Blood draws + EMLA cream

I've got a blood draw coming up soon, and honestly, I’m freaking out. I have this massive phobia of needles—it’s not even funny. Every single time I have to get blood taken, I start feeling lightheaded or just straight-up nauseous. I know, I know... half of you are probably going to tell me to grow up, stop being such a wimp, and just man up. But hey, I am who I am, right? :-
I was scrolling through some stuff online and saw that EMLO cream is actually pretty decent at numbing things down and cutting the pain.
Is it actually okay to use that stuff, and does anyone know where I can pick some up around here?

Mark Smith48 said:I've got bloodwork coming up soon, and honestly, I’m terrified of needles. Almost every time I have to get blood drawn, I start feeling lightheaded or nauseous. I'm looking for some way to cope. I know, I know—half the people out there will tell me to stop being such a chicken and just man up... but hey, this is who I am. :-)
I saw something online suggesting that emla 5 cream works pretty well for numbing the pain.
Is it okay to use that, and where can I actually pick some up?

I have a few friends who deal with needle phobia too—one case just like yours. Personally, I don't really get what it feels like (if anything, I actually don't mind getting blood drawn, but that's a whole other story), and I haven't heard much about creams. If I had to guess, though, I'd say numbing the physical sensation won't actually solve the problem. The pain itself isn't even the main issue; it's the fear.

Look, I get that fear isn't exactly caused by the pain itself, but somehow it feels like I’ll be totally chill right up until the moment they pull it out. And honestly? I shouldn't even feel that burning sensation. But man, if I do... that's going to suck!!! It's clearly obvious that my pain tolerance is basically non-existent...

The cream is definitely out there and it works like a charm, I just need to figure out the best way to track it down... hm... let me poke around a bit and see what I can find out, then I'll give you guys an update tomorrow or the day after.

Well, I finally managed to snag the last tube of Emla 5% cream at a local CVS. They even threw in a couple of those specialized patches to cover the area once you apply it. My only real concern is going to be getting that film to actually stay put on a skin fold; the instructions claim the cream loses its potency if it's exposed to any air.
Anyway, the stuff is out there in pharmacies, you just have to do a bit of digging to find it. Usually, one 5g tube goes for about $22.

Look, you aren't weird at all. I know plenty of folks dealing with the exact same thing.
If you think that cream is gonna do the trick, hey, give it a shot.😉
But honestly, the main issue isn't even the actual pain—it’s just that classic "white coat syndrome." It’s super common; you see people walk into a clinic in Chicago, get their blood pressure checked by a GP, and suddenly the numbers spike way higher than they actually are in real life.
I’ve got this buddy of mine who is definitely not a chicken,🙂but the second he steps foot in a lab, he usually just collapses right there and causes a massive scene.🙄
It really just comes down to perception. I’m not gonna sit here and lecture you with some universal life advice, but maybe just try to reframe how you think about getting blood drawn.😎

Ugh, I know that struggle all too well!
It’s not even about physical pain—there isn't any real pain involved. It's just this subjective, nasty feeling that eventually leaves you completely wiped out and horizontal.
It has nothing to do with being brave; I've just accepted that it's baked into my DNA (or maybe it's some leftover baggage from my past, who knows?)😉
Whenever I have to deal with it, I make sure to give my team at the clinic a heads-up about my issues so they know how to act around me. If everything goes smoothly, I still need to stay in bed because that damn fainting spell usually hits when you least expect it, acting like some delayed reaction.

Who knows? Maybe it all starts because of some clumsy mistake by an inexperienced technician, and then it develops into what we're dealing with now through a conditioned reflex.
The people who ask, "Well, what are you looking at when you feel sick?" are the absolute worst. Like, where else would I be if I were actually looking?! No, the whole trick is that I'm just lost in my own head.

That cream is actually used in hospitals for pediatric lab tests. Honestly, if it works for you even as a placebo—take it!! Anything is better than going through that entire ordeal.

Besides, I wouldn't really classify this under 'white coat syndrome,' since that's a much broader concept than what I'm experiencing!

Hey, please let me know how everything went and if it actually made a difference for you... I’ve been dealing with my own nightmare struggles regarding blood draws lately, too.

Kenneth White6 said:Please, let me know how it goes and if it actually worked... I've got my own issues when it comes to getting blood drawn...

I don't know what to tell you. Haven't gone in for the draw yet, but ever since I picked up some emla 5, I feel a bit more chill about it. Sure, it probably just proves the issue is all in my head, but whatever, I'm using the cream. If it works, maybe I'll actually have some guts for the next time I have to deal with needles.
Anyway, I'll check back in later...

It’s been a good two or three months since my extraction, so I realized I totally forgot to check back in here.
What can I say? EMLA actually worked for me. 👍
A big part of it was just being mentally prepared. Since I was convinced there wouldn't be any actual pain during the needle prick, the anxiety just wasn't there.
Honestly, I didn't feel a thing. Getting through the whole process was a breeze. I’m telling you, it's not just that the pain is gone—knowing you won't feel it makes sitting around waiting for your turn to get extracted way easier to handle.
Anyway, it did the trick for me. Maybe it'll help someone else out too... 🙂

Honestly, I used to pass out cold just thinking about getting blood drawn until a few years back when I got sick... I had to deal with monthly blood tests almost every single month for nearly three years, so I guess I finally just got used to the whole thing 🤷 at the end of the day, the only real way to get over that fear and all the discomfort is to just face it head-on; there aren't any fancy creams or anything like that that are actually going to help you through it

Hey, where did you pick up that cream, and what was the damage on the price tag?

You can find those creams in most pharmacies around here. I’m not from Washington, D.C., so I wouldn't know how things work in the big city.
One tube comes $22.

I really need some help here. I am deathly afraid of getting blood drawn and I try to avoid it at all costs. I was supposed to go this morning, but I couldn't even sleep last night because I was so terrified. It made me feel nauseous, and I just kept reliving that needle sensation in my head.
I just read about emla 5 last night. I called every single pharmacy in Indianapolis trying to find it, but no luck. Most places say you have to order it and wait. I need to get my blood work done ASAP since I just finished a round of antibiotics.
I would give anything to get my hands on that emla cream right now.
How do you guys get it? Do you actually need a prescription?

I’m not really sure how much help I can be here, since you can't just find that cream at every local drugstore in my neck of the woods. I actually spent some time scrolling through CVS and Walgreens sites, checking their inventory and calling pharmacy after pharmacy. Honestly, your best bet might be to start calling places in Washington, D.C.; maybe one of those pharmacies could ship it to you via overnight mail.

So, my persistence actually paid off. One pharmacy finally managed to order it for me, and now I'm just playing the waiting game for delivery. It was supposed to be here by noon, but no luck yet. Since I put the order under my own name, it feels pretty much like I already have it in hand. I’m heading back downtown later this afternoon toward Eml.
The price is $58. Honestly, it felt a bit steep, but since this is the only way I can get my bloodwork done and I couldn't find it anywhere else, I'll bite.

I suspect that nausea, lightheadedness, and those other symptoms aren't actually caused by the pain itself. As someone living with diabetes who manages four insulin injections a day, I never deal with those specific issues. Believe it or not, that tiny insulin needle sometimes stings more than the large ones used for blood draws. Still, it’s never pleasant having to head down to the clinic every three months for a venous draw. I experience those exact same sensations, but I am convinced the "problem" stems from anxiety rather than physical pain. It is that fear of losing control. When I'm administering my own shots, everything is fine, but when I'm sitting in a lab in Chicago and someone else is drawing my blood? That's where the real trouble starts. I don't think any topical cream is going to fix that.

So, whether it actually works or not is debatable, but personally, it did the trick for me.
Even if you don't feel that actual sting or pain, it helped a ton with the mental game. Knowing for a fact I wouldn't feel the needle made everything easier. 👍
Why was I so sure? Well, a few days before the procedure, I ran some tests. I applied the cream, waited an hour, then poked at myself with a sterile needle, pinched the skin, even used a toothpick... Nothing. Zero. That gave me all the confidence I needed.
Once my head was in the right place, my self-assurance just shot up.
Not to mention, they use this kind of stuff for tattooing all the time out here...
I haven't actually gotten inked yet, but hey, maybe one day... 😁
Hang in there, Adam Hill2, let us know how it goes!

How much am I supposed to use, and how far in advance?
I’m heading out early, around 6 AM, so I need to know when to apply it. I saw on the Emle website that it can sit for up to five hours, so maybe I'll just put it on an hour before I leave? That way it stays on until I get to the front of the line.
Does it soak in, or are they going to make me wipe it off? Pretty sure people are gonna give me some weird looks if I show up like this.

I mean, I’m pretty sure it says so right there in the instructions.
I usually just go with about half a small tube—though that depends on what size you're working with—and I make sure to seal that foil tight so no air gets in. That part is actually kind of crucial.
It basically just numbs out the nerve endings on the surface of your skin, but the cream itself doesn't actually soak in. You just peel off the foil, wipe away any leftover mess, and call it a day. Maybe there'll be a tiny bit of residue visible, but if anyone gives you a weird look, just tell them it's from your morning Fix. 😁 😁 😁
And don't go handing them the wrong hand, otherwise you're just flushing $58 down the drain. 🙂
Seriously, don't sweat it, you won't feel a thing. If you're paranoid, just test it out tonight on some other patch of skin first. You'll see how it deadens the sensation and makes that spot totally numb to touch...