Especially with the thought of having to get blood taken. Anyone else sh!t scared of it? How do you overcome it?

I’ve had ongoing knee issues for a few years and have been managing it quite well with simple exercises and keeping away from the running which is hard.

For about a week now I’ve had really bad knee pain in my right knee so decided to take myself off to the doc for some pain killers or something.

While in there he said he wanted to get someone to take blood, straight away I was in the starting blocks to get on my toes out of there but I told him no way! He got a bit funny but I explained that I’m scared whitless of needles especially the ones that take blood and where they stick them.

I asked the doc if there any ways of doing it without me knowing I.e. knock me out with gas or something but I just got chinned off. I think I upset him!

Part of me thinks I should have my blood taken but with my mindset towards needles it’s not something I can physically do. What are my options if there are any.

Que the MTFU comments 😆

with kids they put magic cream [ local anaesthetic] on the area first so it is pain free. Would this work whilst you snuzzled your head in a buxom nurses busom?

Personally I assume it is the tensing up that hurts as giving blood is uncomfortable but not painful

The best way is probably to learn as much as you can about it, and have a go at taking blood yourself!

As a veteran of 20 years of diabetes, injecting 3 times a day, I have little to offer other than MTFU.

Or, once you’re in the chair, do as you’re told but with your eyes shut. It’s no worse pain than a paper cut, and the needle will be in your arm for all of a few seconds so you haven’t time to notice its there/be uncomfortable.

You big girls blouse.

I dont know where this fear stems from. I used to know a medic who would go out on the beer, get minced and then the next day hook himself up to a drip and sleep for a couple of hours. He’d be right as rain after.

I have seen them use that magic cream on my daughter when she had to give blood. The nurse struggled to find a vein on her after about 6 goes. Daughter was in tears I had to stop the whole thing carrying on.

I hate them all dentists needles, having blood taken, injections, having fluid removed from my knee etc etc. I don’t like watching others being on the receiving end either

All I do is look the other way and pray for it to be over asap

Why is the doctor asking for someone to take blood – to do a test is fair enough but if you don’t
like needles you are not obligated to donate

I can sympathise, I have a massive irrational fear of them too.

That’s what a phobia is though, a completely irrational fear of something. It’s not a pain thing because they don’t hurt really, it’s just the thought that completely freaks me out.

Earlier this year I had to have an endoscopy (pleasant!) for which I needed a cannula. Of course they had to put it in hours before, and I sat there feeling like I was going to puke/pass out for the whole time it was there. Smart arse doctor told me I didn’t need to be scared as it wasn’t a needle, which went down well. When I asked him what he was scared of (apparently terrified of spiders) I enlightened him that this was my nemesis & shouldn’t really be mocked by a professional.

I took it out myself after, before I threw up.

Completely irrational I know, but I can’t describe how much I hate them. Heaven forbid I get really ill. At least i’ll never be a hardcore junkie injecting heroin 🙂

I dont mind the dentist or the smaller in the top of the arm injections, I have pretty much grown to put up with them, it’s just the blood thing.

I dont like the thought of where it goes.

Hob Nob, I think it’s the thought that freaks me out too.

You ride bikes where the likelihood of coming off is quite high leaving a fair bit of flesh on the trail or road. You can’t get a little prick which could save your life depending on what they find in the results.
Last week I had to have a blood test for Lithium levels due to the high temperature. If I had not had this test I would now be dead.It’s that simple.
Get over it.
Stop whinging and get the test done.

It’s easy to say get over it when you don’t have the fear yourself. I am still really scared of needles but I am a little better after changing to a sympathetic doctor and dentist. There’s a lot in the method you use to stick the needle in to make sure its less painful which helps a lot.
I had a blood test done when I was young and the doctor stuck the needle in my arms so many times. It was so painful and I have the fear since that day.
My current dentist is ace when it comes to injections. I hardly fear them now. Blood tests I haven’t had done in a long time so we will see about those but last time, about 15yrs ago my wife had to come along with me for support as I was terrified.

At least I can jump a bike unlike a lot of wusses on here. 😉

Same here. I manage to man up but I tense up so much they haven’t got a hope. Amazingly I can sit and watch them cut lumps out of me after they have injected me.

There are upsides to it. I have lost count of the times I have been smothered in a large breasted dental or nursing assistants ample bosom to take my attention away while the docs injecting me.

Had a big knee op a couple of years ago. Told them I wouldn’t be getting injected to get put to sleep. This was with a snapped knee. Anethatist said ok we will put you to sleep like the kids then

I used to have a similar issue with needles and it’s all in the brain! you need to re-train your mind. Remember it certainly isn’t the pain, as it doesn’t hurt! I have just managed to talk myself out of it. Don’t get me wrong I still don’t like them but if I have to go to the Dr’s I sweat profusely for about 2 mins, look the other way, then think “holy crap I got worked up for THAT”….so it really is MTFU!

It’s strange but EXACTLY the same has worked for me and spiders over the last 3-5 years!

Twoniner. You are not being a wuss neither do you need to stop whining or MTFU. This is a really common phobia and as a real fear of yours, it should be respected. WE ALL HAVE FEARS even the Real Men (TM) (“Grrrr”!) on here who won’t admit it!

Acknowledging your fear is a great first step, you now need to identify coping mechanisms to deal with it. What works for others may not work for you and vice-versa.

May be worth looking at hypnosis….?

Having blood taken is not painful. The only time would hurt is if it’s done wrong and you hit a nerve. Then you will have be peeled off the ceiling. I take loads of pre/post op bloods and haven’t hurt anyone. Not to mention the millions of clexane injections.

The only needles I don’t like are in my gob.

Especially with the thought of having to get blood taken. Anyone else sh!t scared of it? How do you overcome it?

Used to be exactly like that and then had lots of blood tests this year so took the opportunity to try and get over it. For me I found that forcing myself to relax worked as well as watching them do it. Still can’t actually watch blood being taken yet but you can force yourself through the needle bit – just don’t tense up as that makes it worse. As other have said though it is highly dependant on who is doing it. Get someone who doesn’t know job and it’s horibble

i never used to mind injections but recently having local anesthitec injections into a gash in my knee so they can stitch it up is an interesting pain. giving it a good clean out with a tooth brush was an interesting experience as the anesthtic started to wear off. i then tried to man up and let them stitch me up but the guy couldnt do it as he could see the pain i was in, ha and more injections were neededed..ouch some hurt some i couldnt feel but didnt know what it was going to be lol

having blood taken doesnt hurt but i had a canula in my arm for antibitotics which was hurting, i mean really hurting (more than my knee), i did say about it but maned up and excepted it but was really achhing and couldnt lean or move my arm in fear of pain. the next day the thing wouldnt work and swapped to the other arm which didnt hurt at all for the rest of the week. can only assume they had the thing jammed into my muscle or nerve incorectly the first time.

yea not so manned up about needles any more

dont let me put you off though, its not like your having a baby…think of that instead..

GF was like this, and ended up with a condition that means regular blood tests. During the properly ill phase (high dependency unit for a couple of weeks) she had a tunnel catheter fitted (tube that goes into the neck vein, exits lower down with taps for direct access to bloodstream!) and was fine with that. However, first time she had to have a blood test after the tunnel was removed it took about three hours of panic, tears, stress etc, and that was with very understanding nurses, the smallest needle that would do the job and anaesthetic cream.

She saw a hypnotherapist about 4 times and her needle phobia diminished with each visit. She’s now absolutely fine with needles and blood tests.

i cant stand them it took 5 doctors to take a blood sample and i hyperventilated last year and passed out at the GP when i went for a tb jab they wouldn’t give me it when i was unconscious either, i can only just manage a injection for a filling at the dentists

Why don’t you try donating blood? I’ve been doing it for about 17years. Don’t even need the anaesthetic needle now.

I self administered intravenously for many years so I shouldn’t really have any worries..
I still suffer slightly though as I know I could be making a neater/less painful job of it..

I just look t’other way and use some deep breathing exercises..

Well, I thought I would update this post. It took me about 10 weeks to grow a pair big enough to go in and get it done.

The doctor said he would do it for me. In and out in no time, hardly knew it had been done. Top bloke, put me at ease, called me a fanny (military doc) to put my mind off it and stuck the needle in.

had the results, all is well and have a few more years in me yet.

Try moving to Port Isaac.

well done.. mrs yunki used to cry and shake and hyperventilate if she had to encounter a needle..

now after two kids though she can give blood etc without even thinking about it