Ways To Ease The Pain Of Injections
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Posted by Joanna Karpasea-Jones Jan 25, 2009 |
I am the most needle phobic person around. I couldn't even look at one on TV, never mind in reality. If ever I went for a medical check, I always refused blood work, or anything else to do with needles. Having a family eased some of that fear because of the amount of blood tests they did in pregnancy, but when I came to be an egg donor at the age of 28, I was terrified. I nearly vomited when I opened the medical supplies box and found over 30 syringes and when the day came for me to be taught how to self-inject, I was shaking so much that I couldn't hold the needle still.
The nurses had to get me to deep breathe before I could inject myself. I have compiled some tips for anyone going through IVF, who may be afraid of needles.
- If possible, get your partner or someone else to administer your injections.
- Remember the majority of the injections are subcutaneous, that is, just under the skin, and using very fine needles, so you shouldn't get much discomfort.
- Refuse the intramuscular injections - I had a pessary instead.
- If you have previously had children and are suffering secondary infertility or you are an egg donor, inject into a stretch mark on your tummy. Why? Well, I quickly learnt that I had no pain sensation where my stretch marks were so I could inject into them with no pain. It may be that the burst blood vessels which cause stretch marks also affected the nerves. Try it and see, you might be surprised!
- Don't wear jeans - they will rub and cause injection site pain. I switched to wearing dresses during my injections.
- I took rescue remedy to help me stay calm and arnica homeopathy to help me heal more quickly and stop injection site swelling.