Wow. That sucks. Wishing the best for you.
Comment on Ultrasound can push vaccines into the body without needles
abraxas@sh.itjust.works 9 months agoHappens for blood draws as well, even small quantities. Happens if someone pokes me with a lidocaine. It’s a vasovagal reaction where my body “overreacts to certain triggers”. My blood pressure and heartrate plummet (to scary low levels. I’ve freaked out nurses on a couple of occasions). It causes me to feint in a comically dramatic way because the bloodflow to my brain gets too low. To be even more fun, I sometimes exhibit false “seizure” symptoms when I’m down, tightening up all my muscles at once and stopping breathing.
In theory, this could kill me, and there are confirmed ultra-rare cases of people dying from vasovagal syncope. In practice, I’m far more likely to die of a car accident on the way home (with my wife driving me because I’m in no state to drive after that).
Honestly, it makes me feel like I’m some kind of drama queen. But it’s entirely made up of unconscious responses in my body.
ech@lemm.ee 9 months ago
abraxas@sh.itjust.works 9 months ago
Honestly, I wouldn’t trade it for the medical conditions of some of my family and friends. It sucks, and makes me hate doctors, but it won’t kill me.
I mean, I’d take this over diabetes and/or asthma shrug
Zink@programming.dev 9 months ago
That sure sounds annoying. I hope being able to plan ahead for the occasional jab makes it not much of a real issue in your life.
Does it happen for accidental/“natural” pokes? You mentioned the splinter thing, but if you had a thorn, cactus needle, or even a piece of glass stuck in your skin and pulled it out, would you do alright?
abraxas@sh.itjust.works 9 months ago
I hope being able to plan ahead for the occasional jab makes it not much of a real issue in your life.
Basically that. I schedule a day off if I need a jab for any reason, and work from home anyway when I’m miserable the next several days.
Does it happen for accidental/“natural” pokes? You mentioned the splinter thing, but if you had a thorn, cactus needle, or even a piece of glass stuck in your skin and pulled it out, would you do alright?
All of those are fine. And unlike a lot of people with my issue, blood doesn’t bother me in the least. Once in a great while I’ve gotten a mild version of that from an insect bite, but the feeling is just completely different.
Oddly, I think if a needle hurt more and did some tearing, it wouldn’t bother me so much.
But you’re asking some really thought-provoking questions. I have a lot of food-related texture issues and while this is COMPLETELY different, I’m suddenly wondering if it’s a little more similar than I thought.
BluesF@feddit.uk 9 months ago
Huh, I have never heard of such a thing! Sounds very annoying to say the least
abraxas@sh.itjust.works 9 months ago
It fucking sucks, more because a lot of providers don’t (or didn’t. They’ve been getting better) take seriously. They’d treat you like a baby or a hypochondriac, right up until you scare them half to death by WHAT YOU SAID WOULD HAPPEN happening.
The stopping-breathing thing is super-rare, so even people expecting that “complely calm-seeming patient” pass-out are shocked when that same unconscious patient starts holding their breath and shaking.
ABCDE@lemmy.world 9 months ago
Have you tried EMLA?
abraxas@sh.itjust.works 9 months ago
… genuinely I’ve never been offered (even had to google EMLA)
But now that you mention it, I’ve never had this particular issue from novicaine at the dentist. And they always use a topical.
Next time I need a shot/blood, I’ll see if they’re willing to try that! Since it really does seem to be about the poke itself, something that changes the feeling might be exactly what works.