The local word for shingles here is “Hellfire”. Vaccines are good.
Accurate description. My arm feels like it wants to fall off.
My secret shame is that the only vaccine I have successfully gotten in the last ten years was a covid vaccine in December 2020.
I have tried so many times to get vaccinated and I just keep fainting until they give up and send me home. I can’t get anyone to administer vaccines while I’m under general anaesthesia, but this would essentially be the only option for me. Just shoot me full of everything in the fridge while I’m out for surgery or something. Also, I would need to be unconscious before they put an IV in and I can’t get them to do this either.
Well because that is an enormous risk for a routine thing. Have you tried some of the routine tips? Like relaxing and laying down, going on a full stomach with plenty of water in you, tensing your thigh muscles, playing a game on your phone as it happens, or bringing a buddy to talk to you as it is happening? If none of the standard things work after having tried them you should tell your doctor because if you are that averse to needles that is super important information.
Edit: Wait does this sounds condescending? Am I being condescending? I don’t mean to be.
I’ve tried everything, even taking benzodiazepines before hand. Taking a blood sample is always a nightmare. They always stick me at least half a dozen times before they’re successful and that only makes me panic more. I can’t even watch some content that shows needles or blood in normal-ish contexts. That happens a crazy amount on TV and movies. I can handle stuff like John Wick or Evil Dead but a nosebleed or someone cutting their hand while chopping vegetables and I’m done for.
My doctor and therapist both know I’m that averse, and we don’t do blood work or injections because of it. We agreed on trying the auto-pen method of zepbound eventually to try and exposure therapy my way to not freaking myself out just with the thought of it. Discussing it in text form like this has also been somewhat helpful because I can like, run away and distract myself for a few minutes if I feel the panic coming and then come back to continue.
Also, nah, it didn’t sound condescending.
It’s good to hear your doctor is taking it seriously and cool that you’re working so hard on this, and the auto-pen solution is a good middle step. It would be cool if you could use that for vaccines too, I guess. Alas.
tensing your thigh muscles, playing a game on your phone as it happens, or bringing a buddy to talk to you as it is happening?
Is this a sex joke. How is tensing your thigh muscles or playing on your phone a sex thing?
Everything’s a sex joke, if you’re that way inclined. Try not to think about it, it’ll drive you mad. Or mad horny.
Yes it’s a sex joke when taken out of context. Couldn’t help it.
Masturbating, phone sex, there’s remote things now
. With a distance buddy can be even better. Tensing your thighs can redirect orgasmic energy and prolong the session.
Okay, here me out. We get a doctor who’s also a master of camouflage and blow darts. You’re going about your regular business, when all the sudden you catch a vaccine dart from the bushes. Kinda like Cato when he ambushes inspector Clouseau, but less hand to hand combat.
I think this would work at first, up until the point I become a kung-fu god and learn how to catch the ampoule in mid-air.
Slowly circling around staring down wukong as he does the same, mini-fridge gourd hanging from his staff
If you’re at that level, you’d probably catch germs before they enter your body. It’s a win win!!
Ooh! I’m in a very similar situation to you (but I have a process that I’ll explain later). One of the Covid vaccines I was given in the local CVS had me on the floor and seizing and apparently there was a kid freaked out that the vaccine caused that. My partner had to tell them “no, that’s just something that happens sometimes with them”. I had to get my wisdom teeth removed earlier this year and it was a similar nightmare.
Anyway, this doesn’t fix the issue entirely, but it does help immensely:
First of all, have someone go with you to your appointment. Have them go in ahead of you and tell the person administering the shot that you have a phobia and for them to give you the shot as quickly as possible without all the verbal preamble. The goal is for you to walk in, immediately get the shot, and then (if possible) sit in a chair while you give yourself some time to recover since sometimes I’ll pass out 2 minutes after a shot is finished just because I’m thinking about it too much.
Next, cold surfaces really help. If there’s a tile floor, I’ll lay down on that while the shot is happening, but if not, I’ll bring a gel freezer pack to put over my chest.
As for the site of injection, 3D print or use a printing service to get this thing. https://www.printables.com/model/260883-snapshot-needle-injection-pain-relief The goal is to “confuse” your senses at the injection site so it’s harder to fixate on the needle. I’ve tried numbing the site with ice or topical gel, but that’s never really worked for me.
Lastly, put some headphones on and have a cold drink you can distract yourself with. You probably only need 2-3 songs but you don’t want to be figuring out what to listen to in the moment- prepare for it.
Some of these tips might not be as effective for things like IVs (luckily my only IV experience was for dental work where I also was on Valium and nitros oxide), but hopefully it’s able to help!
Do you have an immune deficiency? My government’s health agency says that shingles vaccine is only useful if you have an immune deficiency or older than 60. But I think they might be lying to safe money on vaccination programs. I don’t have the money to pay for a vaccine myself
You can get shingles younger than 60 so if symptoms show up they tend to vaccinate after antiviral treatment iirc
I do not
I hope you feel better soon
Is it still something for the over 50 crowd?
Well- I’m in my 30’s. It is apparently a hell of a lot worse when you’re 50+.
Good to know, I thought it was only in your 50s it springs up
Since the mpox and shingles vaccines are the same thing, at least where i’m at in the US you can get one for free at the state department of health if you say you’re gay or traveling to a high risk country (not sure if this category requires proof of travel tho)just to set expectations, for me it gave me a painful lump under my skin for like 5-ish days for each shot, but it wasn’t too bad and obvs it won’t happen for everyonewait nevermind im stupid ignore this, smallpox/mpox is not the same as chickenpox/shingles, the above applies if you want a smallpox/mpox shot i guess tho lmao
I had a family member get it while they were still in highschool
nice hickeys
Started freaking out that my eczema was actually shingles after seeing this then remembered I’ve never had chickenpox
Hope you feel better soon!
Thank you! I was under the impression that I never had chicken pox either but apparently I must’ve had it very mildly as a kid.
I just had shingles. Luckily it wasn’t too extreme, but it was a very unpleasant sarcastic and I still have some lingering sensation under the skin.
Yeah, my friend got shingles at 24 and she was absolutely miserable the entire time
Gonna ask my doctor if I can get it next time i’m there
You know what’s not fun but funny i saw a poster yesterday at the doctor’s saying 99% of people over 50 have it and i was like wow seems bad
I thought that was for elder people. They don’t say too much about it happening younger. I should ask about it at my next annual. Hope it clear soon for you.
I got shingles earlier this year, caught it early and went to urgent care, and it was hell for a few weeks. I still feel twinges every now and then and get worried that it’s coming back. Good luck with your recovery!
a friend had that back in highschool. Awful shit. my mom refuses to get the vaccine because there are potential side-effects.
![[CW] Comrades, this is a reminder to get your shingles vaccine](https://hexbear.net/pictrs/image/2708b778-7514-4313-8c2f-7ca6b20d1271.jpeg){kind=link}