plllllllease if anyone knows anything that will help me get rid of my fear of shots, i would be soooo happy. i start crying at the thought of my mom giving me that dum flu shot. it scares me that it punctures your arm, and your vein(having trouble talking about this...) just need some tips to not freak out and have a cow. i know that ppl say that it doesnt hurt any more than a pinch, but i think they hurt more than a pinch, and im scared as well so that just adds to it. sorry for me being such a baby but if anyone can help that would be much appreciated.
2007-02-01 13:55:03 · 8 answers · asked by summer girl 3 in Health ➔ Women's Health
If you are scared you tend to tense up and that can make an injection more uncomfortable! When you get a shot, try these and see if it helps. First if it's an arm shot always have them give it in the less dominant arm. Take ibuprofen in the 24 hours prior to the shot. Do not look at the needle, the nurse, or your arm. Look at the floor or the ceiling or something and just focus on that. While the nurse is preparing the needle sing loudly in your head something really stupid like jingle bells or happy birthday over and over until the shot is finished. This distracts your mind a little. If they will let you bring your ipod and listen to music really loudly while they prepare the needle and give the shot. Oh and one more thing, not all injections puncture your veins. An IV goes in your vein but a simple shot goes into your fatty or muscular tissues. And if you ever have to get a shot that is going to be either slowly injected or use a large gage needle, ask if they have a topical local anesthetic to numb the area a little first.
2007-02-01 14:14:16 · answer #1 · answered by BETH J 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋
First of all, it doesn't puncture a vein, it's an intramuscular shot (IM) given usually in the arm or the large muscle of the thigh or buttocks. If you are very tense and tend to get sore after shots, get it in your but, they do it high up where the pocket of your jeans would be so if you get sore it's not so bad. But if your arm gets sore you can barely move it and writing, driving, waving, etc will be very painful. I prefer my shots in the butt for that reason.
Second, a good nurse or medical assistant will give you the shot quickly, aspirate to make sure they're not in a vein and inject quickly, generally you rub the area a little and there's some soreness/stinging but it's over pretty quickly. We don't WANT to be in a vein and have the fluid go into your bloodstream immediately, we want it in the muscle where it is slowly absorbed.
Thirdly, and this is most important, if you really don't want the flu shot, don't get one. They are not necessary. Little secret: I'm a nurse and I've never had a flu shot. I work in OB so my patients are well, if I worked in ICU or ER I'd probably get the shot. I rarely get the flu and when I do I recover quickly. My husband, my three kids, even my mom, we've never had a flu shot and we get along just fine. I don't believe my two little ones have ever had the flu and my teenager has a few times but like me it's been fairly mild. I strongly agree with vaccinating for the required childhood vaccinations but for the flu? I don't think it's necessary, it's a matter of your personal preference.
2007-02-02 22:10:06 · answer #2 · answered by BabyRN 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
My husband hates needles. When he was little his mom took him to the Dr. for a shot and he passed out. The doc told him to say "ouch" when he gets a shot to make sure he is breathing. 40 some years later this still works. He doesn't look at the needle and he always says "ouch". In time you will work through the panic. You will probably never LIKE to get shots but you'll tolerate them easier. Good luck.
2007-02-01 22:48:13 · answer #3 · answered by just jenn 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I haven't cried over shots since I was a kid. However, my friend is terrified to death of them. And she's 21.
What I do is I don't even watch them do it.
It doesn't feel worse than a pinch to me, but maybe I'm just different.
2007-02-01 22:10:38 · answer #4 · answered by Annamarie 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
yes im deathly afraid of shots to. i still freak out at 26.
i dont like them. i know what its like. what works, is right before the needle goes in, cough. it takes ur mind off the needle, and u focus on the cough. havent u ever got a splinter? feels like that for about 5 seconds. what also works, if you must fully relax ur arm, when the needle goes in, it will slide in easily, and then if you dont look, you barely even feel it!!!!.
You cant really get rid of your phobia. its there for a reason. your body is saying "uhhh your hurting me?!!!"
and you get scared. this is normal. alot of people have this. your body doesnt know your trying to help it, and if your scared, then it will hurt alot worse, because your mind can do alot of things.
just relax. you will be fine. if you dont want the shot, then dont even get in the car. if she tricks you, then dont get OUT of the car. its YOUR body and you sound about 12 or 13 or 14 or 15 , and i think you know how to make ur own decisions now. whats the worst ur mom is going to do? yell at you? if she hits you then call the cops, or just get out of the car and stay at a friends house.
it really shouldnt turn into that, but if your that scared of something, you should tramatize your self more. it will just make it harder to get over.
goodluck
2007-02-01 22:15:30 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 2⤋
have some one give you a lot of them then you might lose that fear maybe at oh around the hundrith one id say
2007-02-01 22:18:40 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
i don't know how to get rid of the fear but i just live with it
2007-02-01 22:09:18 · answer #7 · answered by Loser55555 1 · 1⤊ 1⤋
And I hate filing my tax return.
We do these things because we HAVE to, not because we want to.
Take deep, regular breaths and don't look.
Oh, and one more thing - BE A GROWN UP!!
2007-02-01 22:08:28 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 5⤋