Periodic reminder that if you are particularly sensitive to needle pain, you don't *need* to live with that! You can simply use lidocaine/prilocaine (brand name 'emla', generics exist), which is a local anesthetic with nearly no side effects.

For some reason doctors are very hesitant to mention it but very easily prescribe it, it's nearly risk-free and can make needles literally painless, even for someone highly sensitive to pain like me.

It was just used here for an IV and I literally did not feel it at all. Especially if pain sensitivity is keeping you from seeking treatment or tests for something, you need to ask the doctor for this!

Signed, someone who skipped out on medical checks for a decade because nobody bothered to tell them that this existed...