Hi Chris, When I asked about the size needle, I was referring to the one you used for injecting him. We have noticed a big difference since switching to Emla AND using the very smallest needle they have. I have tried the Emla on a patch on my arm. I have a disk in my spine that slips back and forth and sometimes it puts pressure on some nerves. It creates a pain near my elbow that resembles a very bad burn. When I put the numbing cream on, it disappeared. That was the first thing that had worked for me. I must say though, it did seem to penetrate deep into my skin and numb the nerve endings. I think you might be right. I called the doctor's office and they said that some people may have weak veins and the cream may work for some and not for others. They said they would let me know if we need to stop, but it looks good for my son because any problems would most likely have presented themselves by now. They also said that any children that have to do a lot of blood draws can have problems with their veins from time to time and that it wouldn't necessarily be from the cream. I think everyone should stay within their comfort levels and act on their gut instinct. No one knows our own children better than we do. I hope you find something that works for you in the near future. You are such a caring Mom. That must have been awful to watch them sticking him in the head. They had to do one for my son when he was born and I think that that was one of the hardest things to watch. The other one was when he was 3 years old and he was in crisis. He was so dehydrated that his veins were "flat" and they had to drill into his bones to rehydrate him. He has always been one to go into shock and crisis after just one vomit. That had to be the worst time though. As parents we are always trying to find the perfect answer to help our children. The struggle continues. Maybe we will hear some good suggestions at the Magic Convention. I look forward to meeting you there. My son is also excited to meet other children with CAH. We are going down on Wednesday (tomorrow) because my husband has business in the area so we will be swimming in the pool and wandering around. How about you? Lynn