Fear of needles and your anaesthetic

You are not alone

Fear of needles is common. For some people it is a mild dislike. For others it is strong enough to cause panic, or to make them put off medical care. Anaesthetists look after people with needle fear often, and there is no need to feel embarrassed about it.

Almost every anaesthetic needs a drip (a cannula): a thin plastic tube placed in a vein in the back of your hand or your arm. A needle is used to guide the tube into the vein and is then removed, leaving only the soft plastic tube in place. The drip is how your anaesthetic, fluids and other medicines are given, and it is an important part of keeping you safe.

Tell the rooms before your surgery

If you are frightened of needles, call the rooms on (08) 6267 6200 before your surgery. This gives Dr Halvey the chance to plan with you in advance. Some of the options below need to be arranged before the day.

It helps to tell us:

• how strong your fear is, and what part of it worries you most (the sight of the needle, the feeling, or the build-up)
• whether you have fainted, or nearly fainted, with needles or blood tests before
• anything that has helped you in the past.

What can help

Dr Halvey numbs the skin before every drip. The other options can be used on their own or together, and Dr Halvey will talk with you about which suit you, your health and your operation.

Numbing the skin first

Dr Halvey numbs the skin before every drip, not only for people who are frightened of needles. A very fine needle is used to place a small amount of local anaesthetic just under the skin where the drip will go. This stings briefly. The drip then goes in through the numbed skin. Most people feel a push or pressure as it goes in, but it should not be sore.

Dr Halvey has had drips placed in his own hands this way.

Numbing cream

If even the fine needle worries you, numbing cream is available. It is put on the skin where the drip will go and covered with a clear dressing. It takes time to work, so it has to go on well before the drip, and it needs to be arranged in advance. If you would like it, ask when you call the rooms before your surgery.

The cream numbs the surface of the skin, so you feel less of the first fine needle. Dr Halvey still numbs the skin with local anaesthetic before the drip as usual.

A calming tablet

You may be offered a tablet before you go to theatre to help you feel calmer. It can make you drowsy and may affect your memory of the time before your operation. If you have one, you must not drive, and you should have another adult to take you home if you are going home the same day.

Laughing gas while the drip goes in

You can breathe a mixture of nitrous oxide (laughing gas) and oxygen through a mask or mouthpiece while the drip is placed. It can make you feel relaxed and light-headed, and it wears off quickly once you stop breathing it.

Going to sleep with gas first

For some adults, it is possible to go to sleep by breathing anaesthetic gas through a mask, and to have the drip put in once you are asleep. You would not feel or remember the needle.

This is only offered when it is safe for you. While you are going to sleep this way, there is no drip in place yet, so it is only suitable when:

• you have followed the fasting instructions fully, with an empty stomach
• your weight and general health make it a safe choice
• your airway is expected to be straightforward to manage.

Dr Halvey will decide with you whether it is right for you. If it is not, the other options on this page can still help.

If you faint with needles

Some people feel light-headed, sweaty or sick, or faint, when they see a needle or blood. This is a common reflex that briefly lowers your heart rate and blood pressure. It is not a sign of weakness.

• Tell the team if this has happened to you before.
• You can lie flat while the drip is placed. Lying down makes fainting much less likely.
• You do not have to watch. Looking away, or talking about something else, can help.
• Tell the person placing the drip straight away if you start to feel faint.

Spinals and nerve blocks

A spinal anaesthetic and a nerve block are both injections. If needles worry you, these points may help:

• The skin is numbed with local anaesthetic through a very fine needle first, in the same way as for your drip. This stings briefly, and after that you usually feel pressure rather than sharp pain.
• A spinal is placed in your back, so you do not see the needle.
• Dr Halvey places nerve blocks after you are asleep under a general anaesthetic, so you will not feel or remember the block. The exception is the uncommon operation that is planned to be done with you awake.
• For a spinal, your drip goes in first. Medicine to help you relax (sedation) can then be given through it before the spinal.

Feeling anxious about your anaesthetic

Feeling nervous before an operation is normal, whether or not needles are the worry. Some things that may help:

• Write down your questions and bring them with you. Knowing what will happen often makes it less frightening. The general anaesthetic page and the day of surgery guide walk through each step.
• Tell the team you are anxious. They can explain each step before it happens, or not, as you prefer.
• Slow breathing, with a longer breath out than in, can help you settle while you wait.
• Ask whether you can listen to music on your own headphones while you wait.

If anxiety is a major problem for you in general, or has stopped you having medical care before, your GP can help, including before planned surgery.

After surgery

Once your drip is in, it is usually kept in place and used for medicines and fluids, so you need fewer needles. Some needles may still be needed after your operation, for example a blood test, or small injections under the skin to help prevent blood clots after some operations. Tell the ward nurses about your needle fear too.