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?

Had my first fill today. He didn't use any numbing medication. The needle was so tiny I barely felt it.

Had my first fill today. He didn't use any numbing medication. The needle was so tiny I barely felt it.

ALL you guys that talk about little needles. . . .makes me wonder why my Dr.'s use HUGE needles for fills. I'll take the teeney tiney needle for the local over the ginormous fill needle anyday : /

I wonder if the size of the needle has to do with which band you have,

I have an 11 cc Realize band, and had a tiny fill needle.

I wonder if the size of the needle has to do with which band you have,

I have an 11 cc Realize band, and had a tiny fill needle.

It could be- I have a 10cc Ap Lap Band and the needle is like a small straw- lol!

I am on my second band. My first band, the PA did use a numbing agent but they didn't have a lot of experience so it was fine with me that they did. Plus the needle was a big old horse needle looking thing. I did go once with my daughter to see how her doctor did the fill. It was very different than mine, very quick, small needle, and he was done really quick. I have just had a new band put in (long story) and I go the 6th of April for my first fill with a completely different surgical staff. So I'm somewhat anxious about how it will go. But I do agree that if the person doing the fill has enough experience, it shouldn't be painful.

I would clearly ask questions on why it was so painful and if they can do then numbing injection first.

trisha

I've found it depends on the skill of the person doing the fills. At my Dr's there is a NP that does it occasionally and she hurts me every time. She makes lots of excuses about the port being surrounded by scar tissue, it being tilted, me being to skinny (what?!! I don't get that one) etc. When the Dr's at the office do it, it's pretty much painless and fast. There is a numbing cream called amla (sorry don't know how to spell it) that you can get from the pharmacy. It's not cheap though and has to be applied about an hour prior to procedure. When the NP does my fill, I invest in it. Last time she did it, it took many pokes and I almost passed out.

Emla can work, but as you mentioned, it needs to be on for at least 30-60 minutes before your appointment. And it has to be put on then covered so it stays creamy on the area. If you aren't 100% positive where your port is then using it is pretty useless as it only affects the area it's on.

You could as your Dr. for a prescription for lidocaine patches, same idea as emla but in a patch form. Easier to use, just cut to size, peel, and stick.

Or ask for a lidocaine, xylocaine, or saline injection (saline's preservative will numb the area oddly enough).

They usually use a 23 ga need for the lidocaine injection (not too painful) then a 20 ga or 18 ga for the actual fluid injection (lots of pressure).

I just had my second fill on the 23rd and I have 2" diameter bruise around the injection area - and it went really well, one poke and around 10 seconds. So I'm very glad I had lidocaine this time.