posted
My Dr. has had me on a weekly Bicillin dose of 1.2M units. It seems to be helping but, the shots are just so painful. Even with the nurse switching hips every week, the soreness still seems to last 3 days after the shot. Now my Dr. says he wants to increase the dose to 2.4M units each week. Not sure I can handle that. Does anyone have experience with this weekly larger dose?
Posts: 4 | From Florida | Registered: Aug 2006
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Jill E.
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 9121
posted
I have the 1.2 million units so I can't speak about the higher dose.
If you do a search for the topic Minimizing Bicillin Discomfort, you will see a thread that I had started some months ago. I had asked everyone I knew who was using bicillin to give tips on how to make it less painful. I made a list of the tips, then several people added their recommendations.
I personally find that using a prescription Lidoderm (lidocaine) patch a couple of hours before the shot, then icing the area for about ten minutes before the shot, helps a lot. Plus it must be injected SLOWLY. The slower, the less painful. Injecting slowly helps it absorb.
It's amazing how different the pain level has been depending on which nurse or doctor injected me and their technique.
Also, walk afterwards. You need to get the Bicillin absorbed into your muscle.
I don't know if that's enough to help you because I think it also depends on how each of us is built (one thin Lyme friend has a lot of discomfort from it). Some patients have the bicillin mixed with Lidocaine to reduce the pain during the shot and for a short time after.
Good luck, Jill
-------------------- If laughter is the best medicine, why hasn't stand-up comedy cured me? Posts: 1773 | From San Diego | Registered: Apr 2006
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minoucat
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 5175
posted
Jenny, we found that the pain from the bicillin shots was due to
- the bicillin not being warmed to body temp before the shot was given
- the shot being injected too quickly (when I shoot my hubby, I use the writing on the syringe as a marker. I inject down two lowercase letters, count to 5, and do it again).
- the area not being properly iced (30 min with an ice pack)
- not walking around afterwards.
We've gotten to the point that the shots cause very little pain. The hubby is doing 2 1.2 IU shots every 3.5 days.
-------------------- ********************* RECIDITE, PLEBES! Gero rem imperialem! (Stand aside plebians! I am on imperial business.)
posted
Just be aware that the 2.4 mu injections (if you do it all in one shot) are much bigger, and the needle is truly huge (both long and thick)! The above techniques will help a lot, but I do find the bigger shots to be much more uncomfortable. I'd much rather do two of the smaller ones if I had the choice....
-------------------- "Looks like freedom but it feels like death.. It's something in between, I guess"
Leonard Cohen, from the song "Closing Time" Posts: 822 | From California | Registered: Jan 2006
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posted
I do two of the 1.2 mu shots two times a week.
I ice before for 15 minutes, put arnica on after the injection, have bicillin at room temp, put heat packs on after and walk around flexing the muscle.
I developed sterile abcesses in my gluts and my LLMD rec'd ultrasounds to help it heal. it's helping a lot.
Now I self-inject in my quads and have the ultrasound done prophylactically.
Bicillin has been a tremendous help for me!
D
Posts: 261 | From San Mateo, CA | Registered: May 2005
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posted
Thank you for your responses and ideas. I had my first of the larger 2.4M shots this week. I thought I would be getting two of the 1.2M shots, one in each hip. Instead the nurse said that they wanted to try the large 2.4M dose in one shot. They said some patients can handle the larger shot, and it makes it less uncomfortable over time since they can rotate hips every two weeks, instead of one. Sounded like a long explanation to me, that would end up hurting a lot. Boy was I right. When the nurse brought in the shot, it looked huge compared to the others I had been receiving. It really hurt going in, and my bottom is still really sore. Not sure I can handle this long term, but I hate to give up Bicillin since it seems to be helping. I just don't look forward to the next big shot.
Posts: 4 | From Florida | Registered: Aug 2006
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timaca
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 6911
posted
Jenny~ I do 2 shots of 1.2mu weekly. One key to being less sore is to inject the medicine very slowly. See if that makes a difference. I've never done the 2.4 mu dose...but I did have a nurse inject the 1.2 mu dose fast and I couldn't walk very well afterwards!
Now my husband does the injections...very slowly, and while they can still hurt, I can at least walk!
Timaca
Posts: 2872 | From above 7,000 ft in a pine forest | Registered: Feb 2005
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posted
I had my second 2.4M Bicillin shot this week. I really dreaded going in for it. When the nurse came in with it, she asked about the first one. I told her it really hurt and my bottom was sore for several days. She said said that this fairly common, since Bicillin is painful anyway, and the 2.4M dose is very large. She said that it probably hurt me more since I have fairly small hips. I weigh about 115lbs. Anyway way she said they were going to try this dose for another few weeks, and I had to lie down on the table and grit my teeth again. It really hurts when the needle goes in, and stings when the medicine is injected. I do feel better so I am reluctant to change.
Posts: 4 | From Florida | Registered: Aug 2006
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Jill E.
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 9121
posted
Jenny,
If it keeps hurting, maybe you could try having 1.2 m.u. injected into each hip. While that sounds like it might hurt more because it's two shots, it might actually be far less painful because there is less antibiotic going into each muscle and the needle would be smaller.
Just a thought. I have almost no problems with the 1.2 m.u. anymore as long as the nurse injects slowly, I ice before (and usually use a lidocaine patch, but it's the ice that helps) and walk afterward.
Take care, Jill
-------------------- If laughter is the best medicine, why hasn't stand-up comedy cured me? Posts: 1773 | From San Diego | Registered: Apr 2006
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posted
The 2.4 comes with an 18 gauge needle that you can't take off. The 1.2 uses a 21g needle, and it's the exact sme stuff. So what I do is inject half of it into an empty syringe, and then put a 21g needle on it. You can have them do the same thing. They can put it in 2 seperate syringes w/21g needles on them and give you a shot in each side. What hurts the most is the large quantity that is going into the muscle. 2nd thing that hurts is the size of the needle. They probably aren't warming the bicillin up either. I let it sit out at room temp for an hour before injecting.
-------------------- You're only a failure when you stop trying. Posts: 945 | From U.S | Registered: Oct 2004
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posted
I received bicillin shots twice a week for seven months, 2.4. I am needle-phobic but managed the shots well. The nurse would first give me a shot of novocaine and then rub the area for a minute. I often felt the novocaine more than the bicillin and at times I barely felt the bicillin. The novocaine was given with a very tiny, short needle so even though I sometimes felt a sting, it would only last for two or three seconds. It really helped.
Posts: 6 | From New York | Registered: Jan 2006
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posted
My huband gives me bicilin shots three times a week and they are virtually pain free. Some nights its a little more painful then others but for the most part no pain.
I make sure to warm the bicillin and he injects the medicine slowly over three minutes. He sticks a bandaid on it and I'm off doing whatever house chores I still have to do.
I have my lyme acquired phobias, especially about bridges and heights, disappear completely with the taking of bicillin. I am amazed at the difference. I feeling better then I have in a long long time. I love this medicine so far. I've taken a number of other ABX but not with this same result.
Posts: 547 | From Maryland | Registered: Mar 2005
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