People with tatoos afraid of needles??

[SaderNurse05]

Stange situation the other day. A group of recruits came in for their first Hep A/B shots (TwinRix so it is one shot). One guy who had 2 large tats that I could see actually freaked out and vagaled (sp?). HR to 30, BP undetectable, O2, bagged, came back and was sent to the hospital in an ambulance. Anyone else ever heard of such a dramatic response? He did not even get his shot, he was waiting. BTW during his moment he jumped up and crashed into a refrigerator, knock it to the side, spun around and crashed into a door then hit the ground. Fun to write up on the incident report.

[mdrew508]

That part of your body goes numb?!! You must have been lucky, I felt the whole 45 min. of absolute PAIN! explain to me how you go numb in that part where you're getting a tattoo? I didn't get any numbing medication, did you? I guess everyone is different! LOL!

I have 5 and I didn't feel pain after like the first 10 mins. Most of my friends have said the same thing.

[MA Nurse]

I have 5 and I didn't feel pain after like the first 10 mins. Most of my friends have said the same thing.

Wow, maybe I'm the weird one? LOL. I felt the pain the whole time!

[jojotoo, RN]

I have only had male patients vagal to the point of syncope. Anybody else?

[Diary/Dairy, RN]

No Kimbalu, I don't think it's you - my tattpos all hurt the entire time I was getting them. The last one was so bad and so long that I actually had to ask for a break in the middle of the session.

[elizabells, BSN, RN]

I have multiple (largeish) tattoos and I agree that it's different. Mine hurt, yes, but in an almost abstract way. I don't mind having blood drawn one little bit, but come at me for an IM injection and I have to go to my happy place. I think it's the sight of the needle. Think about a tattoo gun: several small needles bound to the main piece - you don't really see them. And like someone upthread said: you're getting something you want.

[SaderNurse05, BSN, RN]

I have only had male patients vagal to the point of syncope. Anybody else?

I never have thought about it but now that you mention it yes. Interesting. BTW he did even see a needle. It was just the thoought. Poor guy.

[Cherish]

I have 5 and I didn't feel pain after like the first 10 mins. Most of my friends have said the same thing.

I agree with you. When they did my sleeve it took 2 sessions of 4 hrs each (month wait in between). After an hour or so the pain was not as bad as say the first 15mins of it. Yes it hurt the whole time but it was like the pain was ceasing the longer I was getting it done. Funny thing is I HATED it when they were cleaning it all the time with that solution that stuff burns more than the actual tattoo with that watery soapy solution I hated that he had to keep on cleaning it. I was trying to blow on it and he was like laughing and telling me to stop cause I could start an infection on it. He thought it was funny that I thought the solution hurt more than the actual needle from the machine.

[elizabells, BSN, RN]

No, the soap spray TOTALLY hurts more than the tattoo!

It also depends on where the tattoo is - the one on my bicep hurt a lot less than the one right over C7... that one rattled my teeth a bit.

For those who don't have one it sort of feels like when you have a sunburn and you scratch it.

[Tweety, BSN, RN]

I have only had male patients vagal to the point of syncope. Anybody else?

Fear of needles and stress reactions occur as an equal opportunity in my experience. Althought the guys tend to hold their breathe and vagal and the females cry.

[jojotoo, RN]

Fear of needles and stress reactions occur as an equal opportunity in my experience. Althought the guys tend to hold their breathe and vagal and the females cry.

Holding your breath - is that what pushes them over the edge into syncope?

[SW_07]

I think the endorphins kick in and help with the pain during a tattoo but I have heard those will only last you a couple of hours before they run out and I believe it. I have a tattoo on my ribs that starts under my armpit and runs down to mid hip. It took 8 hours and I had to do it in one sitting because I was out of state and wouldn't be back to finish it. I was fine the first 2-3 hours but after that it was agony. And like other posters have said depends on the spot. My arm piece of cake, ribs and neck ouch.

I thought about it some more and maybe because during a tattoo it's continuous movement of the needle but during a blood draw its just sticking in there and I just get this overwhelming feeling of "GET IT OUT". haha.

[jnrsmommy]

I just remembered a patient I had a year ago or so. He was in for post-op infection, getting multiple strong IV abx and it was time to change his IV. He had these ropes on his arms that you could have hit from across the room blindfolded, (the needle-poking/IV starting part of me was in love w/ those things ). Well, he saw me w/ the needle as I was uncapping it (18g), and became unglued. Thrashing about in the bed, crying, and screaming. Finally got him calmed down, asked him why he was so scared of the needle, and he said "because I know it will hurt me." He had tattoos all around his eyes, and other parts of the body I assume would be extra sensitive if you catch my meaning. He said that w/ his tats, he wanted those, "paid good money" for them, and he could handle the pain. I jokingly told him, think of it this way, you want to get better so you want this IV to give you the meds that will make you better so you can leave, and you're paying alot more for this stay than those tattoos. He thought about it, laughed, told me to bring it on. He was in the hospital for almost 6wks, any time it came for him to have anything done that involved a needle, he was gold. A little mind over matter I guess.