David95928
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 3521
posted
ALright, a bit of drama here.
Last Wednesday I injected myself with Bicillin for the 1500th, or so, time. Shortly thereafter I felt generalized pain, more in my lower body, that just kept getting worse. Also, my left leg (the shot side) began getting numb. We called 911 and they got started but being in a remote location, it was going to take them at least half and hour to get there. So we called the air ambulance. By the time paramedics, nurses, and sherrif's deputies arrived, my left side was numb and paralyzed from the waist down, I was sweating heavily, and my blood pressure was 220/100. Through it all, I remained lucid enough to keep track of the fact that I was having no trouble breathing.
They lodaded me up with morthine for the pain, which was unlike anything I have ever experienced, and took me to town in the helicopter. It was cool outside and I didn't have that many clothes on and I began shaking violently. From my perspective it was from the cold. At the hospital, they treated me with more morphine and a muscle relaxer and I eventually felt well enough to go home (not really, but I did).
The next day, my belly hurt and my scrotum was bruised and one testicle was easlily three times the other's size, and EXTREMELY painful. After a couple more doctor and ER visits, the best explanation is that my violent shaking as they took me to the helicopter (it was recorded "Thrashing" around) resulted in my injuring both my abdomen and the testicle on the straps that had me tied to the gurney. The result has been this still massively swollen testicle and ileus (Guts stop moving + air is trapped = major abdominal pain). I'm gradually getting better and this is the first time I have posted, on any site, since the event.
The doctors generally agree that what mush have happened with the shot is that I got some too near a nerve and possibly got some into the bloodstream. I aspirated as always but it is still quite possible. What's interesting is that no doctor involved, and there have to have been ten by now, has suggested I shouldn't take Bicillin again. They view this as a freak event and not allergic, note that no antihistamines or epiniephirin were used. But I'm still pretty scared and haven't decided whether to use it again, despite feeling that it has been the key to my recovery.
I'm not sure there is a lesson in all of this but I thought you would want to know and perhaps have some comments
Dave
-------------------- Dave Posts: 2034 | From CA | Registered: Jan 2003
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feelfit
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 12770
posted
Yikes Dave!
Sure hope that things clear up for you soon! Your experience sounded really PAINFUL.
I just had my first IM Bicillin shot last Monday. I am having my PCP here in Northern MI. give me my second shot tomorrow....
Your story makes me think that I'll have them give me ALL of my shots. I would rather pay them 7.00 to stab me and let them be responsible as well as being at a medical facility should an adverse reaction occur.
I have enough anxiety, rather have my peace of mind!
OOOhhh best to you, let us know what you decide to do in regards to the bicillin.
Posts: 3975 | From usa | Registered: Aug 2007
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David95928
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 3521
posted
Thanks, feelfit and cave. I expect to be fine but still am very sore. I can more or less make it without pain medicine if I stay horizontal, or walk around A BIT, with pain medicine but then I can't drive. It looks like it will be couple more days out of work. Dave
-------------------- Dave Posts: 2034 | From CA | Registered: Jan 2003
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daise
Unregistered
posted
Hi David,
I've heard how an LA Bicillin shot can very occasionally ding a nerve. I understand that there is really nothing you can do to prevent it.
After ten months of LA Bicillin shots three times a week, I can say that a nerve got dinged once.
Took--whatever--2 or 2 1/2 months for it to heal. My right, rear butt-to-back-of-lower leg hurt during that time. But I could still weightlift, walk and so forth.
I noticed it most when I'd bend down to get in the car. No biggie. It's fine, now. Done healed!
I'm grateful for ten months of Bicillin.
Sounds like you got the one in a million wild nerve dinger that caused all sorts of trouble. Must have been scary.
Has LA Bicillin been helping you? I wouldn't let that one in a million deal scare me off.
The best to you, with getting rid of Lyme.
___________
FeelFit:
As far as I know, I think what happened to David is a worse case scenario. Or one of the worst.
I'm glad you are getting LA Bicillin shots in the butt--that's terrific!
groovy2
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 6304
posted
Hey David
Sorry to here of your problems --
My guess would be you hit the sciatic nerve-
I pooped my ham string when I first got sick- and did some damage to my sciatic nerve- and my left leg from the waist down went numb but it still hert like hello - lasted about 2 months --
I just did a treatment of Chloroquine and Primaquine-
It made my nuts Real sore and swollen - lasted about 4 days -
I have no clue why it happened --
David - Take care and keep us informed on how things are going --Jay--
Posts: 2999 | From Austin tx USA | Registered: Oct 2004
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canbravelyme
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 9785
posted
Hi Dave,
I'm so glad you posted.
I am a little freaked out now because when I aspirated on my left side, both tonight and last Wednesday night, I drew blood.
I don't know what's different, bc I've been doing injections on my own for a few months now.
Then, I mixed up some more extencilline and started again. Aspirated: no blood.
Put in 3cc, and pull out needle: blood down my leg and three drops on the floor. Good gosh.
I've left a message for my nurse to come on Wed. I'm going to check out "Using ventrogluteal site for intramuscular injection" right now.
Best wishes,
-------------------- For medical advice related to Lyme disease, please see an ILADS physician. Posts: 1494 | From Getting there... | Registered: Aug 2006
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WildCondor
Unregistered
posted
WOW!
Glad you are ok. Where and how did you inject the Bicillin? Did you warm it up to room temperature yet? What was the dose? Tubex injector?
Sounds like you hit a nerve or got some in your bloodstream. Have a nurse or a doctor do your next shot, maybe you did not do the shot right?
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timaca
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 6911
posted
David~ I'm so sorry for your experience. Oh my!! I'm glad that you are recovering. I was on bicillin for quite some time, and while the herx it gave landed me in the ER, I didn't see significant improvement on it. I'm now being treated for chronic viral infections (HHV-6, EBV, VZV, HSV-1).
Do you think that perhaps you could either try going without the bicillin or switch to an oral antibiotic?
I know my butt was very happy to get rid of those shots!
Best, Timaca
Posts: 2872 | From above 7,000 ft in a pine forest | Registered: Feb 2005
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Vermont_Lymie
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 9780
posted
Hi David,
Yikes, I am really sorry to hear that you suffered such a strongly adverse reaction! It does sound like a freak accident, hitting the wrong nerve and perhaps getting some in the blood?
I hope you heal very quickly, and can rest some in the next couple of days!
Totally understandable that this experience could put you off bicillin, at least for a while. Does your doctor think that you could substitute with oral abx like amoxicillin perhaps? Apart from this horrible reaction, it has always sounded to me like you are in a stable remission, and some people transition to orals at that state.
Otherwise, since it is a very rare event, I would not let it stop me from using bicillin.
Thanks for letting us know. Take good care and keep us posted.
Posts: 2557 | From home | Registered: Aug 2006
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Michelle M
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 7200
posted
Thanks for the first person account, David. Sounds very frightening! Hope you continue to mend. I'd sure think hard about resuming after an episode like that!
Michelle
Posts: 3193 | From Northern California | Registered: Apr 2005
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David95928
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 3521
posted
Thanks, folks. I'm feeling better. My problem now is just the injury which is still pretty painful. My hope is to return to work tomorrow. I do think last weeks' event was an accident and I'm going to use a shorter needle and stay more ventral. David
-------------------- Dave Posts: 2034 | From CA | Registered: Jan 2003
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hiker53
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 6046
posted
I also had my gynecological nurse give me the shots, because they were so used to giving them for patients with gonorrhea. They divided the dose in half and gave me 2 shots since I am so small and that helped. Hiker53
-------------------- Hiker53
"God is light. In Him there is no darkness." 1John 1:5 Posts: 8879 | From Illinois | Registered: Aug 2004
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dontlikeliver
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 4749
posted
Dr B took me off Bicillin when I developed extremely bad sciatica in both legs, with numbness. I could not walk but only drag myself around on my elbows to the bathroom, and barely even manage that. The pain was worse than childbirth.
I am still numb down my right leg since then. That's three years ago.
I also had a couple of atypical reactions when I was doin the Bicillin injections. No doctor has been able to definitely tell me if it was allergic or not but I have been advised to not take it again, or any other Penicillin. What I got was like severe vagal reactions.
The latest on of those occured last Saturday at 40,000 feet over the atlantic as a reaction to Rifampin. What a spectacle. Was taken by ambulance from JFK to ER and spent the night there. My BP was also crazy (for me 170/110). Not an experience I want to repeat.
I don't knwo what I would do if I were you David. I guess it depends on how sick you are still, with Lyme. Can you switch to something else? Or alternatively, if you are still sick enough to need IM's, what about in a couple of weeks, try to inject just a tiny amount of the Bicillin and see how you go and take some Benadryl before and have epipen handy??
Let us know what happens.
DLL
Posts: 2824 | From The Back of Beyond | Registered: Oct 2003
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David95928
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 3521
posted
DLL, sorry you have been having these problems I decided to keep using Bicillin, for now. My plan to is sit down with my doctor and discuss options. Because I am working, it is particularly important to me not to have a cognitive relapse. Also, as some of you may know, a local young man of twenty-one, who supposedly was in remission, died of an AV block secondary to Lyme, a couple of years ago. He fatehr was well known in the local medical community. That seems to have rally changed the attitiudes of physican around here. I haven't gotten into a Lyme argument with one in over two years. Anyway, it seem to be all better now. The numbness and incredible pain is what I experienced but it resolved almost entirely overnight and fully in a couple of days.
-------------------- Dave Posts: 2034 | From CA | Registered: Jan 2003
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