Hello,

I recently took my 13 year old daughter to a neurologist as she started displaying an eye closing/head nodding behavior, which I thought might be seizures. The doctor ordered a brain EEG and an MRI with sedation. The EEG was very traumatic for her. She was very anxious and upset with all the wires on her head. The test result was inconclusive as she did not relax at all, much less go to sleep like they wanted her to.

The next thing is the MRI with sedation. My daughter has a BIG fear of sharp things (needles) and anything metal. I am afraid that when they give her the IV, she will freak out, put up a fight, and possibly get hurt if they are not able to get the needle in quickly.

She had to have a CAT scan a few years ago and they gave her oral sedation prior to the test but it made her hyper instead. She was very anxious and upset during the entire scan. We were able to get it done but an MRI takes much longer and she has to be still for several minutes at a time.

Has anyone gone through this? Any suggestions?:confused:

I had to be held down for an MMR shot when I was 11--I panicked and freaked out!! Meds often do strange things to the autistic mind; for example, when I was supposed to be out to get my wisdom teeth removed, I wasn't--though of course, they used novocaine, and it didn't actually hurt. So your daughter's not the only one dealing with this.

There wasn't a solution for me at age 11. I still freaked out, despite promises of rewards, advice to take deep breaths, etc. But as I grew older, I began to gain greater control over myself; and while I still get light-headed when I get an injection or an IV, I don't have to be held down anymore. I don't think the times I panicked as a child had any bad effects in the long run--they aren't good memories, and they weren't any fun; but I got over it.

I wish I could give you some magic strategy to help your daughter tolerate an IV; but I didn't have one for myself other than simply wanting to control myself, and eventually learning how. It took a while, though--years, in fact.

I hope she gets through this OK. One thing--If she freaks out, and she's anything like me at that age, she'll be ashamed of herself and angry at you at the same time, which is a very bad feeling. Be gentle with her--she can't help her fear and sensory overload.