# silly needle phobia



## Elle72 (Mar 13, 2012)

Hi girls, 
could you please share with me all your tricks to put that needle into your tummy?
Unbelievable, I had so many surgeries and now I am petrified of putting that thing into my skin 
I went to the Clinic today had my "so called training" but it wasn't a training it was just reading instructions.
I then asked if i could give it a go with a needle and all I could do was sting for one second my tummy...
I know it is all in my mind but I am really panicking now I will not get it right and also many of my injections I should do them twice because the dose is so high 375 that in one pen I can only do 2 doses and for the 3rd i need to top it up with the next one...


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## wibble-wobble (Apr 16, 2011)

The needles really aren't all that bad. It's only the initial piercing of the skin that stings, I look away when I first put the needle in and I find that helps


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## ♥JJ1♥ (Feb 11, 2006)

I have needle phobia, I went to some hypnotherapy sessions which may help you, in fact I didn't give any of my injections but would allow my friend to do them. Also if you are down regging  on long protocol ask to sniff instead of inject so you cut out about 3 wks worth. 
Tell the nurse at your clinic you are  -I'm a nurse and there are ways around 2 injections for doses  - I presume you are using a pen  but ask them to show you how to aspirate the cartridge into a 1 ml syringe and use that or load into a separate auto injector you can buy for standard 1 ml syringes. Plus it saves money as you use all the drug in the cartridge.
Rub the area on your tummy ( or thigh) to desensitise it gd luck
Good luck


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## silverbird (Aug 8, 2011)

I found ice can help with the pain.

I can't help for the psychological, I just figured it was what I needed to do for what I want.


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## pollita (Feb 23, 2011)

I hear ya on the needle phobia! I'm petrified, even the thought of the blood tests in order to go have my IUI paralyse me. 

I've also heard that ice works wonders, as well as a gel/creme the chemist can provide (I believe without prescription, but don't quote me on that) to numb the area before hand. I'll admit that I still get the nurse at the blood test centre to "freeze" the area like they do with kids before I get my tests done!


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## Tommi (Jun 22, 2011)

Hi Elle (and other needle phobics!) - I had no idea whether I was needle phobic before I started injecting as I'd never had to do it before. The nurse who taught me said it's much easier to do them in your upper, outer thigh rather than stomach so I did that and it was fine. Quite enjoyed it really! I didn't feel the needles at all although the drug sometimes stung a bit. In my brief experience (10 days of injecting for IUI) it's absolutely fine and I always saw it as a positive step towards holding my baby (much like Silverbird).

I start injecting again soon for IVF this time. 

Good luck ladies!

Txx


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## Elle72 (Mar 13, 2012)

Hi Tommi, my nurse said I have to do it in my tummy, did you do gonal f in your thigh?
That would definitely look less scary to me, will ask!


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## Tommi (Jun 22, 2011)

Hi Elle - yes, I did gonal f, buserelin and ovitrelle all in my thigh, as directed by the nurses. It's much easier and apparently doesn't make any difference whatsoever whether it goes in thigh (upper, outer) or stomach. 
Definitely worth asking!
Txx


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## Chowy (Apr 12, 2008)

I did all my injections in my stomach at 7.30 each night before Corrie or Eastenders to remind me   .  I had less of a stomach to pinch and inch back then, but that is what I did prior to injecting.  I just used to think this is one step closer to holding my baby   .  

Plus if my son can have all of his baby jabs, plus holiday jabs (Hep A and Typhoid) etc in 3 years and only ever cry slightly at 1 then I am sure they cant be that bad   

Stay positive and best of luck   

Chowy and Pup xx


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## Violet66 (Dec 28, 2007)

I've always used the nasal spray as I knew I could never inject myself....could this be an option for you?


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## goldbunny (Mar 26, 2012)

haribo gold bears.

i got one for every injection when i did my ivf cycle. It helps not to think about the injection part, so i thought about the bear. Get bear ready, stick needle in, inject, take needle out, eat bear. 

it's not the needle that is the problem it's the thinking about it. also putting the radio on helped, and having DH get the syringe ready.


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## Elle72 (Mar 13, 2012)

Hi girls,
thank you all, you are so sweet  I am trying to get used to the idea, trying to find somewhere inside me, the proud want to be mummy side, the proud single girl who has been so much in life. I admit trying to find some nurse to do the first one, with absolute no luck. So decided to train with a lemon! Got out one needle, attached it to a normal pen with some tape and watching tutorial on you tube! The problem is psichological but I need to find the courage to do that first injection myself, will pinch myself, will put ice, will do all you have suggested! Hope I am brave enough not to panic and keep that needle in for those 10 seconds.

Will update you on how it will go...

xxx


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## Nosilab (Jun 29, 2011)

Hi Elle72,

Another needle phobic here! I was so terrified before my IVF, more about the needles than the outcome, crazy huh  I cried when the nurse handed me my 'goody bag' with all my syringes and needles, I felt like such a big baby but just couldn't help myself - it took me 2 days just to open the bag and look inside! Anyway, I had many many weeks of CBT (cognitive behavioral therapy) before that to try and get me over my needle phobia in prep for my IVF and d'you know what...it worked (for the stimm injections anyway)!! The main things he told me and got me to do was to practice repeatedly injecting an orange, over and over again, day after day until I got _really _ bored of doing it! Just to get used to holding an empty syringe with a needle on the end to try and desensitise myself. The only prob is that is sounds like you might have the pre-filled pen, whereas I had syringes I had to fill myself, so I had lots of syringes and needles I could practice with, but I'm not sure how the pen injector works really? I ended up doing all my injections myself (which I'm still gobsmacked at!) and I think mainly it was because, as Esperanze says, *I * was in control, *I * knew when I was going to do it, I wasn't sat there waiting with anticipation for someone else to do it - that really helped. Maybe your clinic could give you an empty one to practice with on the orange? Basically the more you pick up the needle/syringe/injector, whatever it is, your brain gets used to seeing it, and it becomes part of your every day life and ends up not making a big deal out of it. Not sure if you've seen the needles already but they are really fine, and even I will admit that as someone who is terrified of needles.

I've heard the ice things works, just to help numb the area so you could give that a go, and yes as Pollita says, you can buy numbing cream over the counter (Emla cream) which is great - I use it all the time when I go for blood tests  But you do have to put it on at least 30-40 mins beforehand. Also if/when you buy it make sure the chemist also sells you some of the clear patches that go over the top of the cream while it's doing it's magic!

My nurse also told me it didn't matter whether you injected into your thigh or tummy, but she said "personally if it was me doing it, I'd opt for the tummy as no matter what size you are all woman can pinch flesh on their tummy area and squeeze it and then it doesn't hurt as much" and she was a tiny lady, so not much to 'pinch' on her! So I went with her advice 

I wish you lots and lots of luck, I'm sure you'll be just fine


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## ♥JJ1♥ (Feb 11, 2006)

I'm a nurse and the sub cutaneous injections can be done in tummy or thighs, google sub cut injection sites.

I don't think it's possible to do an ivf cycle without injecting during stims, but def for down regging.

The numbing cranes are EMLA, Ametoo or xylocaine spray I think you need to get them prescribed but you Gp might help. I always use creams for bloods


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## Grace10704 (Aug 7, 2008)

Another needle phobic here.  I didn't have to have any injections for tx but then did have to inject clexane twice a day throughout both my pregnancies.  Emla cream is fab & actually works enough after about 10 minutes to get the needle in.  I think you do have to get the doc to prescribe it but mine was fine doing so.  Oh, and Nosilab mentioned the clear patches to go over it - they are great but I found a piece of clingfilm stuck on with low tack sellotape did the trick just as well!!
Good luck & keep focusing on the end game - I always said I would only ever inject myself if kids were involved as nothin else was more important and by the end of my second pregnancy I was doing 2 x Clexane + 3 x insulin injections a day!


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## Violet66 (Dec 28, 2007)

JJ - i've done three cycles without injecting.....none of them worked mind you !!


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## Elle72 (Mar 13, 2012)

Hi Violet, 
I think, but I might be wrong, that with OE IVF it is not possible not to inject...as I need to have my ovaries stimulated and not sure if there is a spray also for that. If there is why don't I know about it??  I downregulated with the spray , so good.
Anyway I am not  scared or hurt when have my blood tests, I simply don't look! The thing that scares me is the actual doing it by myself, I am just hoping after the first 3 injections I will be ok.
So far I have booked a nurse at the GP to have my first one, and maybe managed to have someone over for the next 2 days to do the 2 and 3rd.
I have prepared a nice schedule to calculate how to top up doses from the left over of the pen in order to have the least number of 2 injection  per night in the cycle.
I prepared an excel file 

JJ i have some lidocaide gel, do you think that could work  as well?

Thank you all


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## Violet66 (Dec 28, 2007)

ahhh ok - yes, all mine were DE


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## ♥JJ1♥ (Feb 11, 2006)

lignocaine gel may work i've never used it with bloods, maybe ask maz the ff pharmacist - Emla and Ametop are the ones we use for blood tests and cannulation with children.

OE cycle would be hard not to stim unless you were doing natural IVF aiming to get just the one egg released, but with DE's I've done without injecting or just one to down reg etc.

you can get away with only one injection snd save money if you aspirate the cartridge or ask for vials and not pens, my clinic gsve us a list of the brsnds and by how much the cartridges were overfilled.

good luck xx


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## Elle72 (Mar 13, 2012)

Nosilab thanks!
What I did is get out one of the needles from the package as there are many more than what needed, and attached it to a normal pen that looks like that one with some cellotape, I can't actually push like with the injection pen, the dose, but at least I see the needle more.
I am practising with a lemon, don't have the orange,maybe I will try tomorrow with a tangerine! Will do as you say, repeat it over and over!
Grace, Violet, tommy, esperanza,  JJ and all the other girls, thanks for all your advice, I have also ordered cream Emla online  
Goodnight xx


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## Nosilab (Jun 29, 2011)

Hi Elle72

Sounding perfect, well done that's a great idea. Lemon/orange/tangerine, it doesn't matter as long as you can practice injecting  The other thing (once you've injected your fruit until you're bored!) is to then start injecting your lemon at the time you'll be injecting yourself, so that your brain gets used to the pattern and kind of knows when to expect it - if you see what I mean? It won't be such a shock when you do it for real. I'm so glad you found the Emla cream online because I was just about to reply to you to say you definitely _don't _ need to get it on prescription from GP, I've bought it many times over the counter at my local pharmacy and/or Boots store in town 

Lots of luck xx


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## Elle72 (Mar 13, 2012)

Hi Nosilab,
I know, I have found it in boots aswell  so will have 2, anyway they are so small I might eventually need them both!
Unfortunately tomorrow I am leaving so cannot do the training injection anymore, as the day I am getting back is the day I have my first one!
Will have it with the nurse at the GP so it is not a big deal, big deal is the day after!

xxx


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## ♥JJ1♥ (Feb 11, 2006)

Good Luck- I would say when we were training as student nurses we practised in oranges to get used to handling needles and syringes - but I would say it doesn't 'feel' the same as injecting through skin on others or yourself - oranges are usually tougher!!a piece of raw chicken with skin is probably a bit more human like (less clean though!!we do use raw chicken legs for other training purposes )  and oranges don't wriggle/complain/ grab for your hands etc.


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## goldbunny (Mar 26, 2012)

i think if your raw chicken is wriggling, complaining, and grabbing for your hands, it's a bit too 'raw'!!!


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## ♥JJ1♥ (Feb 11, 2006)

LOL too true!!


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