Hi,

I was in remission for 3 years however its back. I finally got prescribed imitrex, which is great b.c it kills the headache within 7 minutes. However, I am deadly afraid of needles. I auto injected myself once and I freaked out but the headache was gone. Last night I had a smaller cluster since I took a verpamil before bed and I couldn't bring myself to press the button to inject myself and I just sat in pain. I know if I have a monster I probably won't hesitate but for these smaller ones I am at a lost.

Anybody have any tips? I know I just have to man up and do it  fast but I can't bring myself to do it. I have been practicing with an empty cartridge to develope a routine where I press the button fast. This is all I can think of...

Its definetly not the pain... just the anxiety that i feel knowing that I have to inject myself. Also when I did it before it really burned and I felt really light headed, like my blood pressure just bottoms out.

I really like the suggestion about injecting myself between the leg muscles... that seems like it would be an easier spot. Hopefully the headache will never come back so I'll never have to try it but I doubt it. I drank 1 beer at 7pm and it spawned a headache at 1am. I hate it.

First of all, do you live with someone who might be able to do it for you? I have to have someone else give me my epi pens... Not because I'm afraid of needles, but because it makes me JUMP when the autoinjector goes off.

Brew wrote on Apr 28^th, 2009 at 4:58pm:


My Aunt used to be like that.

This fear was cured when we convinced her to sit in on a lumbar puncture / spinal tap of mine.

She nearly passed out during it, but managed not to. She doesn't pass out at the sight of blood, or needles anymore. She was able to be present during plenty of the other ones I had without problems. 

PFDAN
Mystina

I have a horrible fear of needles.  Here are my tips:

1.  Put it on you and in your mind dare yourself to do it....... it takes me a good 15 seconds to push the button because of fear but I have never failed to do so when I needed it.

2.  Have a loved one do it.  Shut your eyes.  It isnt the pain or the needle but some bizarre fear.  Once it is in, you should be fine.

3.  If this doesnt work, try Maxalt MLT.  They are dissolvable triptan.  They worked OK for me.

4.  Oxygen, but you heard that already.

5.  Honestly, if you can not do it, go on to another abortive.  Imitrex seems to be a very good option, but if you cant do it, you cant do it..... I have a horrible fear of needles but the pain forced me to face it a bunch of times.

years ago I was diagnosed as b12 deficient...the doc prescribed monthly injections...I thought, ok, I'll come in and get 'em...nope, she gave me a c'mon, you're a big boy look, handed me a vial and a pack of needles, sent her nurse in to instruct...and they sent me on my way.
I didn't have the guts to protest...and I almost believed I could do it.

Then the time came to do it on my own...I didn't fear the pain (heck, it's not even comparable to a kip 1 fergawdsake!), I didn't fear the puncture (fish business, I've been cut more times than I can count), I didn't fear the procedure (they showed me how!)...I don't know WHAT I feared. But, the first 6 months were an absolute terror. My record for sitting on the edge of my bed, with my pants on the floor and needle in hand, trying to work up the courage, was two HOURS.
Even after finally doing it, the next time wasn't any easier. I can't tell you how many times I practised my speech to the doc about how I really needed them to do it. Never had the guts for that either...what was I gonna say that made any sense?

What I FINALLY figured out...and I can stick myself now without even thinking, was just that...you're THINKING too much Jon...just do it!

I would get everything ready (drop trou, fill the syringe, tear open the alcohol swab), very analytical and emotionless. One swift motion... swab, needle in (like throwing a dart-firm but SMOOTH), plunge, out, swab, trou up...get on with business.

Not meant to sound easy, was a major accomplishment for me to get there...it was the THINKING part that I had to overcome. It shouldn't hurt, mid to outside of the thigh works best for me (tho I'm gonna try Chucks favored spot).

Best wishes, I know you'll get there,

Jon

I'm a needle freak too...scared to death of them! The nice thing about the stat pen is I never see the needle. Just push it against the back side and push the button. Feels more like a pinch then a poke.

Joe

I must admit I'm no great fan of needles either. The only advice i can pass on is try and relax when administering the shot. My first couple i got a horrible sensation because i had tensed my body up so much. The next couple i relaxed and to be honest i didn't feel a thing.Like the rest of the guys i would definitely use 02 as my first abort and the imitrex injector as a very poor second.


Lefty...!

Guess I'm just immune to FEAR - needles don't bother me. When I was nursing (back in my younger years) I was the one they called in to give injections to people who were terrified of needles (kids and MEN!) What I'd do is SLAP the spot where the injection was going (thus deadening it) give the injection and while they were still stinging from the slap - go on my merry way.

My son is still terrified of needles (as was my husband) so when they had to be injected they asked that I do it. Their docs finally learned that it saved a lot of "drama" to just let Granny tend to it.

But I'd try the O2 if I were you. Save a lot of stress and usually works better and is a lot safer. Check out the O2 info on the left.

Hugs BD

Hi, I'm a newbie to this board but I've had to deal with giving myself injections so I understand that fear. I found the stomach fat an easier place then a leg muscle. And I found that if I poke around a little that one side of my belly (my right side) seemed "easier" for the needle to go in then the left side. I'm left handed so I don't know that's anything to do with it.

What I discovered that some places the needle doesn't slide in easy and it does hurt a little. Other places on the skin has no sensation and the needle slips in very easy with no "ouch" feeling at all. Once you understand how to recognise that "dead" spot it makes the injection a lot easier to do.