How do I deal with vaccines and blood sampling?

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It freaks me out, I can't do it, I just can't. Whenever it has to be done they need 3 nurses to restrain me before we start or else I know I will freak out.

Anyone else got this? Is this normal Asperger behaviour?

It's not necessarily Asperger behaviour as such, but I expect your AS doesn't help. A lot of people are scared of needles. My Dad passes out whenever he sees one (yet has to have a seasonal flu jab!) and my Step-dad used to be terrified of them and he's diabetic! My step-dad had to go for hypnotherapy to cure his fear of needles, because if he didn't inject his insulin he could have died.

My advice is (if you can't afford hypnotherapy), try not to get really worked up before the injection. Easily said, I know. The problem is, if you tense up the muscles in your arm, the injection will hurt a lot more and last longer. I expect you have had some bad experiences with this as a result. Have you seen a doctor about this? Maybe they can give you a mild sedative before you have an injection.

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I have HFA, ADHD, OCD & Tourette syndrome. I love animals, especially my bunnies and hamster. I skate in a roller derby team (but I'll try not to bite )

I had to have a lot of blood tests as a little kid, so I'm terrified of any kind of situation that puts a needle under my skin.

One suggestion I got from my doctor a when I got the Guardasil series is to not look at the thing, and do your best not to even think of it. I'm to the point where I can stand getting a shot, but anything more is too much.

Another possibility, at least on the vaccine side of things, a lot of the newer vaccines (like your annual flu vaccine) are coming out as nasal sprays that the doctor can give you in the office.

This hasn't got anything to do with AS; it's a pretty run-of-the-mill (and common) phobia.

The only way to defeat a phobia is to deliberately expose yourself to what you fear. You do have to do it slowly, so you start off with things you don't fear as much.

1. Inform the nurse, etc. of your aspergers and trypanophobia (fear of needles & injections) before they begin the procedures.
2. Ask if they can walk you through/tell you what they will be doing ahead of time
3. relax when they put on the tourniquet when necessary
4. Try to relax the entire time
5. Do not look at the needle (especially or at least when they stick you)

Last time I dealt with this was to do with a blood test and IV in the hospital. Turned out to be a kidney stone and I got some awesome morphine while there and special painkillers to take home . (IF THEY OFFER YOU MEDS ALWAYS TAKE THEM!! !)

It may be possible to get a tranquilizer ahead of time, at least while you are still getting over the phobia. Doctors do that sometimes for people who are afraid of flying. But I wouldn't recommend it long-term because eventually you'll have to have blood taken for a test where the tranquilizer would interfere, and then you'd be back to square one. Just use it to make the first few times less traumatic.

I'd also suggest getting yearly flu shots and giving blood regularly. The more you expose yourself to needles, the less it will scare you.

But do prepare for the possibility that you may get dizzy, once you have gotten past the all-out panic that currently forces people to hold you down. This is common for people with needle phobias and it can be embarrassing. Just make sure you are sitting back comfortably or lying down, so that if you get dizzy you can just lie back and wait until it passes. This is a well-known reaction that the nurses/doctors will be quite used to; just warn them of it and ask to lie down while they take the blood or give the injection. It is much safer that way.

If the pain of the needle is one of the things that frightens you, there is a numbing cream called Emla that you can ask to be prescribed. It needs to be applied ahead of time according to the instructions. The needle will be completely painless if you use it.

Besides Emla crieam there is also "hurricane spray" which is lidocaine spray or even lidocaine gel. I have seen nurses use the gel and spray on infants and toddlers during IV insertions.

Besides what people mention above (preparing, not looking) you can try "mindfulness" tactics. Try to be in the moment, focus on your breathing, the rate, how it feels, the movement of the air. Then focus on your body parts, one by one. This sometimes helps in distracting you and reducing your anxiety.