The Anxiety of Injections
I am someone that has pain even when numbing agents are used prior to an Avastin injection. I have severe pain if no numbing agent is used. I have seen several top specialists, they all lie about the pain of these injections, they all were in a hurry to get it done so they could move on to the next one. I hate the injections, I start losing sleep days before my next appointment. It is torture.
Has anyone here experienced anything better? With all the money being generated by injectables why is it no one is focused on making this horror show better for patients? The last time I had an injection a stranger in the waiting room stopped me and asked about my experience while telling me she had to take Xanax to be there at all. I know I am not alone in hating the injections. I do not understand why no one has made this better for patients.
I do not like the shots at all. I get anxious and lose sleep the day before. I have experienced pain, however usually just an unpleasant pressure, I am generally uncomfortable for about 24 hours after the shot, only twice was my painful afterwards.
My doctor is quite compassionate and does his best to make me comfortable, we talk, and he is very gentle during the procedure. When he was out of the office for several months I saw two other specialists, both very caring and both did there best to make me and the whole process more comfortable. It is just not an ideal situation.
I have been told by the doctors some folks sail through with no pain and no anxiety, while others do not. I know when we are anxious we feel more uncomfortable and more pain.
I do a lot of deep breathing the day before and day of procedure to calm myself
I say all this really to say I think they are doing the best they can to make it work for the patient. I have not had anyone lie to me. Some patients feel it more than others, some of us have more anxiety than others . I am not sure what could be done to make it better, maybe talking to the doctor or moving to another clinic if you can, Let them know how you are feeling and how this is affecting you.Unfortunately for some of us, we cannot "adopt what suits us". We are stuck with whatever process the practice insists on. It is nothing like what some on here describe. (I am happy for those that have an empathetic RS.) I truly wish I was able to find a practice within an hour of me that would be able to provide true care (as opposed to a rush while they provide treatment, not care). For some of us, it is more of a struggle than it should be IMHO. 
I hear what you're saying, and I agree with you. Not all practices are the same. It seems they run the full gamut from being very caring and taking the time to listen and adapt their procedures, to being more of a production line where "nothing changes". At least by hearing others' comments we have an idea of what things might be available if we could just find a doctor who was flexible. Many people here who eventually get what they ask for in terms of more numbing, extra rinsing, etc have had to speak up "very loudly". That isn't ideal, either, as it isn't easy to be so assertive, especially with doctors, and it makes the whole procedure more unpleasant. Some clinics won't change their procedure no matter how assertive their patients are. If we change clinics, there is always the chance that we go "out of the frying pan, into the fire". That was my worry when I changed doctors recently. I agree that it shouldn't be such a struggle. Best wishes, Wendy, Patient Leader.
I used to have terrible pain with injections-by changing retinal specialists and finding one with the magic touch there is no more pain. Please let me know if I can help
What does this one do different? I have terrible pain after my injections for about two hours then it will ease up. I dread having to get them. I just changed doctors, but it's no different.
I can relate! It is very frustrating because they want this to be a one size fits all proposition, no one wants to listen or give any credence when you try to tell them you are experiencing a lot of discomforts. They just tell you"most people don't feel anything". As a result, it is impossible for me to trust my physician because he is gaslighting me and treating me like a 5-year-old. I am a cancer survivor, I have been through some very tough stuff and I have a Ph.D. You can take it to the bank if I tell you I have pain. The lack of information and the inability of RS physicians to relate to patients have been making this a nightmare. (Yes, I know some people on here are thrilled with their doctor and have no problems. Happy for you. I wish I could find an RS specialist that actually cares. So far, I have been to 3 top specialists here and currently at Mayo. It has not been any better at Mayo, if anything, worse) 
thank you for sharing your story. The search for a doctor can be frustrating. I switched retinal specialist from an MD to a DO. I am very pleased with his caring approach. They are trained with a holistic view which I like. Your experience at Mayo is disappointing when they have such a great reputation. I hope you can find exactly the right doctor for your care. Warm wishes, Sharon Moore Patient Leader
I fell the same way and I have been getting injections since 2009! IF your problem is that you feel the pressure of the syringe going into your eye, please ask for more numbing agents.If you don't the technician will give you a hard time. You need to ask your Retinal Specialist to write that down on your chart that gets handed off to the technician who sets you up before the injection. This has helped me. I also ask for an eye patch to be put over my eye because I can't take the burning and brightness after, even with sunglasses, until I get home.
asking to have something written on your chart is a great way to ensure that it is done each time, as long as they agree in the first place. It is one thing to advocate for yourself at an appointment, but it can become difficult to have to do it each time. Thanks for the suggestion. Wendy, Patient Leader.
