painful button holes...

[Rader]

I have had my button holes since the last week of Dec 2012. ( almost 5 months)
I would have thought my button holes would have matured enough by now to where there wouldn't be so much pain.
I use Lidocaine 2.5 % & prilocaine cream 2.5 % . But learning from two tooth extractions, my body rejects novocaine (yes I felt the whole thing both times my teeth were pulled  )
So I'm sure my body is rejecting this cream too seeing its in the same family as novocaine.
Any suggestions, experiences or ideas? 

God Bless   

[Angiepkd]

Sorry you have pain with your button holes!  From my own experience, the button holes are almost painless unless I get "off track" with my needle insertion.  My fistula tends to roll, and if I get off to the side, it really hurts.  I also have had trouble with skimming over the top of the vein.  This is painful!  I have never tried the numbing cream. It seems some people love it while others say it keeps them from feeling the path of the blunt, making insertion more difficult.  Maybe try without the numbing cream and see if it is really helping?  I also remember reading some posts about button holes being near nerves and causing pain.  The solution was to make new button holes in a different location and the pain went away.  I think the original post was from AmandaWilson.  Hope this helps!  Hang in there!

[dieterschien]

Good morning, I've been using the same buttonhole almost 5 years now and have also been using the same cream (with wrapping),
successfully.  How I feel is the cream mostly comforts the scab removal (softens)......

[amanda100wilson]

I had painful buttonholes where I got to the point over a few days where I had to stop dialysis as the pain was bad (not severe, but when it is constant, difficult to bear and I couldn't think beyond the pain.  My nurse established new buttonholes which are virtually painless and also so much easier to,cannulate.  Maybe worth considering establishing new ones.

[lmunchkin]

I hope you get it resolved soon.  Once they get established, Ive heard there is nothing like it.  Good luck!

God Bless,
lmunchkin