Do any of you guys get any kind of numbing medication with fills? Mine really hurt to the point I was in tears. I heard from a few people that they have had numbing meds, is this true?

I have had 2 fills without numbing shot. Both were painless, but I suggest not looking at the needle. I just look at the ceiling and everything is a breeze.

This for me too (except I've had four fills). My doc inserts the needle while I'm lying down then has me sit to do the filling. Whatever you do (if your doc does it this way) do not look down and look at the syringe hanging off your belly.

I have had several fills and every time they numb me.. I would almost rather them not because I've had plenty of shots before and donated blood.. and nothing stings as bad as the lidocane does.. But I guess they know better than I.

if it's done in radiology as part of an upper GI then I am numbed, but if it's done in my dr's office I'm not.

me and my husband get a numbing shot it kinda numbs the surface we dont fill anything

At first, because my port was sooo hard to hit, I refused to let them give me afill w/out nubming spray or lidocaine. The PA always did my fills and I would get poked so many times, and while it was ok and numb during... I would be so sore afterwards. Then one day my sadomasichist surgeon, who really is great we just bump heads on some things, refused to numb me. Quick pinch and surprise... It was ok! Now I refuse numbing spray or lido... Just try it w/out to see if you can do it... But it is not anywhere as bad as you think. And yes, there were a couple of times where I had to be poked more than once w/ no numbing but I still prefer none!

I had my first fill today- 6cc in an 11 cc band. It took less than 2 minutes, a single stick, no numbing med. and no pain. It was a wierd feeling when he pulled the needle out of the port. It "clung" for a moment; not painful, just a new sensation. I was very pleasantly surprised.

numbed with tiny needle, no sting. Filled with a needle that could be used on cattle.

Had some of my fill removed yesterday and the nurse gave the surgeon a huge needle for the numbing medication, which is really the first time that's hurt. Usually just a mild sting. I also asked him about the horse needle that he uses for the fill and he agreed that maybe, if there's a next time, he can go to a smaller needle. He's such a sweetheart but banding is a new thing for him. So I give him a lot of leeway for the learning process. He normally uses the horse needle for patients that have lots of belly fat to get through to port but I'm with 20 lbs of goal, so not much belly fat. So we'll see next time. :rolleyes2:

Trisha

i've only had fills with a numbing spray so i don't know what it would feel like without it... i think i'm going to try at my next fill just to see!

Had my first fill yesterday, done by a nurse at the clinic where my surgery was done. No numbing med. I actually had to ask "is that IT?" when she pulled the needle out. The teeny needle prick felt exactly like when I have blood drawn in my arm. Today I can't even see where the needle went in. She added 1.5cc for a total of 5 cc in a 14cc band. I was ravenously hungry last night but today I am feeling good restriction, and hoping that lasts for a while.

Bottom line, when you've got someone who knows what they're doing with that saline needle, you should not need any numbing.

No numbing here, but no pain either. It just feels like a little pinch, like giving blood. I have no idea how big the needle is, though. I NEVER look! I think that is why needles don't bother me. I just look away and it really doesn't hurt.

My first fill was recently and they used the numbing stuff first. I am glad they did as I am not sure I would have been able to hold the ab crunch while they inserted the big needle without flinching or worse. She did get the port on the first try but I was surprised by how much bruising I had from it!

First fill 3/31. Nurse gave me a shot to numb it -- it hurt like a bugger! Didn't even know she's injected the saline so I guess I was pretty numb. I'd almost rather not get the numbing shot if the fill only stings a little.

i had my first fill yesterday, under fluoroscopy. i was told id feel a pinch and then some pressure. the pinch was nothing, no pain at all. the pressure was slight but no more so than someone poking your belly with a few fingers. nothing to it! :bored:

dont look at the needle beforehand tho. in fact, dont watch at all, its far easier.

i had asked my surgeon about numbing medication and he said he doesnt use it because it requires more than one needle stick and typically its more painful than just doing a fill without it! im glad i didnt get anything to numb because the fill was a piece of cake! got my 2 ccs, surgeon undid the syringe from the needle, and had me sit up and drink a cup of Water. once he was sure i could get the water down, he put gauze over the injection site before pulling the needle out. the needle was a bit "stuck" to the port and it took some pulling to remove it, but that didnt hurt either. :wub:

if youre squeamish about needles, dont watch your surgeon pull the needle. that thing is HUGE. and LONG. and pretty scary looking LOL! but really, its was the most painless needle stick i have ever gotten!

I've had 2 fills so far. The first one was done by my surgeon and he didn't use any numbing medicine. He had to dig around for the port a little too. It hurt, but not too bad. The next time th GI doctor did it and he did use numbing medicine. It was the perfect fill. No pain, quick, and I had good restriction.