ASD and injections

[Cariad]

T has been asked yet again to go for his Diph, Tet, Polio Reinforcing injection. He is petrified of needles, last time they took blood we had to go to the hospital. It took 5 nurses to hold him down and take blood, now he will NEVER have it done again. It was horrific and in the end I cried as it upset me so much.

 

What can be done, no one seems to care or know what to do. How can it possibly be right to forcibly hold a 13 year old down and put him through a terrible time? Has anyone got any clues on where to start and any experiences?

[Mumble]

How much is he rationally able to understand the processes? If he can, I would try to explain things. For instance, things coming out (blood tests) are much more painful than things going in (inoculations) - generally of course, but in this case it applies. Also with inoculations, you don't see the blood which may help. Could you also talk to him about the inoculations being far less worse than getting any of the diseases they protect against?

 

It sounds like the last experience really wasn't helpful. I find fewer people better as medical practitioners can in themselves be scary. I think having 5 nurses and all the sensory issues of being held would put me on edge. Any inoculations, blood tests etc are far more painful is you are tense. It really does help to make your arm go all floppy like they ask, but this is very difficult if you are tense and in sensory defencive mode.

 

It's easy for me in hindsight - I was a nightmare with anything medical - but now I'm fine with most things. It's been time, experience and particularly sensitive nurses/doctors who have explained what they are doing and have sought to reassure me I assume you would be doing this at the GPs? Is there a nurse there you can ask to do it who is a bit more sensitive or who he feels more comfortable with? Could he take along something to distract him?

 

[bettyhen]

My son has multiple allergies and can't have any injections for the foreseeable future so I've done quite a bit of research on this. We did try the single tetanus with disastrous results (I was keen to have this jab) but for general immunity from tetanus the opinion seems to be that you only need two jabs. He may have had these already. Tetanus was the only one I was truly worried about.

 

With regard to polio and diptheria, unless you are travelling abroad the risk seems too be relatively slight, especially as diptheria is a childhood disease. I looked up the deaths from these and there have been none for decades. Don't forget there is a herd immunity with these things. It may also be possible to get the polio drops as we did when we were children - one of the single jabs places would know if your doctor doesn't - that is how we got the single tetanus. We may consider this later on but will ask advice from our allergy doctor.

 

I don't know if this is helpful but it may make you less worried. I know people go to homeopaths for alternatives to immunisation but I have no idea whether that works or not.

 

 

 

[bikemad]

I really have no idea but wouldnt mind betting the hospital s the same one that had 3 people hold down my then 7 year old to have his fragile x test done!!!!! My son is horrendous when it comes to anything sharp...he wont even let the dentist count useing the pointed thingy and when the dentsit mentioned a brace my lad run out of the surgery building with me flying after him so I know how hard it must be for you.... <'>

[purplehaze]

Hi, I haven't really any advice but just wanted to say I totally know what this is like-my 15 year old was due to have his TB jab at school and refused. No body was really understanding and I was just told that he will be offered it again during the catch up process and there was no other option.

 

May be you should tal kto your GP X

 

 

 

[lynne]

 

 

You normally need 5 tetanus injection that give you immunity for life. So you normally have 3 as a baby one before starting infant school than the last one as a teenager.

 

You need to think do you really want him to have it. Protection for life is a good thing.

 

If you go to your practice nurse you can explain the situation and ask them to prescribe EMLA cream. You put the cream on the area to be injected which is normally the upper outer part of the arm for at least 30 minutes prior to having the injection. This will reduce his pain. You can also use this when going for a blood test. The cream is covered with a plastic dressing which looks like cling flim and the kids normally love pushing and poking this cream because it moves but does not come on them. You could try the cream on his hand first the day before so he knows what it feels like.

 

 

Explaining to your child that the injection will take seconds if he sits still. Also asking the nurse to draw up the injection prior to you entering the room will also help. Normally you find practice nurses very helpful because by giving the patient a good experience saves an ernormous amount of time later on.

 

 

Lots of people walk into the surgery every day scared of injections but most people do not experience an horrendous experience.

 

Also by you sitting infront of him and holding his hands and getting him to listen and speak to you will also help.

 

Is he a child who is very specific with detail eg if you say in a minute you mean 60 secs no longer or less, if he is this can help. Also he if counts to 10 the injection is normally over by the count of 3

 

 

Hope this helps

[cmuir]

Hi

 

It can be an absolute nightmare. It's horrendously difficult especially when the blood test needs to be done for the good of the child. I've had mixed experiences with my son. He's nearly 8 now and recently had to have a blood test as he's now on risperidone. Doctor was fantastic and very patient. Everything was explained to him - I even had a blood test done in an effort to show him it would be over very quickly and that it wasn't agony. Still not joy, but it was worth a try! We've had 2 unsuccesful attempts, but I believe it it were to be done by force, then it would make him even more fearful. Two years ago, after 45 mins of persuasion, R did comply. So, I think it's down to how their feeling on the day.

[Cariad]

The thing is explaining it to him would set him off and he would be hysterical, it's like saying to someone who has Arachnophobia to hold a spider. He will do anything to get away as soon as he sees it. He also has a fear of wasps and has run into traffic to get away.. I'm going to ring camhs and see if they have any suggestions as he will need a blood test soon as he takes Ritalin and respirdone when he can't calm down from rages.

[bikemad]

The thing is explaining it to him would set him off and he would be hysterical, it's like saying to someone who has Arachnophobia to hold a spider. He will do anything to get away as soon as he sees it. He also has a fear of wasps and has run into traffic to get away.. I'm going to ring camhs and see if they have any suggestions as he will need a blood test soon as he takes Ritalin and respirdone when he can't calm down from rages.

 

Same here if I explain it it makes it worse n he goes into hysteria big time. I use the EMLA cream for when I have tattoos and it definatly does numb the area but my lad wont use it cos it feels 'slimey'....(it dont but you know how it is it is different for them).

[Mumble]

The thing is explaining it to him would set him off and he would be hysterical, it's like saying to someone who has Arachnophobia to hold a spider.

I of course do not know your son, but I'm not convinced this is true generally. There is a big difference between telling someone to do something and explaining a process rationally and calmly. Explaining wouldn't start with the needle in front of him. You wouldn't start talking to someone who was scared of spiders by dangling one in front of them and telling them to hold it.

 

I think Lynne has given some excellent advice - and it is worth remembering that loads of people are scared of needles, not just people with ASD.

 

Normally you find practice nurses very helpful because by giving the patient a good experience saves an ernormous amount of time later on.

This is what has made a difference for me. Previously I would put tests off, avoid treatment, or they wouldn't be able to get what they needed meaning more needles but by having nurses who took their time to ensure a 'good' (that's relative of course - no needles are good!! ) experience, I no longer freak out when told I need anything involving needles (oh, apart from arterial blood gases but they make grown men whimper so I'm allowed ) and because I don't freak out I'm less tense and it's less painful.

 

It may be hard, but you're far better off sorting this fear out now rather than finding excuses to put it off. The longer you allow him not to have them, the more entrenched the association between such procedures and pain/fear etc. becomes.

 

Someone mentioned something about herd immunisation - I would be careful here because the idea behind that is that the very few who genuinely can't have the inoculations are protected because everyone who can does. Being fearful is not life-threatening and not a reason not to have it. If that were the case, I would suspect that about 10 - 15% of the population would not be inoculated and then there would be no herd immunisation.