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<blockquote data-quote="gcvmom" data-source="post: 56492" data-attributes="member: 3444"><p>My difficult child 1 has a huge needle phobia and we've dealt with some of the same things you are dealing with. In the past, vaccinations and blood draws were VERY traumatic and dramatic -- screaming, kicking, running away, needing to be restrained -- and he would become dizzy, vomit and break out in a sweat afterwards. Horrible to experience for all involved (pediatrician didn't believe me once and he got a foot in his groin for his doubt).</p><p></p><p>As for the pain, you can get an rx for Emla cream, as others have said here -- I think there are some other brands as well, it's basically got lidocaine in it. You apply it at least 20 min before the poke and cover it with some plastic wrap (so it doesn't get on clothing, etc.). Works GREAT.</p><p></p><p>The anxiety can be dealt with in a number of ways, including medications and therapy. We've used both and the combination has worked well for difficult child 1. </p><p></p><p>We also use rewards (small) and we talk about how easy the procedure is going to be, and afterwards difficult child 1 gets lavish praise for how well he managed himself. Distraction during the procedure works to a point -- sometimes difficult child 1 uses my iPod, some kids can try to look away or have someone hold their head so they're not tempted to look. But these things won't eliminate the fear. That's something difficult child has to do, and therapy with the support of medications has been our best approach.</p><p></p><p>We got an rx for Ativan for my difficult child and that helped take the edge off his fear, but he still got panicky. So then we added guided mental imagery with slow, deep breathing to help him relax, and that worked pretty well, but not consistently. The most recent tool in our anxiety arsenal is an rx for Lexapro for difficult child 1, and that has made the biggest difference for him. I was able to cut the Ativan dose in half for his last blood draw (he gets them freqently), and he handled the procedure WONDERFULLY. I'm going to try skipping the Ativan next time to see if he can just use his CBT coping skills and get through it again without any drama.</p><p></p><p>It takes a lot of time and patience to devise a system that works for your difficult child, but it can be done! Good luck to you!</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="gcvmom, post: 56492, member: 3444"] My difficult child 1 has a huge needle phobia and we've dealt with some of the same things you are dealing with. In the past, vaccinations and blood draws were VERY traumatic and dramatic -- screaming, kicking, running away, needing to be restrained -- and he would become dizzy, vomit and break out in a sweat afterwards. Horrible to experience for all involved (pediatrician didn't believe me once and he got a foot in his groin for his doubt). As for the pain, you can get an rx for Emla cream, as others have said here -- I think there are some other brands as well, it's basically got lidocaine in it. You apply it at least 20 min before the poke and cover it with some plastic wrap (so it doesn't get on clothing, etc.). Works GREAT. The anxiety can be dealt with in a number of ways, including medications and therapy. We've used both and the combination has worked well for difficult child 1. We also use rewards (small) and we talk about how easy the procedure is going to be, and afterwards difficult child 1 gets lavish praise for how well he managed himself. Distraction during the procedure works to a point -- sometimes difficult child 1 uses my iPod, some kids can try to look away or have someone hold their head so they're not tempted to look. But these things won't eliminate the fear. That's something difficult child has to do, and therapy with the support of medications has been our best approach. We got an rx for Ativan for my difficult child and that helped take the edge off his fear, but he still got panicky. So then we added guided mental imagery with slow, deep breathing to help him relax, and that worked pretty well, but not consistently. The most recent tool in our anxiety arsenal is an rx for Lexapro for difficult child 1, and that has made the biggest difference for him. I was able to cut the Ativan dose in half for his last blood draw (he gets them freqently), and he handled the procedure WONDERFULLY. I'm going to try skipping the Ativan next time to see if he can just use his CBT coping skills and get through it again without any drama. It takes a lot of time and patience to devise a system that works for your difficult child, but it can be done! Good luck to you! [/QUOTE]
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