Fellow needle phobics how do you cope with having bloods taken?

[Ihatethedawnchorus]

Having bloods taken tomorrow morning, I have a severe needle phobia. Last time(a couple of years ago) I ended up with 3 people in with me-one taking the blood, one holding my arm and one trying to keep me calm as I went into a panic attack. I want to make it easier for the staff as well as me.

So far my plan is emla cream(a godsend), eye mask and headphones with music.

Definitely the cream. I always have the blood taken from my hand rather than my arm, I find that more bearable. But for me, the person doing it has to be an expert, not a student for example.. and also be understanding, and I have someone else there to distract me. That’s how I cope and I’m extremely needle phobic.

Thankfully I know the person taking the blood, she's good, unfortunately she still remembers the last time she took bloods from me😁

An extreme solution, but ivf cured me of mine - I had so many bloody needles shoved in me for hormones and blood tests it just defeated me!

Other than that, drink shit tons of water, gets the veins big and juicy. Talking about anything, eyes closed (or something tied round my eyes so I couldn’t see) and tell them that you’re terrified when you get there and they might let you jump the queue rather than sit there waiting and stewing in fear.

@Ihatethedawnchorus - how old are you?

In my fifties, I've had a needle phobia for as long as I can remember

Definitely drink lots of water so veins are plump for blood to be taken.

Don't look at the needle, your arm, or the nurse. Turn your head to the side and find something to focus on. I found it helps to be talking to the nurse about anything other than the blood test. I also warn them I am not good at having blood taken and am not going to look at what they are doing from the moment I get my arm out.

I'm moderately scared of needles but with the covid jabs I just turned my head. I said I didn't want to even see the needle so he waited till my was turned before even getting the needle out.

Maybe eye mask and headphones will work for you. For me, not being able to hear the nurse would be worse than being able to chat about rubbish to distract me. I think I need my senses to be 'alive' to reduce the fear.

I absolutely dread it. In1917 I forced myself to go as I hadn’t had any blood tests since 2012 (I have hypothyroidism and have had breast and bowel cancer). There was the nurse and a student doctor doing the bloods and the student doctor had a go and couldn’t find a vein and poked and prodded while I got more and more anxious.
The nurse got cross with him and said she’d do it but she was no more successful, and got cross with me. (I don’t really blame her given how busy they are).
Eventually a doctor came in and did it and by this time I was in such a state.
A few days later a message came from the surgery to say the lab said the blood was tainted or something and I’d got to come in for another go.
I just couldn’t face it but then a few weeks ago the surgery said they couldn’t prescribe any more thyroxine until I’d had a test.
My cousin said she had a brilliant private gp who did it brilliantly and painlessly so dh gave me half of the cost for Christmas and I paid the rest.
This doctor was absolutely brilliant - patient, sympathetic and had the blood out before I knew it was happening.
Hopefully this will tide me over for a few years as I can’t afford to go to a private doctor except very occasionally.

Good luck op - I know exactly how you are feeling.
My nhs practice gave me 1 Valium after my awful experience, but as I didn’t go back I’ve still got it so I don’t know how effective it would be.
Would your gp give you one as a one-off to help you?

I was also going to say doing IVF, totally cured mine. Round 5 soon!

ivf sounds a bit extreme as a cure and i'm a bit old for that😂

So, like me, you would have had the dreaded BCG at school! For most people injection day was exciting - a day off lessons - but for a few it was terrifying and started a life long phobia. I recently treated a woman of our age for a similar school aged needle phobia as she'd just been diagnosed with cancer and knew there was no way around it. By the end she was happily handling capped needles with no fear.

I was hypnotised and it actually worked. Wears off after a few months but worked brilliantly whilst pregnant

Yep, this is what I do. Must do the drinking water trick. Did not know that.

I don't. I have not had any vaccine or blood tests for a long time.
Emla cream does not work on me (although pain is not the issue with me anyway).

I'm bad too nut would find it too embarrassing to make a fuss so I end up fainting instead. Helpful.

I had a non needle procedure once and they told me to count backwards in 3s from 100. Its really difficult and I do that every time now, really takes my mind off it.

Eyes closed, do NOT look at the needle, big deep breaths. If you can get a nurse who can get it done quickly, all the better. I also lie down otherwise I pass out.

Another vote for ivf and then pregnancy 😂 sorry op!

I've had blood trauma therapy and since I started doing what I do I've never passed out! First off emla cream and making sure you are well hydrated and warm. From the time you enter the waiting room till the time you leave you need to be clenching and releasing your arms, legs, bottom, feet, hands - if you can clench it do it. Blood pressure dropping is what makes you faint so doing this keeps the blood pressure up. When they start taking blood keep clenching everything apart from the arm they're taking it from. I count the clenches and breaths in fours so breathe in for four (and clench each number) breath out for 4 (I do 4,3,2,1), clenching with each number. When it's over, keep clenching and you'll find you'll clench slower as it's over. When you feel ready, roll over to your side. Sit up gradually and reduce the clenching gradually. Good luck, let us know how it goes.

For years I have had my blood done at least once a month, sometimes twice a week.

I always look the other way. When I know they are going to do it, the arm the are taking blood from, I squeeze/very slight nip (not so it hurts!) same arm at top. I feel that, that what I am controlling, not needle.

but - it doesn’t hurt when they do needle anyway!! I have had soooooooo many. It doesn’t hurt!!! It’s the IDEA of it honestly.

Someone nipping you would be so much more painful. You will get it done, be nervous before etc etc, get home and think to yourself, it didn’t actually hurt…

x

i take vallium if I need a needle. I haven’t had blood taken since 2003 though.

Always go to a hospital clinic so you get a proper phlebotomist who takes blood all day. Doctors are terrible at it and nurses not much better (in my experience).

If you have bad veins (as I do - small and overused due to cancer treatment decades ago), then ask for a paediatric needle. The tinier the needle, the easier to find a crap vein. The one honourable exception to my comment about doctors told me that. She was brilliant, having had to learn to take blood from tiny babies on a paediatric ward (may even have been NICU).

Wear lots of clothes so you stay warm and your veins aren't constricted, and drink lots as a PP said. I find taking one of the children helps as I feel I have to try to be brave so as not to scare them, and that distracts me a bit, but that is obviously not an option for everyone.

Good luck and award yourself a treat once you have got through it.

take a few paper tissues with you. crumple them into a ball and when they put the pressure cuff on, start squeezing. This helps to get your veins standing out. It’s much easier if you’ve got something to squeeze, rather than just clenching your fist.

drink plenty beforehand to plump your veins up

I tell them I have passed out a few times and so they have one shot to get the needle in, and they aren’t to guddle around moving it in the vein.

good phlebotomists can slide a needle in so that you hardly feel it

Emla cream, headphones and my husband holding on to me. I also always ask the nurse to use the smallest needle possible and tell her which vein to use.

I'm now diabetic so really need to get used to it!

I've had countless bloods taken (for a medical condition) and I am yet to see an actual needle. Never seen one, not ever - not for bloods, not for inoculations, nothing. I avoid looking at the tray of equipment, I make small talk with the nurse from the start and carry it on as they are busying about and I'm getting arranged in the chair. I always choose the arm that is easiest to get blood from, I look completely away and don't look again until they are asking me to press on to the cotton ball afterwards. I am not actually terrified of the sight of needles, but I don't want to see the process and find that not looking at any of the equipment, as well as the process, helps.