When giving an epidural is there anything you can give me to take my mind off of a big needle going in my back because i'm terrified of needles?

Sedative: Your doctor may suggest Xanax (alprazolam) to take 1 hr before procedure. Ask you pain doctor or physician giving the injection.

YES: A quick spray of Ethyl Chloride will numb the area via ''quick cold''. (kids even ask for it.) then a local numbing agent can be injected without any discomfort. A reassuring explanation of what I am doing and what you can do to assure successful epidural and off you go. Figure 20 or 30 minutes of a ''no feeling'' epidural. I think you will do quite well !

Sedative-Assurance: I often administer sedatives to allay my patient's anxeity, if no contraindications. However, reassurance and careful explanation may help most patients even without sedatives.

Possibly: If one is receiving an epidural and they're not pregnant, most of the time we can furnish some sedation. If you are pregnant and receiving epidural for labor pain, gentle explanation helps.

Reassurance!: We numb the spot where the epidural goes in very well with local anesthesia. If you're in labor and need an epidural, just breathe and focus on the fact that the labor pain really will ease up in just a couple of minutes. If you're having an epidural for other reasons such as to treat back pain, you'll receive some sedation to help you relax. Either way, it will be worth it to have the epidural.

Depends: If it is for labor, then no medication but explanation..... If it is not for labor like surgery or pain control, conscious sedation is an option.

Labor epidural?: During a labor epidural generally nothing is given. Anything you take by mouth or IV goes to the baby.

CBT: Seek a cognitive-behavioral therapist who specializes in phobias. One method they use is systematic desensitization which slowly and incrementally brings the person closer and closer to the thing they are afraid of in slow, graduated steps that help make the anxiety more tolerable.