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Original poster

Any needle phobics had their jab?

65 replies

bendmeoverbackwards · 20/09/2021 07:29

My 20 year old dd is yet to have her covid jab. She really wants to have it but it needle phobic. We’re hoping to go away at Christmas, I’m not sure if this will encourage her or put her under more pressure.

GP has prescribed oxazepam. Has anyone used this?

I’m thinking of booking her an appointment this week and see if she manages it.

Any tips please?

OP posts:
Original poster
bendmeoverbackwards · 20/09/2021 19:35

That’s very true about a tense arm. When I had my first covid jab, the vaccinator told me to allow my arm to hang and let it go ‘floppy like a fish’ . It really worked, I barely felt it.

OP posts:
Original poster
bendmeoverbackwards · 03/10/2021 14:17

Update - 2 failed attempts Sad

First time she took oxazepam. It has no effect at all.

Second attempt yesterday - she took 10mg diazepam (which she has taken previously) an hour before. Even after 90 mins or so, she was not sleepy/relaxed at all. She got as far as inside the vaccine clinic, the staff were lovely and really patient. But she was tearful and anxious. She got as far as handling the needle (with the cap still on it!). Eventually we had to leave as they had so many people waiting.

I am only assume that she had so much adrenalin in her body it counter-acted the diazepam.

Getting worried now as we are due to have a family beach holiday at Christmas.

We're going to try again next weekend (she is at full time college). Going to up the dose to 15mg, let her relax at home till it kicks in then bundle her into the car and take her to an all-day walk in clinic.

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Ashmarie · 03/10/2021 14:35

Severely phobic here! I was invited for my first vaccine in February, and finally had my second dose a few weeks ago. It took me CBT, hypnotherapy and diazepam. I had many failed attempts and cancelled appointments (which I felt terribly guilty about as taking appointments from other people trying to get them) but got there in the end. If therapy is an option it might be worth looking into, gradual exposure has really helped me. My suggestion would be an appointment first thing in the morning.. on the days I had a late afternoon, early evening appointment, by the time it came round I had talked myself out of it! I had successes when I was in and out before the queues started building. Good luck to her, it really is horrible.

Original poster
bendmeoverbackwards · 03/10/2021 14:44

That's fantastic @Ashmarie, well done to you. I'm going to look into finding a hypnotherapist who might be able to see her urgently, but we don't have time on our side with the holiday looming.

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MegaClutterSlut · 03/10/2021 16:03

Haven't had mine yet Sad really want it done but just thinking about it makes me panic

WhatsitWiggle · 03/10/2021 16:17

@bendmeoverbackwards Covid volunteer marshall here. It would be better to make an appointment than walk-in, and let them know she's needle phobic. I say this because if you're a walk-in, the admin staff have to add all your info into the system, so you're hanging around. Where if the site manager knows you're booked in, they'll alert the door staff to fasttrack you to minimise waiting room anxiety. It's also absolutely fine if you make the appointment and then she can't make it in.

Original poster
bendmeoverbackwards · 03/10/2021 17:48

Thanks @WhatsitWiggle the only problem with a fixed time is I think it will put pressure on her to be there at a certain time.

OP posts:
CremeEggThief · 03/10/2021 17:52

I don't know if I'm needle phobic or not, but I just close my eyes any time I've ever had an injection, including my Covid ones.

Laney79 · 03/10/2021 18:00

I've had mine...it was v hard as I had to go alone and part of my coping mechanism is to have someone with me to distract but also be my advocate if I freak out. I use ametop gel to numb where I'll be jabbed and I wear headphones with loud music (guns and roses) to add to the distraction. I was very shaky and the nurses etc saw that and one even offered to come to the vacc booth with me so I had support. I also convinced myself this was a way to avoid lots of jabs because if I got sick with Covid that would involve cannula etc and that is way worse than two standard jabs.
All things to trick my brain - but it worked for me.

WhatsitWiggle · 03/10/2021 18:02

@bendmeoverbackwards at ours, you don't have to stick to the appointment time, just day, but it means she'd be in the system - and if you make the appointment over the phone they can flag that she might be early / late / a no-show etc.

You can ask what the quieter times are too, so she's not feeling any pressure that she's holding up other people. The next couple of weeks will be best if you can, after that the boosters will start to ramp up. First hour of the day is always our busiest time.

Original poster
bendmeoverbackwards · 03/10/2021 18:06

Thank you @WhatsitWiggle I’ll do that.

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XenoBitch · 03/10/2021 19:56

@bendmeoverbackwards
Sorry to read your DD was unable to go through with her vaccination. She got there though, and handled the needle. That is still great progress. I hope her next go is successful.

Ashmarie · 03/10/2021 20:30

I should have added.. each time I’ve been able to have a private curtained off area away from others. I’m a fainter and also felt a lot of pressure to hurry up and not feeling like all of those eyes were on me (I realise in reality no one was likely paying any attention to me!) helped a lot. Could she ask if that would be an option?

Original poster
bendmeoverbackwards · 09/10/2021 14:18

Update - we’re at the vaccine centre, 3rd attempt. It’s not going well. She’s had 15mg diazepam, she was a bit sleepy at home but when I took her in, she got all panicky. They said they can’t jab her in the car.

We’re now sitting in the car waiting to see if it has any effect. Do we have to accept that we won’t be able to have it? We have a Christmas holiday pending 😢

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adagio · 09/10/2021 15:01

Oh I’m so sorry Sad
My DH is phobic - I’m in the process of resigning myself to never going places as a family or with him that need it for admission - or on holiday ever again.
Hope you get there Flowers

makelovenotpetrol · 09/10/2021 15:15

Plenty people have and have posted about their experiences here if you have a search for it. Good luck to your DD x

TheDuchessOfMN · 09/10/2021 15:22

Your poor dd, and you.

I don’t know where you’re going, but I think a negative covid test will suffice? She doesn’t have to be vaccinated?

I would leave it for now.

Original poster
bendmeoverbackwards · 09/10/2021 15:44

@TheDuchessOfMN we’re going to Mauritius. I THINK unvaccinated people are allowed in but only if they quarantine for 14 days. No good for us.

Will have to find out where else we could go. But I think it’s pretty limited if you’re unvaxxed. It’s my 50th in January and we were all looking forward to a lovely holiday together. I have 2 other dds aged 18 and 14. The 18 year old is fully vaxxed.

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Original poster
bendmeoverbackwards · 09/10/2021 15:45

They also said at the vaccine centre that it might be possible to get a vaccinator to come home at a cost.

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makelovenotpetrol · 09/10/2021 16:33

@bendmeoverbackwards

They also said at the vaccine centre that it might be possible to get a vaccinator to come home at a cost.
Could you pay to go to a private GP / clinic to get it done. It would be much quieter (when I've taken my children / myself to a private GP were only ever the only ones there ) and they would have more time to put her at ease maybe ?
Confused10101 · 09/10/2021 17:07

@bendmeoverbackwards Would it work if she listens to something? And have her earphones on? You can support with the talking parts? That worked for me- just to clarify I’m not needle phobic but very anxious about this jab/ I booked couple of times and couldn’t do it as well. In the end listening to something snd pretending this isn’t happening to me helped…

Original poster
bendmeoverbackwards · 09/10/2021 17:39

We’re home now after another failed attempt. Dd is distraught.

@Confused10101 she did actually try with headphones. Twice today she got close to agreeing and I told her to close her eyes and squeeze my hand but when the vaccinator came near she freaked out.

OP posts:
WhatsitWiggle · 09/10/2021 17:49

Oh no 😢 I think you're going to have to work on reducing her anxiety, CBT techniques. Can you talk to her about what is causing the anxiety? Eg the pain, worry she'll faint, possible side-effects? As there are muscle relaxing techniques which help with reducing the body's response to pain. GPs are doing home visits for people who are housebound, so it is worth a call - do you think that would help, is it the vaccine centre that's the problem?

I think you might need to rethink Mauritius anyway, your 14yo will only get 1 jab in the UK and that's not counted as fully vaccinated. From what I can see, Mauritius doesn't have an age exemption from quarantine.

Original poster
bendmeoverbackwards · 09/10/2021 17:56

@WhatsitWiggle I also thought that about under 18s but after a lot of research apparently they are exempt from being vaccinated.

Any needle phobics had their jab?
OP posts:
Spodge · 09/10/2021 18:17

Needles usually make me feel faint but I've had my jabs. Also had the flu jab last year and this, and in fact that seems to have helped the situation. Why? Because our GP surgery made everyone walk through to have the flu jab, like a school crocodile, and although there were chairs nobody was using them or offered them. So I thought I'd just suck it up, and it was OK.

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