Anybody with a needle phobia had the COVID vaccine? How did you find it?

[Glitteryfox]

I’m early to mid thirties and still not had my jab. Feel very, very scared about it. I fully agree with vaccinations and want to be vaccinated but my fear of injections has overridden this so far. I‘ve been pushing it to the back of my mind but know that I just need to book it now.

My phobia is pretty severe and specifically seems to be about sitting still and allowing a person to stick a bit of metal into my flesh. I don’t like injections at the dentist but have nothing like the same reaction because I don’t consider gums to be the same. Crazy, I know. People keep telling me it doesn’t hurt and it’s really annoying me. I have a phobia of needles, not pain. I have become extremely panicked and desperate in the past and lashed out at nurses. A nurse in the maternity ward sprung a rubella injection on me and I flung it to the ground and wanted to run away. Obviously, I just told her I didn’t want to have it and that was accepted, but my reactions are pretty embarrassing and severe. I have fainted just at the thought of injections in the past and reliably faint every time I have one. I try to power through and tell myself it is fine and done and all over but I can still still faint up to half an hour later. It’s as though my body will force it to happen no matter what I am mentally telling myself. Everybody laughing and acting as though I’m just a wimp makes it worse and it seems to be tied into not liking people touching me or doing anything to my body. I get aggressively defensive about it.

Anybody else similar and have any coping mechanisms or anything? Or positive stories of having it done?

Eat a banana before you go in! Good luck OP, the staff want to help you so just be open.

My DS has a phobia so I went with him. The vaccination was so quick he didnt feel a thing. Ask the nurse to not explain what they are doing because that takes longer.

You can do this! I'm so proud of my DS and you for doing it!

Embrace the anxiety. By that I mean accept that you’re anxious, that’s your feeling. But that you will still sit calmly and let it be done while still feeling anxious. The anxiety isn’t the boss here, you are.

Think about what you can control - your movements, where you sit, what you say.

Try and imagine anxiety as a wave of adrenaline which is just a hormone produced by your adrenal glands. That’s the physical feelings you have.

I guess what I’m saying is I don’t think you’re going to wish away your strong feelings on this one - you just acknowledge them, sit with them for a bit but accept you’re still getting the jab.

I also have a needle phobia (and have fainted before now).

I worried for the week up to my first jab. I got through each day by telling myself that I could always cancel the appointment the following day but I just needed to get through the current day first.

I booked my appointment for as early as possible (8.30am!) so I would have fewer hours for the anxiety to build beforehand.

It may sound a bit odd, but in the hour or so beforehand, I thought of a much worse experience I’d had (giving birth to ds without pain relief) and relived that. Sounds counterintuitive, but somehow it stopped my anxiety focussing on the coming jab.

I took dp with me and explained about my needle phobia (actually they asked if I was alright first as they could see my phobia on my face even with wearing a mask).

They were very understanding and it was over very quickly.

I'm pretty scared of needles. I just explained when I went in, and that I won't faint or anything, but I just don't want to see it. Staff each time were absolutely lovely, very reassuring, and the actual injection was so gentle, really didn't feel it.
You can do this!

Thanks everyone, I suppose there isn’t really any quick fix, I’m just going to have to do it. Good to hear other people with similar fears have been ok. Music playing loudly in my head is a good idea and I agree I’d also like no small talk or hanging around. Not sure people really understand the phobia thing though - it’s not about the needle hurting or being able to feel it. It’s more the knowledge that I’m allowing it to be done to me and just calmly letting somebody damage my body. I feel angry if the nurse talks to me to try to distract me because I feel like they’re trying to trick me and I know what they’re really doing to me. That feeling of trickery adds to the panic because I don’t feel in control of what’s being done to me.

It was so bad for a while that I refused to even go into a doctors surgery or speak to a doctor for around three years because it started to extend to any medical setting or medical professional... except dentists! To truly understand the level of phobia I have - I chose to go through with a pregnancy because I found out, on the morning of the abortion I had booked, that they would use a needle on me. That is so obviously extreme and ridiculous because pregnancy itself brought a host of medical interventions and still involved needles, but it meant I got to bury my head in the sand and avoid them for a little longer. Obviously that worked out well in the end and I am glad I ended up having my child, but I’m aware that my thought processes and behaviour are really not normal so just looking away isn’t going to change anything.

I honestly wish they could just inject it into my gums because I seemingly have no problem with that - I wince/screw my eyes up tight and really dislike having it done but nothing like the extreme thoughts and reactions I have in response to the idea of somebody putting a needle into my flesh.

At the centre where I volunteer we've had a few individuals with similar phobia, and everyone has been so proud of them for doing it when it has been so hard. They will do everything the can to make it ok for you. I know that ours have seen people outside normal clinic hours too, to try and make it a less challenging environment. Do talk to the centre in advance and see what they suggest.

I'm a vaccinator. Take control - tell them what you need. Not seeing needle, no small talk, no explanation - whatever. You can be vaccinated lying down if you prefer. Lots of people are petrified of needles,you're in good company, but work out what will help you and tell them

Ironically, my child requires daily injections and I’m absolutely fine with it now. I have become completely desensitised to that specific scenario. I am so disappointed in myself that I can’t just make my brain stop doing this to me.

Hi I have needle phobia and had a fear of hospitals and medical treatments. I had my first blood test in my thirties! How do I deal with it I buy emla cream put it on an hour before I need something doing. I also had hypnotherapy It helped me deal with my fear of medical procedures. Emla cream helped me with the psychological and physical effects of needles. I have been through 3 rounds of ivf, a miscarriage operation and giving birth. Emla cream is great (you can get it from boots). and I didn’t even feel the COVID vaccine. My friend also faints when she goes near needles so I suggested it to her when she had the COVID vaccine and she didn’t faint or feel anything!

Yes, get a doctor to prescribe you Emla cream. Put it on 2 hours before under a big plaster (buy in advance if you don't have one big enough). Not feeling it will make a big difference. Before vaccination wipe off.
I am OK with vaccination, but can't take blood tests and need Emla for these.

I hate needles too, and I know exactly what you mean about gums being fine because somehow it's not skin!

I've had the jab and it was much easier than I was expecting. I think I was so determined not to appear as someone who was fretting about blood clots (I had AZ) that it helped me to be brave! Good luck OP.

OK, even better pp said you can get Emla over the counter.
Plus as another pp said, give the vaccination centre prior warning that you have a phobia. They can be expecting you and ensure the right preparations and support are in place.

Yes, phobic but have had first one. I waited weeks after my eligible date to book it. Got tearful and wound up even thinking about it. Was fudging when friends asked if I'd had it done. I get panicky even seeing vaccinations on TV (which is basically ALL the BLOODY time), feel queasy just hearing the word j*b (see, can't even type it out). Had to tell all my friends to stop saying it and to use 'vaccination', which I can cope with. Like you I can, just about, cope with dental injections. Weird.

I think people saying 'it won't hurt' or didn't feel thing etc.are just not realising the difference between normal 'don't like injections; anxiety and true phobia.

Because like you the fear is not about the pain it's like you said, the act of an injection into my body. In fact mine is fairly specific to my arm as well, can just about handle cannula's with not looking and am squeamish & stressy but not jumpy with blood tests.

I'm not a fainter like yo. My problem is I anticipate the moment, then jerk away as they get closer (I can just FEEL them creeping up beside me getting nearer) get distressed and then the panic means I can't sit still & end up freaking out and rushing out. Flight reaction I guess.

So strategies -

• took a 5mg diazepam beforehand (I've got some left over from flying back in the day, 'cos also a bit scaredy cat about that too). If doctor won't prescribe , OTC Night Nurse has a similar effect,,,,
• went to my GP's surgery, not a large vaccination centre as it's smaller, in a proper room not a cubicle where I was worried people can overhear me making a scene, no queues when I arrived so less time to chicken out, and just felt less overwhelming. If you say you are phobic they will book you at GP, just phone them.
• asked for last appointment of day so there is no sense of a queue building up behind me if I am taking longer than normal. This was a very big fear for some reason - lots of grumpy people tutting that I was holding them up.
• told vaccinator of phobia and how I tend to anticipate and jerk away so they expected it and got in fast (after first few attempts where they were too slow!)
• sat on a chair holding on to legs for dear life looking in other direction. They tell you not to tense the arm muscle but that was the only way I was able to stay put.

Did not take a friend with me for support though some offered, that would make it more embarrassing for me and I think I'd be so mortified I couldn't even go. Did not actually tell anyone I was going in case I chickened out and then had to confess.

It took quite a while, at one point I had to go out and calm down in waiting room for 5 mins, but got there in the end.

I did think vaccinator had not encountered someone reacting like me before and didn't quite know what to do. He was a bit taken aback albeit tried to be helpful. I'm hoping I get someone else next time.

I just kept telling myself Covid was worse......

I have such a bad phobia of needles that even sewing needles cause me to feel anxious. However when I went for my jab I explained this and by the time I’d finished explaining she had done it. Honest just tell them how you feel

I am also a fainter!

Let me first of all reassure you -- what they use to do the vaccinations is an incredibly fine needle. I literally did not feel it either time. I had to ask if they had really done it!

The other tip is something a phlebotomist told me when I was pregnant and had to have bloods taken - she advised me keep sitting up and to drop my head forward towards my chest and close my eyes. This has worked for me every time now and I haven't fainted once. I have no idea why it works but it does (for me). I used to faint even when lying on my back!

Do you have to stay afterwards? Does anybody actually check? I think that’ll be the worst bit. I don’t want to stay in a place where they are injecting people because I’ll dwell on it - I just want to leave and pretend it never happened. I’m just as likely to faint afterwards as I am while it’s being done, so I need to get out of there! I feel so bloody embarrassed already, it is extremely embarrassing to be a grown woman acting like this in front of other people. I get so angry at myself that I refuse to acknowledge it’s happening in an attempt to opt out of this stupid reaction. During my last pregnancy I was losing consciousness after a blood test and the nurse kept asking if I was ok. I was adamant that I was fine even though I couldn’t see or hear anymore and just kept trying to walk down the hall. I thought I could just choose not to faint, but obviously I did faint anyway and hit myself off a wall. I am so angry that my brain is screaming at me to just stop it and be normal but I don’t have a choice. Bleh, I’m just dwelling on all the needles I’ve had now and getting myself worked up but I will definitely take some of the good advice from this thread and I’m just going to book it.

My dd has a needle phobia, I informed the lady at the desk and we were taken straight to the front of the queue to the designated phobia nurse. She asked me what's best way and I said don't show her the needle and don't talk about it just do it and it was done and dusted in a couple of mins of walking in x

I couldn't get out of there fast enough. They didn't suggest I stay. If you are a delayed fainter I guess it would be sensible to have someone to get you home OK.

I know, I'm so embarrassed about it - I've avoided travel to countries that need compulsory vaccinations, just told friends who suggested certain trips they aren't on my bucket list.

I've only told 3 close friends about the phobia. One I had to as I started crying when they were being a bit persistent about why I hadn't had the Covid vacc, and suggesting all sorts of practical solutions to my excuses (location, too busy etc). Still, it's just how our brains are wired so not much we can do about it. I think I'd rather be a fainter than a 'squeamish jerker' though!

I have needle phobia - I hate the concept of them, I hate the news stories that are on every website at the moment with a great big picture of a vaccination, I have been known to become hysterical just from thinking about the concept.

I had my second covid vaccine on Monday. i was more nervous than the first (don't know why, there is no logic to it) and had one of the first appointments of the day so I didn't have to wait. I had tears streaming down my face, but could still talk enough to tell them to get it done quickly. So a nice person held my hand & it was v quick & easy. As soon as it was done, I felt much better & could walk out straight away. No waiting around, and then I could go celebrate.

Do go ahead & book. it is worth doing.

I had a severe needle phobia as a teenager and thought I had it under control over the last ten years or so (I'm 33 now) - I've had multiple ear piercings, been for emergency hospital treatment and had my wisdom teeth out with no problems at all.

However, I had the first covid vaccine a couple of weeks ago and it massively triggered me again - I ended up fainting and it just did not go well at all. I think the problem was it was a massive vaccine centre run primarily by clearly very junior med students who just did not get it. I got comments like "you won't be the first to faint" and "it's not as bad as getting your blood taken" and the (dreaded to me) "sharp scratch". Plus I had to wait around ages before and to get permission to let me have it, and the embarrassment of asking for a nurse to do it instead of a med student as they wouldn't let me say it more discreetly or privately. Then when I fainted I woke up to them all freaking out as they'd thought I'd had an allergic reaction to the vaccine, with (another very) junior doctor literally slapping my face and shouting at me to respond...when I'd told them repeatedly I was likely to faint and going to faint as I did it!

BUT. I am going to have the second, and I don't want that to put you off having the first. My tips would be to: 1.) pick a more boutique location, e.g., a pharmacy or your GP, rather than the massive vaccine centres aimed for speed and efficiency; 2.) kick up a massive fuss about it beforehand, so they can find someone particularly experienced and /or sympathetic to just get you through asap without all of the waiting; and 3.) insist you can have it lying down, rather than on a chair. I found what happened to me traumatic, but I'm still determined to not let it set me back with my phobia and know it won't happen again if I take those steps rather than just going along with it and hoping it'll be ok. Big hugs and I'm sure you'll be fine (plus, fyi, it doesn't really hurt at all, honestly!)

Someone I know did, she paid for some podcast that calmed her down before she went (she listened to it several times) she got her vaccine.

I hate hate hate injections but this was an absolute doddle, i barely felt it! Look away and try your best to not tense your arm.

I have a severe needle phobia.

I put emla on 2 hours before and told them about my phobia (ok cried and shook like a leaf at the entrance). I had it lying down, in a screened off area, with my husband holding my hand. It was manageable, and over very quickly.

I'm similar to you OP, except that I won't let anything near my gums, and am putting off my wisdom teeth removal because of it

I had my first dose today. I wore a sleeveless top, sat down and told the nurse that I'm not afraid of the vaccine but terrified of the needle and then looked away. She asked me "Would you like me to tell you what I'm doing as I do it, or just do it?" .... by which time she had already done it!

She told me after that it's incomparable to the childhood and travel vaccinations I have bad memories of because the needle and the liquid itself are much thinner, so it feels a lot less invasive.

Good luck, and let us know how you get on!