What kind of needle should I ask for?!

What kind of needle should I ask for?

I had a tetanus shot today and I have a horrible fear of needles. I had a fit before I got it (which I always do, even though Im 23 years old). But she gave it to me in like a second or two and I barely felt it!! I was like "are you kidding me?" just in shock at how little it hurt. I have heard of butterfly needles for blood tests. What could this small needle have been? Next time I have a shot or blood, can I just request to have that type of needle bc of my fear?

Most tetanus shot needles are 25 Gauge, 0.5 inch needles. The size of the needle is usually determined by the size of the muscle it goes in, the medicine. Let me explain. The tetanus shot you received was a very small amount, about 0.5 milliliter or ml. it's thin and flows easily and goes into a relatively small muscle, the deltoid or shoulder muscle. However, if you were getting a shot of penicillin, an antibiotic, it requires a large muscle such as the muscle just behind the upper part of your pelvis, called the ileac Crest. This medicine requires deep muscle. The needle would probably be 1.5 inches and be a 21 or 22 gauge needle. (the larger the gauge number, the smaller it is in diameter, go figure) When you are getting a blood test, they usually use a 21 gauge, 1 inch needle. Also, the nurse giving the shot can make it less painful by giving it properly, like this one did for you today. The needle goes in swiftly and out swiftly.