Needle phobia can be dangerous, not only because of the direct physical symptoms that occur, but because people will avoid medical care. Ignoring health concerns can lead to not only more serious health issues, but also, untreated illness may lead to premature death.
Treatment
While many anxiety disorders are treated with a combination of medication and cognitive behavioral therapy, this treatment does not seem to improve needle phobia. For people with this type of phobia, talking with your doctor about some of the methods below may help to alleviate the symptoms:
Anesthetics
Using anesthetics at the injection site can help to alleviate pain from an injection. Although needles today cause little pain when used properly, people with needle phobia may feel an immense amount of pain from receiving an injection. Using a topical anesthetic can help to eliminate discomfort and pain. There are a number of products available today that can be used for this purpose. Your physician should have access to products such as NeedleBuster, Numby Stuff or EMLA.
Anti-anxiety medications
Anti-anxiety medication is sometimes used as a preventive measure. This medication may be taken prior to receiving the injection or needle to counteract symptoms of extreme anxiety. Medications such as this may be needed in large doses to begin with and tapered down as people overcome their fear. Anti-anxiety medications are often effective for people that may faint when given a needle. When this type of medication is used, the patient may not be able to drive after an injection and must have someone come with them to the doctor’s office.
Body positioning
Lying down or having legs elevated while receiving an injection or needle can help to reduce some of the symptoms of needle phobia. Fainting and loss of consiousness can be a serious concern and these symptoms are lessened when a patient lies with their feet elevated and their head down. Patients should remain in this position until they feel comfortable and should very slowly move to a sitting or standing position.
Beta blockers
When fainting is the main concern, medications known as beta-blockers can be helpful. These medications do not impair function and therefore would not require a second person to drive the patient home.
Behavioral Strategies
- Talk with the doctor or medical professional before receiving an injection and discuss your needle phobia. Make sure the medical professional is experienced and skilled at giving injections or taking blood.
- Breathe slowly and deeply while having an injection or having blood drawn, this can help to reduce other physical symptoms.
