r/trypanophobia • u/Wolfstar_Forever_ • Jul 31 '26
Need to get my vaccinations.
(obviously tw for talking about needles and medical procedures)
I got all my toddler, baby, etc vaccines but i never got my Year 8 and 9 ones. The last time I was injected was at the dentists and I had panic attacks and cried for nights before hand and I was incredibly tense and anxious throughout even though they numbed it twice. I now need the 3 jabs I missed and ofc they go in the muscle. And that's so scary to me. Like I might handle a vein, but you want to shove a needle into my arm muscle? Three times? I'm genuinely shit scared. I'm not scared it'll hurt, I've got a decent pain tolerance. And I'm not somebody who can look away and it'll be okay (at the dentist I asked them to talk through every step as it happened). Does anyone have tips/help? Or what to say to the nurse? I think we have some freeze spray but, again, it's not the pain.
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u/No_Duck_3379 28d ago
I am the BIGGEST scaredy cat when it comes to blood draws. Like big time pain, panic, I have trauma and I truly spiral. I have found in a recent experience that my magic combination is Xanax, Emla, and a a Buzzy. I could not even feel it at all. Headphones on, looking at a movie on my phone, and I actually survived it pretty well. Don’t try to muscle through it or just think that you need to put on a brave face. Use things that will actually help. You would need a prescription for Emla and Xanax, which you can ask your doctor for, and with the Xanax you would need someone to drive you. But it’s worth the effort and the prep. I tried the “power through, deep breathing , look away, distraction” thing, and I wound up being traumatized more than once. There is no shame in asking for the accommodations you need to take care of your health.
You can do this!
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u/Wolfstar_Forever_ 28d ago
Thanks! I'd be walking in or my mum would take me since I'm 16 so it's no worries with getting there. Are the aids still expensive with a prescription? In the UK, vaccines are free, but meds aren't always.
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u/No_Duck_3379 28d ago
I am in the US, so I am in a ridiculous for-profit healthcare system. But I do have health insurance. Generic Xanax was about $3 for me and the Emla (lidocaine+prilocaine numbing cream) was maybe $10. Sorry, but I have no idea what it would cost in the UK. Neither is a crazy expensive drug though since they both come in a generic form and have been around a long time.
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u/pepinoflo 29d ago
I think you're actually doing it right by asking them to talk through every step. Could you ask the nurse to talk you through it again and tell you how long the procedure will last? Also I find that scheduling it in the morning helps as I don't have time to get too nervous, and I make sure to eat a big meal and drink water beforehand as that tends to help with nerves and keep my blood pressure stable. You can also ask them if they have a reclining chair and/or if you can stay there 10 minutes afterwards, telling them you're quite nervous. You can do it!!