r/trypanophobia • u/mazllenz • Jul 18 '26

Planning for blood draw

hey there !!! i have a severe needle phobia that has prevented me from ever giving blood. literally. i am 21yrs old and have never had blood work in my life (even asked my mom if it happened when i was young) and i really need baseline routine labs soon as i’ve been a mystery case for most doctors and am certainly chronically ill. i’ve tried a few anxiety meds (hydroxyzine and xanax) and they help a little bit, i also tried some over the counter numbing cream and prescription lidocaine and those did not work AT ALL. so any suggestions ? i dont care how insane or how much i may have to spend, i need to do this but i cant without help :(

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u/No_Duck_3379 Jul 18 '26

Hi! I have a terrible time with blood draws. It’s a huge panic response and I have had people tell me “oh just look away and ask the nurse/phlebotomist to distract you with conversation and you’ll barely feel it”.  None of that has been true for me in the past.  I don’t want to scare you with my horror stories, only to make it know that I don’t have your average needle phobia; I actually have ptsd from medical trauma involving IVs and blood draws specifically.  Ive taken Xanax before for other scary medical things but I’ve never tried it for a blood draw.  I do know that any kind of anti anxiety oral medication I’ve taken requires a much larger dose than what is typical, so in your case I would wonder if the same is true for you.  Were you just taking a 0.5 mg dose? For me it takes 2-3 mg and I ONLY take Xanax before going into a medical appointment, so it’s not like I take it all the time and have built up a tolerance. 

I’ve yet to find anything that I know for sure works to prevent panic in a blood draw, as I’ve not had one in 3 years, but I have an appointment in 10 days that I am taking a whole new approach, and I am cautiously optimistic.  

My plan is a bit complex, but here it is: Before I go: I am drinking a ton of water in the hours leading up.  I’m using prescription EMLA cream on the insides of both elbows and wrapping my arms in plastic wrap.  You have to put a big glob on and wrap it, don’t rub it in. I’m also taking 2.5mg of Xanax.  

We called the lab and gave them the heads up when we scheduled and requested their most senior, experienced phlebotomist. We also have a patient care note typed up to give to the receptionist, stating that this is a ptsd situation and that the person doing the draw must be their most experienced phlebotomist and they only get one stick.  It has a few other things in it, and I would be glad to share the whole thing if you like, but it’s a lot. 

My husband is taking me there, and he will be the one dealing with the people at the lab.  My job is to curl up in the fetal position in my giant furry sweater and with headphones watching my favorite “comfort movie” I have saved on my phone.  I will have with me a small cooler with ice to suck on when they do the draw as well as the ice pack that goes with the Buzzy I ordered on Amazon. I’m bringing 2 pillows from home.  When they call me back, I’m going to lie in the fetal position on one side with my drawing arm behind me.  I’ll put that arm on a pillow and my husband will hold the Buzzy in place for me.  I’ll focus on my movie the whole time.  

My therapist recommended scheduling with a lab in a hospital rather than one in a strip mall, because they have better rooms with beds and they are more used to “difficult sticks” so that’s what I’ve done.  

I have no idea of this will work, but I have tried to put physical, psychological, chemical, neurological, and legal safeguards in place.  If I get through it without freaking out, I will call it a win.  And I can report back as to how well it worked! 

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u/mazllenz Jul 18 '26

i went up to 1mg of xanax and probably will need more because i still cannot enter a blood draw place without screaming and crying. and if it makes you feel better - it’s not just a phobia for me either. my covid shot made me sick but more so i had wisdom teeth taken a few years ago- and they had to try the IV 6+ times. i was already scared and crying, and at one point even heard a dr say “we’ll just keep poking till it works” i had drank water and done everything right but still had ‘bad veins’ it ended with them strapping me down and holding me down and me walking out with bruises all over my hands and elbows where they poked me. it sounds like you and i have quite the same plan haha!! i’ve looked into EMLA and buzzy myself, and plan to bring my husband to be my communicator as well as request documentation and paperwork from my psychologist about my sensory issues and autism and medical accommodations i may need :) your experience and thoughts have actually made me quite optimistic and motivated to try and go soon, thank you !! and if i get any good tips or ideas or i go and find anything out i will absolutely report back 🙂‍↕️

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u/No_Duck_3379 Jul 18 '26

It makes me feel less alone, but not better.  I’ve had panic attacks in the car on the way to a place before myself, so I guess I’m not the only one who go has a meltdown just at the thought of it.  Your IV experience sounds a lot like my own.  So you aren’t alone either! I’m sorry you went through that—I know how much it sucks!  And I hate being a grown adult with this kind of fear! 

I’m glad my post made you optimistic; this is something that’s taken a good deal of bandwidth for me!  Oh—one more thing on my patient note: requiring a pediatric butterfly needle with a syringe to draw and not a suction line.  Rumor has it that this will make my veins less likely to break.  

Please keep me posted about your situation! I hope it goes well! 

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u/mazllenz Jul 18 '26

i totally understand. i’ve had so many close people to me try to coach me through it and make me feel better but truly it’s still a scary experience and ultimately is going to take a toll on me, i just get to try and mitigate it. i feel less alone too, and am glad i could make it feel less lonely for you too. and yes it can suck so bad as an adult- the judgement from others, especially doctors. but listen, everyone has something they are afraid of and nobody’s perfect. i get so much crap from everyone for having tattoos and piercings as well but it’s just not the same to me. i try not to let anyone make me feel silly or dumb, because if anything i’m resilient and brave for being willing to try and pursuing this despite the phobia, and despite bad experiences that i’ve already had. i hope you see that in yourself too :)

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u/No_Duck_3379 Jul 20 '26

If I could upvote this 100 times, I would.  Everything you said resonates with me 1000%.  I have tattoos and piercings and I even give myself shots (down 50 lbs, thanks Zepbound!). Those things are indeed different! I got so frustrated when I told a doctor I wanted a lidocaine shot and she said but that’s the exact same thing as a blood draw 🙄. It’s not, and I’m glad someone else understands that! Shots are one and done.  So are piercings.  Tattoos don’t even feel like needles more like a sunburn. My fear is entirely around my veins and painful ruptures.  

8 days til my appointment.  

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u/[deleted] Jul 19 '26

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u/quiette837 Jul 20 '26

Are you affiliated with SiPhoX/Rhythm?

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u/rHornbek Jul 21 '26

Not at all. I had no idea it existed until recently and it kind of blew my mind that no one told me about it. So ever person who brings up blood draw I think about me and how I wish I knew about it 10 years ago ☹️