Squeamish and fainting.......

**Ethereal** · 29-08-2005, 01:54 AM

Heya,

I'm about to enter my second year of medicine but just had a few concerns that I wondered if I could have some advice/opinions on!

Basically, I've always been a little squeamish but am starting to wonder how much this may affect my medical education and if people could offer advice on how best to overcome it. I've also had occassions where I've felt very faint and had to sit down before I fell down!

It's happened once in surgery and once at the start of dissection but also for small things such as seeing videos/demonstrations of blood being taken. I'm starting to feel really paranoid that it'll happen anytime I see needles now and this is starting to make it worse!

Is this a serious problem or does it affect many medics and importantly is it something I can overcome and get used to!?

I really do have the determination for it not to affect me but it happens all the same!

Thanks for any advice

**claudia** · 29-08-2005, 11:36 AM

You poor thing

Can't you see your GP for a referral to a psychologist who can do some exposure/desensitization sessions with you?

Even if it persists after loads of exposure don't consider giving up on medicine - career wise you may want to consider Psychiatry as there isn't a lot of blood and needles there. Or Public Health although that's a bit pants at the moment.

**doc-to-be** · 29-08-2005, 11:49 AM

If you start to panic and hyperventilate you're obviously on a slippery slope- especially if you're worrying when not being exposed to blood. Your clinical experience is only gonna get more intensive as you go through med school. Knock this on the head now. Also make sure your blood pressure and blood sugar levels don't have a tendency to plummet. I'm an epileptic who also has a tendency to fainting. My neurologist tells me to have plenty of salt on my food to keep my BP up. I keeled over in theatres once on work experience only because it was lunchtime and I didnt have time 4 brekkie! You'll know this anyway but it's worth getting it checked if you're feeling faint. Hypoglycaemia can make you feel anxious, panicky, shaky and sick. Good luck

ms · 29-08-2005, 12:26 PM

Why not try and get exposure to the things that put you off. If you struggle with needles, why not try and sweet talk the phlebotomy clinic into letting you spend some time with them (you will get the hang of it after spending a few days watching (doing) it a few hundred of times.) If you are struggling to deal with the gore aspect, why not go and see your anatomy demonstrator and ask if you can either help with the prosections or observe some post mortems.

Talk to your tutor about your fears and see what they suggest, the more you worry about this the worse it will get but its only in your head.

people can get used to anything if they want to

**itchyandscratchy** · 29-08-2005, 12:29 PM

Hey,

Good advice above, I understand how you feel as I once felt very similar and could not stand the sight of blood, I once observed a toe nail removal and I was frantically looking for the nearest seat asap! However, now I am completely fine with seeing any blood and things like that.

I am not a med student (yet!) and I can appreciate that your exposure to these things are much more frequent, but it is a battle with your own mind and you can beat it.

You just have to keep going and not give it too much thought, don't think too deeply about what your looking at and focus more on the task at hand. I think the more you give it attention the more you will think it is an issue, and I think that maybe a lot of your colleagues experience the same things but do not really talk about it.

People tend to assume that all medics should not be squeamish from birth and it should be an innate characteristic, which is silly, we are all human!

Have you tried talking to a colleague about it, maybe hearing other people's concerns will put your own mind at ease. Talk to your tutor, I am SURE you are not the only one to feel this!

**rjm** · 29-08-2005, 12:55 PM

Unfortunately blood and needles is not something you can get away from as all PRHOs spend a lot of time venesecting and cannulating so you need to get used to it somehow. You need to be able to do something that you previously dont like successfully, be that taking blood, standing in theatre, whatever and that will then give you the confidence. Once you've done it a few times you wont even consider it to be anything but a normal thing to do. Kind of different but I used to shake when I tried to take blood from someone because I was scared of hurting them! Then once you've done a few and the odd nice patient has said to you oh you did that really well didnt hurt a but, it builds your confidence and you can just go and stab anyone! You need to do that reassurance thing for yourself.

As someone else suggested, make sure you eat a good brekkie before you go to anything that has potential. If your in theatre and you start to feel ill, walk out, the staff would rather you did that than keel over on the patient! Go to theatre a few times and observe before you decide to scrub up, when you do, scrub up for a short operation (lumps and bumps are good ones). Chose a nice understanding surgeon to go with. Some surgeons are really conscious of people that dont usually scrub up, others are not.

If you have a clinical skills centre then make use of plastic arms to practice blood taking etc, then you can get used to having needles in your hands before you are faced with a patient. Concentrate on the steps of the process and nothing else. Once you feel confident in that, chat to the patient/your friend if its a plastic arm about anything that takes yours and the patients mind of what you are doing (sometimes easier said than done tho!)

And if it comes to it, do try and get professional help.

Best of luck

**pilly84** · 29-08-2005, 01:20 PM

Originally Posted by doc-to-be

I keeled over in theatres once on work experience only because it was lunchtime and I didnt have time 4 brekkie! You'll know this anyway but it's worth getting it checked if you're feeling faint. Hypoglycaemia can make you feel anxious, panicky, shaky and sick. Good luck

I have the same problem - many people do. Make sure you keep your blood sugar levels up (even if that means keeping some sweets in your pocket). I think that the problem is that once it has happened, you worry about it happening again and the worry takes over. Try not to let this happen (I know, easier said than done). Have a chat to your GP about it.

If its any consolation, I know a consultant surgeon who fainted the first time he went into theatre. If he can get over it, I'm sure you can.

Good luck.

**kittykat025** · 29-08-2005, 01:56 PM

I'm about to start med school next month and this is something that worries me a little bit, but I'm sure it is something that can be overcome.
Perhaps some of the posts on this thread will help you http://www.medschoolguide.co.uk/foru...8&page=1&pp=10

**Ethereal** · 29-08-2005, 10:01 PM

Heya,

Firstly thanks so much to you all for the advice and support! It feels great to know that I'm not alone but also that people such as yourselves are so understanding and able to empathise. Thanks!

I will try all of the things mentioned and not let it get me down or ruin my (hopefully amazing!) medical career.

I'll keep you posted on how things go but at least I now feel I can and *will* overcome it.

Thanks again

**pilly84** · 30-08-2005, 04:03 PM

Originally Posted by Ethereal

Heya,

Firstly thanks so much to you all for the advice and support! It feels great to know that I'm not alone but also that people such as yourselves are so understanding and able to empathise. Thanks!

I will try all of the things mentioned and not let it get me down or ruin my (hopefully amazing!) medical career.

I'll keep you posted on how things go but at least I now feel I can and *will* overcome it.

Thanks again

That's what I like to read Ethereal. Go for it!