How to help Needle phobic DH

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I am so excited about the vaccines and can’t wait! My DH is older than me and over 60 so presumably ahead of me in the queue. He’s told me he won’t go when it’s his turn as he doesn’t like needles and is convinced he will faint. How have I lived with this man for 20 years and not known this??

I’m afraid my response was first incredulity and then anger. Jab V risk of death & risk to others, the choice should be an easy one.

This was of course not helpful and he won’t budge. I know it’s his body and I should back right off, but is there anything that helps needle phobics get vaccinated?

I am a fellow needle phobic. I do generally get through them, but I am prone to fainting. Agree with pp who suggests asking to lie down, and also eating something beforehand - even a drink of something like Coke or Lucozade is helpful if my stomach won't take food through nerves.

I'm not sure what the situation will be re COVID, but I always get someone to hold my hand if possible - eg, dental nurse if I need an anaesthetic. I tend to bring a small bottle of lavender oil to any appointments, and rub some round my nose beforehand.

I think it is a massively common thing, and the givers of injections tend to be supportive and sympathetic. I needed quite a bit of dental work a few years ago, and was really embarrassed to say I was scared of needles, but my dentist was completely breezy. The nurse told me her hand is permanently bruised because of having to hold hands with patients. Neither of them made me feel daft in any way, and my dentist also used "sleepy jelly" which is some sort of gel they use for little kids to numb the injection site. Probably a placebo, but it made me feel like I was being listened to. My dentist told me she prefers people are open about it, as it tends to be big burly men who fade away in a faint and surprise her!

I had underestimated my sons needle phobia until i took him to give blood at 17

😳

Phobias are just awful

@RufustheSniggeringReindeer my DH underestimated my phobia until he had bruises and fingernail marks in his hand! When he took me for another blood test he let the nurse hold my hand!

pink 😀 your poor hand

At one point in the blood donation place he had three nurses gathered round him and looking daggers at me!

@ssd

I started a thread about this and got pelted.

Basically I said I couldn't stand seeing all these vaccinations on telly all the time.

I hate needles too.

I agree, I probably won't be having the vaccine as I'm pregnant, although perhaps I'll have given birth by the time I'm eligible anyway. But if I was likely to have it, seeing loads of images of people being jabbed everywhere is really not helping my anxiety about the whole thing!

I know article editors etc perhaps don't understand this if they don't have a needle phobia themselves, but maybe it would be helpful to have some kind of awareness thing or guidelines written?

I find lying down makes me feel worse. Eating/drinking something sugary immediately before helps, looking away is a must, having the person giving the injection or even somebody else talk to me/engage me in conversation about something distracting is very helpful, as is having some kind of countdown so I know that it will end. I need to do the talking myself and I still get woozy and lose track of my sentence halfway through but it helps bring my focus away.

It also helps to understand it's a biological reaction and not just you/him being a wuss! I get the same response to seeing blood or injuries, especially on myself, which is apparently quite common, and it's common for the needle-fainting reaction to occur with the blood-fainting reaction.

I'm afraid I'm the same; I don't mind blood tests which are only just under the skin, but IM jabs terrify me which is why I've avoided them for over 30 years

Somehow I escaped the IM version when in hospital for a recent hip fracture because it was just blood tests and blood thinners which go into belly fat. I'm waiting anyway because I'm genuinely worried about side effects (not just an excuse) but sooner or later the appointment will no doubt loom

Fingers crossed we'll have the nasal type by then ...

I was the worst person for hating injections, mainly because I was brought up on syringes and needles which were multi-use, so they became less sharp over time! However, I went for my flu jab this year and can honestly say I didn't feel a thing? Hoping the same for this jab. Honestly, the anticipation is worse than the actual injection. I don't look though!

Well I had the flu jab and it bloody stung.

It certainly didn't feel like nothing.

Maybe some of us just feel needles more?

I met someone yesterday (online) who said she is doing work with people with needle phobias.

vandavarga.co.uk/

She is in Fareham (I think) but I assume she can work with people online.

I had cancer last year. Younger than your husband. When there is a genuine health problem needles soon fall way down your list of worries my hands were black and blue for months from cannulas.
I am also prone to fainting at the sight of blood so have to avert my eyes when a needle goes in. Fainting is not dangerous and if you expect it you will make sure you don't hurt yourself. Medical staff are quite used to it and even if he fainted he would come round quickly and be fine.