I recently had to work down South at the time I needed my next zoladex injection, so I was pleased to be able to take my injection with me and see my friend’s GP.
What was a bit of a surprise was his absolute insistance that I have a pin-prick local anaesthetic first, immediatly followed by the zoladex injection. My friends GP felt it was unthinkable to give zoladex without first giving a little local. I have never been offered any form of anaesthetic (or even told to take a paracetamol) by my nurse here at home.
What was significant about having the local anaesthetic was that:
I did not feel any form of injection with the zoladex
there was no bleeding
there was no bruising or pain later.
Often, irrelevant of which nurse does the deed, I have some bleeding at the wound site, and a 2-3 inch dark bruise that lasts for about 2 weeks, which can be quite painful. This I have been told is ‘par for the course’. I do not bruise easily, but I’ve only got a bit of mild-age spread into which to inject.
So, my query is this: How many of us are offered a little local anaesthetic prior to the zoladex injection?And dose it matter if we are not?
I don’t have an anaesthetic injection but am prescribed Emla cream which I apply as a thick blob about an hour and a half beforehand. It’s an anaesthetic cream and works a treat ! The tubes I have are little ones but I was given 6 and reckon each one will do about 5-6 Zoladex. I sometimes get a bit of bruising but only if I haven’t held the plaster on hard enough immediately afterwards and I do bruise easily anyway. No pain at all. A friend advised me to get it and the GP I saw offered it to me anyway before my first Zoladex.
Go get it and good luck - you do not have to put up with the pain etc !!
On my first go round with BC I had Zoladex for 5 years - it was quite new then - and always had a local. In all that time I had 1 which bled and 1 which bruised to the size of a 50p. Occasionally I would get a tiny bruise but mostly no pain and no problems with the injection.
If I were to do it again, I would insist on a local; can’t see the point in any more discomfort than neccesary.
My Practise Nurse at the GPs does mine and sprays an anesthetic onto my stomach first which quickly numbs the area, I cant imagine not having something to numb the are first and I didnt think I was a wuss. The Nurse said to me that she thought it wouldnt pass trade descriptions saying it was an injection.
I had anaesthetic spray for the first one but not had it since (just had my 6th injection). Although my Practice Nurse hasn’t said anythng, I can tell by the look on her face that she either doesn’t like doing them and/or knows it hurts - she winces when she puts the needle in and winces again when she injects the implant!!! I’ve had one done that REALLY hurt at the time and hurt for ages afterwards and gave me a huge bruise.
Claire
PS I now remember to wear something loose around my middle when going for the injection - wearing jeans with a belt which dig in is not a good idea!!
I started zoladex Feb 2008 and have had a local every time, It does blled for a while afterwards but I am always sent home with a dressing. Its seems to be every time I have a jab it bruises a less and less every time. I wasnt offered it my GP just said its needed as it would hurt too much without it.
I would definately ask for the local next time although its always my GP who does it never the nurses.
S x
My Gp always uses the spray local anaesthetic which makes it more bearable. In saying that its such a hassle trying to get an appointment with my GP for my zoladex every month and yes (sometimes I have forgotten and have had my husband ask me if I have had my injection this month)! At my Practice it is only the Gp who does it and not the practice nurse - so trying to get an appointment can be such a headache.
My GP always gives me a local jab - it makes the whole thing painless. This attitude put out by some GP’s and Nurses that pain is unavoidable and we should put up with it is appalling. Local is cheap and only adds seconds on to the proceedure - you demand it.
I’ve tried it with and without emla cream and I wouldn’t say either is painless but with emla it’s less painful. I’ve never looked at the needle…I look away, I think that helps psychologically
I have mine without any pain relief. At my practice only the partners will do it - I have had a real mix of experiences from really to painful, massive bruising, to no mark at all and hardly feeling it. All of my doctors have said they have to do it quick and hold the flesh taught. I cannot bring myself to look at the needle!
I will ask about Emla cream next time!
With regard to getting appointments - the first time I made a fuss about not being able to book 28 days in advance - now as soon as I have one injection i book the next on the way out. Saves both me and the receptionist grief even though it’s “against our policy”.
I havent been offered a local anaeasthetic or a cream with my zoladex jabs, but to be honest, they are really not that bad, I have to inject myself with two syringes of clexane a time every day and I have found some of those injections far worse than the zoladex, and regularly get large painful seromas at the injection sitesbacause youre injecting fluid, whereas, because zoladex is an inplant, it goes in and out so quickly, no problems, now the side effects, ha! thats another story…
