Is it a problem to go into the sauna with a picc line? I would like to try a session. Does anyone have experience also with the sauna? I have heard some good things about it and would love to have some relief from some symptoms. Thanks
Posted by SForsgren (Member # 7686) on :
I did not do it when I had my line and probably is best avoided.
Posted by Katrina (Member # 15236) on :
boy you really want to be carefull with a pic-line. No moisture in the dressing related to possible infections.
I would avoid it.
I have heard infrared saunas are very good for detox.
Hope that helps.
Katrina
Posted by pryorka (Member # 13649) on :
I've been doing it daily for a year now and it's fine. just wrap the arm with the picc line with a light cloth and pull a sock or something like that mesh sleeve some of the infusion pharmacies give us over the cloth and the picc line. Then take a small towel and wrap around all over that.
Like I said I've been doing that for almost a year now and i've never had a problem. Just make sure whatever cloth you use is against your skin around the dressing and the line so it'll absorb the sweat. I've never had the dressing come loose or anything and no sweat ever gets into the dressing either.
The best part about doing the sauna while having a picc is after you get out and finish taking a shower... just hook up a bag of fluid and you're rehydrated in no time.
Posted by angrob75 (Member # 16942) on :
Thanks for the info! That is encouraging pryorka...great news that you have been able to do them with the picc.
I am assuming if you have been doing them everyday that you must like the results from it. Do you have your own? and if so what do you have any info on it?
Do you do a treatment right after your sauna or just run a bag of saline? What kind of IV med are you on? I am taking claforan.
I know one of my problems that i need to focus on is detox so i thought this might help. Thanks Ang
Posted by WIZARD (Member # 4597) on :
PLEASE ask you MD about this. A picc is nothing to fool with.
Polling people on Lymenet is good, but must NEVER over rule the recommendations of your personal MD.
A picc line infection can become very serious very quickly, in a matter of hours.
DO NOT do it without approval from your MD.
This is one area I feel strongly about, can you tell?
Wizard
Posted by angrob75 (Member # 16942) on :
Thanks Wizard, i will definatley check with the dr. I know i will not be able to talk to him until next week because of the holiday so i just wanted to know if anyone had any experience with this.
I really am interested in the infrared sauna so i hope that i can find out more.
Thanks for the concern, i so appreciate everyone here for helping me. Ang
Posted by Hoosiers51 (Member # 15759) on :
I sweat a LOT when I use my FIR sauna. TONS of sweat.
So just keep that in mind....I would find it hard to believe the skin under the dressing isn't sweating, at least in my case, if I were to have a PICC.
Posted by pryorka (Member # 13649) on :
After I get out of the sauna (and after I shower) I just do a 1 liter lactated ringer.
But yeah I have my own sauna I got mine from nationalpoolwholesalers and it has ceramic heaters. I think the website is www.nationalpoolwholesalers.com they have simple safe bulk produced saunas that aren't anything super fancy but get the job done. Good heaters, sand blasted and no glues so that's everything required and it doesn't look too bad or anything either.
Wizard is right to be worried about anything involving a picc. That's why I tried to describe how I do it as well as I could. It's just important to make sure you have an absorbent cloth right wrapped around the entire dressing area. I have POTS really bad so I have to lay down in my sauna, so that might also help keep sweat from the whole underarm area from running down my arm. But if you want to sit up and are worried about that, just put a towel under your arm. And then I always wrap the entire picc and the port extenders in a towel too.
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