attack at the sheer sight of a needle, but if I see one and I know it's going in my arm I go into overdrive.

I was wondering if anybody else suffers from this and if there are any tips to get through it? I'm thinking of either bringing somebody and chatting to them while it gets done or I'll stick my earphones in and listen to music. Not sure eitehr will work to be honest.

[El Unicornio, mang]

Deep breaths, deeply in when it penetrates, and don't look at it. Also, imagining the worst torture being inflicted on you makes a needle seem not so bad...

[Peking O]

Deep breaths, deeply in when it penetrates, and don't look at it.

You can't apply your sex techniques to needles, Unicorn.

[Banana Woofwoof]

I do.  I get blood tests quite a lot but every time I cry and shake.  I hate needles.  The thought of that metal penetrating my skin scares the hell out of me.  Nurses always laugh and think I'm being stupid because I have massive self harm scars on my arms.  Needles are different, though.  They feel so intrusive.

The first blood test I had was in October and I was so scared I pulled my arm and the needle got stuck.  I ended up with massive bruises and the next time I had a blood test I cried my eyes out.

When I panic, the nurses doing it all try to talk to me to calm me down.  Ask me questions and that.  But I always scream, "I DON'T KNOW!" because I can't focus on anything other than the needle.  Eugh.  You have my sympathy.

[Cack Hen]

See, the worst part is that I've got to get used to this. I've got to have a blood test every month for my medication. I dunno, I'm hoping it turns out to be a good thing because it might mean I can just get over whatever's causing the issue.

It's funny though, if they gave me the option to have my blood taken the normal way or for me to gash my hand open with a razor blade I'd almost certainly do the latter.

Damn you, human brain!

[aaaaaaaaaargh!]

Oh dear, I know what you're going through people.  I have fainted loads and loads during blood tests.  You can count the number of times I haven't fainted during a blood test on the fingers of one hand.  The first time I did it I was convinced I had died and passed through to the other side.

The last time I did it was when I had the needle passed into my hand (I had already had a number of holes put into my forearms near the elbow so they were a no go) and the (probably imagined) sound of the needle scratching around really did for me.

When I was having various tests on my heart, well, as you'ver probably guessed, I fainted during that too.  The nurse joked that it would've been easier and less traumatic if she had just stabbed me to get the blood.

I think my mind is over active, but there must be something more than that as my face goes white and my lips and mouth area often turn blue when it happens.  Still, I'm sure you'll be fine!

[Labian Quest]

Try concentrating on something else while it's happening - such as counting down from 100 in three's - I do that at the dentist's sometimes.

[Shoulders?-Stomach!]

While the injection is taking place, pinch another part of your body with your free hand to alert your nervous system to that instead of the injection. It's called displacement and works a treat, so I hear.

[Ciarán2]

Today is Friday the 13th. So I thought this was a thread about Triskeidekaphobia (I think that's what it's called). But it isn't.

[ffogems]

While the injection is taking place, pinch another part of your body with your free hand to alert your nervous system to that instead of the injection. It's called displacement and works a treat, so I hear.

So that's why I always find myself reading the paper during your posts. (smiley face wink thing)

[EFB]

I do.  I get blood tests quite a lot but every time I cry and shake.  I hate needles.  The thought of that metal penetrating my skin scares the hell out of me.

Exactly the same here. One of the main reasons I wont take lithium.

[Totem Hokum]

Hmmm, reading all that makes me feel like a weido junkie or something now, because I actually like needles. I give blood whenever I can and tend to look forward to it. I think it's because I get a rush of adrenaline at the point where many would get quite nervous and terrified as the nurse/whomever unsheaths the pointy thing and holds it next to the soft skin on your arm. That slight, slight moment of raw terror as the needle slips into a vein is the only part I am aprehensive about, but that goes away quite quickly as I get a kick out of the visual of my blood filling the bag, and watching it slosh around on top of that see-saw mechanism they use to prevent it coagulating. Do I need help?

[Cack Hen]

You are sick in the head. In the head.

[Milo]

I find blood-giving an incredibly relaxing experience. I always feel nice and mellow for hours afterwards and I never feel like that otherwise. I wish we were allowed to do it more often.

[Banana Woofwoof]

Apparently therapeutic bloodletting was common practice:

http://www.studentbmj.com/back_issues/0898/data/0898ed5.htm

[Milo]

It says that each leech removes 20ml of blood so I'd need 29 of them to remove a pint. However, up to ten times 20ml can be lost in bleeding afterwards. 'up to'. I need more accuracy to calculate how many leeches to buy.

Reading one of the references now. It says that in the 19th century leeches were made to be sick by squeezing them so that they'd feed again. Most effective measure was making a cut in their arse and draining the blood out though.

[Paaaaul]

I guess you'll also suffer from trepanaphobia, being a wuss 'n that.

[Notlob]

Anybody genuinely have this? (fear of needles) I do and it's extremely annoying. I'm supposed to have some blood tests on monday and I'm really worried about it, because the last few times I've had them I've passed out. And it isn't a nice feeling the minute or so before you pass out. Your herat races, you get a cold sweat, you fade in and out of consciousness so you don't really feel in control anymore. Just not nice at all.

But it's absurd, I know it is. My fear isn't actually at the stage where I have a panic attack at the sheer sight of a needle, but if I see one and I know it's going in my arm I go into overdrive.

I was wondering if anybody else suffers from this and if there are any tips to get through it? I'm thinking of either bringing somebody and chatting to them while it gets done or I'll stick my earphones in and listen to music. Not sure eitehr will work to be honest.

Don't worry - if the nurse even knows her job half-properly, you genuinely won't feel anything, so if you don't look you should be fine. :)

[surreal]

While the injection is taking place, pinch another part of your body with your free hand to alert your nervous system to that instead of the injection. It's called displacement and works a treat, so I hear.

I do this when I go to the dentist - the scale/polish scraper really stings sometimes as my teeth are quite sensitive.  Also works when I've had to have a needle in the gum to have a filling....

I tend to close my eyes and squeeze my thumbs and forefingers together as hard as I can, which seems to deflect any pain (of which there isn't much I admit).

[the midnight watch baboon]

I don't mind injections at all- after spending my working life injecting animals in the name of science it seems only fair I can take it too. But that vaguely moralistic approach goes out the window at the dentist, needles into gums are wrong wrong wrong.

[samadriel]

I guess you'll also suffer from trepanaphobia, being a wuss 'n that.

(picture)

Better than frypanophobia; I have to fry everything on a sheet of tin I found in the local park.

After 17 years of type-1 diabetes, needles have lost much of their horrifying frisson.  I'm well 'ard, me.

[Tokyo Sexwhale]

Ah, I missed this, it just so happens that I had to have a blood test on Thursday, but wasn't worried because I've had a few before with no ill effect.

Anyway, the nurse had trouble finding a suitable vein, and then stuck the needle in and wiggled it about for a good 15 seconds.  Still, I wasn't overly perturbed.

She took a sample, then a second, and was struggling to get any blood for the third.  And finally she managed to get a smaller sample from the same vein.

Just after she withdrew it and started to put a plaster on the wound, I started to feel woozy.  Ah, it'll pass, I thought.

The next thing I knew, I was aware of a dull pain in my head.  I became vaguely aware that I shouldn't really be asleep.

I'd passed out and smashed my head on the floor.

Now, four days later I still have a bright purple bruise about 4cm in circumference, and my shaven head has a Gorbachov style red mark on it!  The faceplate of my watch had somehow been badly scratched too.

Still at least my pants were still on the right way around...

[Neville Chamberlain]

I'm so afraid of the needles I can't even go to the Isle of Wight.

[Cupid Stunt]

You bunch of babies.  I had one of these put in and I didn't even flinch.

[Cack Hen]

Jesus, did that hurt?

Incidentally, I haven't been for my blood test yet. I'm going tomorrow morning, so that'll be fun,

[Cupid Stunt]

I didn't feel a thing.  They numbed the entry area with an anaesthetic cream for about an hour beforehand, so I didn't feel the guide needle go in.  And of course, there are no nerve endings on the inside of your veins - why would there be?  They are a great idea and saved me from getting a lot of needle jabs as well as the chemo burns.  

When I was trying to take my mind off what was happening, I sang Adam & Joe's Footy Song to myself, inside my head.   Specifically, I tried to get the "Glen Hoddle is having a goal" bit right without stumbling over it, which is tricky even inside your own head.  Try doing that tomorrow.  Maybe some day we'll all evolve handy little taps on our not-yer-elbows to eliminate the need for needles.

[Cack Hen]

I actually know the Glen Hoddle bit very well! (I memorised it for some reason I can't remember) but it's not a bad idea, I'll give it a go. I might try spelling superkalafragalistic..bla bla too.