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My daughter (12) is extremely fearful of shots. She says she has bad dreams about shots at least once a week and thinks about it everyday, even thought her next checkup won't be until May 2008. Will anesthetic creams ease the pain, enough so that she won't fear shots anymore?

2007-12-07 17:53:40 · 4 answers · asked by Ames 3 in Health General Health Care Pain & Pain Management

4 answers

Give me a BREAK...the poor thing doesn't need a THERAPIST!!

Shots are not fun. Some hurt, some don't...it depends more on what is being injected than the skill of the nurse or doctor that is doing it. Kids are all fearful of shots...I have yet to have a patient that doesn't go bonkers at the sight of a needle. When I was a kid, I had to have three nurses hold me down just to get a finger-stick!!

Here are some things that may help...which I've used not only with my patients, but with my own daughter:

1. Bribery works wonders. Even if it's a promise of a new Barbie or a trip to the ice cream parlor, just that "happy thought" can make things easier for her.

2. Ask your doctor if it is possible to have a numbing medicine injected under the skin before the shot. Many hospitals nowadays use a small insulin needle to inject a tiny bead of Lidocaine (numbing medicine) just barely under the skin to ease the initial prick of the shot. It may seem contradictory, but it does help.

3. Bring an ice pack with you in a cooler to immediately put on the injection site after the shot is administered.

4. About 1/2 hour before her appointment, give her a dose of Motrin or Tylenol. It also helps to take the edge off a little bit.

You have a good idea with the topical anesthetic, but it won't help much. Like I said before...the "painful" part isn't so much the needle stick, but the introduction of a foreign fluid (most of which burn like crazy) into the muscle tissue.

She'll grow out of this eventually. My Mother finds it most amusing that I now am so comfortable with needles, I let nursing students practice their IV techniques on me!!

Best of luck to you both!

2007-12-07 18:12:42 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 1 0

I have no kids of my own, but lots of young Cousins and fear is the key. Problem being they chat with others who state this that and the other. So we have several who fear having shots, let alone IV and surgery, is interesting! That is where I saw this cream being used on a child who had to have a IV. At first the child played with the cream under the plaster and when it came time, no problem. Then next time they cut back on the cream and no problem. Last time two weeks ago, they just put a plaster on, no cream and no problem!
I can recall being in hospital for a bone marrow biopsy, having just seen one on a Australian Soap and boy it looked really painful. Moreover, others kept on telling me I would need to be knocked out and in Hospital for at least seven days for this procedure! The afternoon came I walked down to a examination room, the Doc deadened the area, stuck a large bore needle in extracted the marrow, then went back in for a chip of bone. I felt zero, got up after it and was ready to go home. As my Grandmother who had breast cancer at 93, removed under local anesthetic stated 'It's just all old talk!'
Therefore let her have the cream, it will work and calm all her fears of the future. Good Luck.

2007-12-08 07:40:03 · answer #2 · answered by gillianprowe 7 · 0 0

Bio-Oil, Nivea Body Goodbye Cellulite, Naturals Cocoa Butter Cream. The first two combined work so good.

2016-04-08 01:11:24 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0 0

This will not help ease her fear of shots. Shot basically don't hurt if they are done properly and the fact that she has bad dreams about them suggests that she needs to see a counselor to discuss all of this and get some help for these recurring bad dreams. Ask your doc for a referral to a counselor or therapist to help her deal with all of this.

2007-12-07 17:58:08 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0 2

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