Delaying and child's fears of shots - Page 2

[mamakay]

I remember when I was a kid, I get the impression that they must put bleach in there or something...

[jojospok23]

I don't remember getting shots as I was very under vaxed for my age, but it makes sense that they hurt. Like Plummeting said, an IV med goes into the blood stream, and the blood pushes it along and mixed with it. SOME IV meds can hurt hugely, especially if they were not well mixed with saline solution (some to the point that they actually injure the vein) but most of the time an IV isn't so bad.

The vax shots normally have to be intramuscular to slow down the absorbtion amongst other things (and can be dangerous if they go into a vein). But that means that apart from piercing muscle tissue, the volume of the shot, although small, has to form a pocket in the muscle-just like the collection of fluid that is involved in a hematoma (bruise). And we all know that bruises hurt. And given that most vaxes contain chemicals that are toxic to the tissues.........

It all adds up to the prick being the smallest of the issues.

[lyttlewon]

Originally Posted by Plummeting

I think they hurt more, because there's nowhere for it to go. In an IV, it goes directly into the bloodstream and moves right along. I've never felt any pain with an IV, other than the initial needle stick to get it started, of course, but I've had some pretty friggin painful injections in my lifetime.

I can see that. I remember the coldness of the IV fluid and how weird it felt moving up my arm but you are right it doesn't really hurt after the prick.

[spero]

I've had self-administered IV morphine, and it hurt like hell.

[prettypixels]

I wouldn't say it's more invasive than a tube in your vein, though... a needle in a muscle for a second seems less invasive to me.

(I HATE IV's!)

But they sure can burn like crazy. Injected lidocaine, which is a numbing agent, burns and BURNS for a few seconds before it starts numbing. It's a looong few seconds!!!! : I sure don't think a topical numbing gel of some kind could hurt, though!

[Plummeting]

We aren't talking about what's more invasive. We're talking about whether or not a topical numbing cream would prevent the pain. It might for an IV, because there's the skin prick and then the medication goes straight into the veins and is gone. Because an injection has to sit right inside the muscle, topical cream isn't going to work. It only numbs the skin, not the muscle. That would work for an IV, where the muscle isn't affected. It will not work for an intramuscular injection, where the PP already explained that it has to form a pocket in the muscle.

[prettypixels]

Originally Posted by lyttlewon

I can see that. I remember the coldness of the IV fluid and how weird it felt moving up my arm but you are right it doesn't really hurt after the prick.

Everyone is different... both times I've had IVs were *awful*, and felt painful the whole time. Shots do hurt afterwards, some of them... but I used to get a birth control shot every month with no issues whatsoever. I can get blood drawn with very little problem. IV's, with that long plastic tube that STAYS in your vein... UGGGGGGGH yuck, yuck, yuck!

Anyways, everyone is different and either way if I were a little kid I'd definitely be scared!!!!