Going to start bicillin 1.2 1x a week for now. Thoughts? Advice?? Doc says we will work up to 2x a week.
Posted by Judie (Member # 38323) on :
I cool the area first with a cold pack.
I warm the bicillin up by rubbing the tube in my hands.
I gently tap it on the table (upright) to get the air bubble go to the area where the needle gets inserted.
The air bubble can be painful if injected. We push the air out before doing the injecting.
A heating pad on the area after the injection helps with pain. If you don't have a heating pad. A warm bath helps.
I started with 2 doses a week and remain at that dose.
From what I understand, keeping a sustained level of the drug in the body is important. Dr. B mentions it in his guidelines.
Posted by Splashi1 (Member # 28173) on :
If you are administering it at home, my doctor said it's okay to take it out of the fridge the night before. That can make it easier to inject.
My doctor gave me a prescription for a numbing cream and I think that helps. You just have to apply it about an 30 minutes prior to getting the injection.
He also said that walking (on a treadmill) or cycling on a stationary bike can be helpful after the injection.
My husband injects mine, and the nurse showed him how to do it. She put an X on the area with an indelible marker so that when he did it for the first time at home, he just looked for the same spot on other side, and that was helpful.
If someone else is going to inject it, ( who hasn't done it before) you could get them to video tape the doctor or nurse injecting it, so they have something to go by.
Just make sure they show you how to check for blood once the needle has gone in. You have to pull back on the syringe a little and if you see blood, you mustn't continue to inject.
Best of luck! I was worried initially, but got used to it!
Posted by LindenMom (Member # 44214) on :
Thanks! I am working so a bot scared of the herx. can't NOT work. But I've tried various orals for over 2 years and they haven't worked. Have got me to functioning but I still have pretty tough neuro sx that dramatically impact my quality of life. I will also pulse tindamax 3 days a week. and am doing rounds of coartem. WISH ME LUCK.
Posted by Lymedin2010 (Member # 34322) on :
Good luck. You can take it out within 10-15 min of using it & place the syringe in your pocket. It becomes the same temp as your body really quick, sometimes in 5 min. Switch cheecks & areas as often as needed & inject slowly. The slower, the less likely you are to feel the pressures & pains.
Personally, I did not herx & I only felt better when taking the shots. IV Rocephin, Doxy, & Bicillin were the only 3 that really every worked for with profound relief. Be prepared for the possibility of sliding back, since the LLMD's report just that with many individuals.
Posted by still winning (Member # 44439) on :
Just want to re-iterate what Splashi1 said: It is crucial that you do not inject any of it into a vein. So as Splashi1 said: After you put the needle in, the first thing you do is pull the needle back. If you seed red or pink, pull it out and do not inject. It cannot go into a vein.
Hopefully your doc will work up to 2 shots as soon as possible. For me, even a 2.4 million unit shot once a week was not enough.
But Bicillin-LA is great stuff. Eventually I stopped using it because rather abruptly it seemed to stop working and actually made me feel worse. But as long as it works it’s great stuff and allowed me to work full time.