I was just prescribed bicillin injections and she also gave me a prescription for lidocaine to numb the area first.
For those that are already doing bicillin injections, I was just wondering how necessary the lidocaine is. Does it REALLY hurt without the lidocaine? I'm trying to save money so don't want to get the lidocaine unless I absolutely need it. Thanks!
Posted by mandy614 (Member # 16524) on :
I use it and it helps. There has only been one time I did not use it (for time purposes it takes 45 minutes to numb up) and it hurt more, but wasn't unbearable. The injection still hurts as the medicine is going in even with the numbing, but the lidocaine makes the insertion of the needle a little more bearable.
I myself am running out of cream, and don't really care one way or the other.
mandy
Posted by laura j (Member # 14257) on :
Thanks for replying Mandy! I think what I will do is try it once without the lidocaine and if it's awful I will just get the lidocaine. Thanks a bunch!
Posted by Geet3721 (Member # 15751) on :
I am on my sixteenth week of getting the bicillin shots and I have never used the lidocaine. It doesn't feel good but it really doesn't hurt much at all.
I personally would save my money.
Melissa
Posted by sammy (Member # 13952) on :
Laura, you could try icing the area 20min prior to injection. It helped more than the topical lidocaine. But I used both because the injections still hurt alot.
I also found that it was less painful to inject slowly between 5-10min. If I went too fast the muscle couldn't accommodate and it would be sore longer.
After injection apply head and gently massage the area. It helps to relax the muscle so that you won't be so stiff and sore the next day.
Posted by sammy (Member # 13952) on :
And if you're concerned about the cost, I only used half of a tube of the topical cream in about 5 months. It was also generic so cheaper still.
Posted by jenin98 (Member # 12617) on :
I use ice, but how long is it supposed to take when you inject? my husband does it in less than 1 minute. Jenin
Posted by keltyl (Member # 14050) on :
I was given a script for Emla cream (which contains lidocaine). I would highly recommend it since they can be painful.
Posted by laura j (Member # 14257) on :
Well, since I'll probably only use one tube the whole time I'm on it I think I will buy it.
And yes, how long is it supposed to take to inject the bicillin?
Posted by mandy614 (Member # 16524) on :
Some people like to inject slow but I like to get it over with. I'd say total time is around 30 seconds.
I would get the numbing cream it does help. I put a pea size drop on the area, then saran wrap it for 45 minutes. Also, sit on a heating pad after injection.
Posted by Vermont_Lymie (Member # 9780) on :
I used the lidocaine cream to numb the area sometimes; other times used ice. It certainly was bearable without the numbing cream, but that often made the injections almost totally painfree.
Depends on your pain threshold! Some people have no problems with the shots, others like me are sensitive. Ice works very well too.