posted
I've read that some people warm up the syringe in their hands before injecting, but that the
manufacturer says there have been no studies on how this affects the medication. (So we don't do
that). But my husband was wondering if heating up the skin after the injection could possibly
have any effect on the medication. He says heating up the area afterwards really helps with
the post-injection pain.
Posts: 311 | From CA | Registered: Jul 2008
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Melanie Reber
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 3707
posted
Yes, it certainly does help with the pain, and with the dispersal of the med.
When I was doing Bicillin, I would first apply some EMLA cream to the injection site about one hour before, and cover that with a sterile non-absorbent pad. Then take the syringe of Bicillin out of the fridge to begin warming about 30 minutes before.
The last five minutes, I would hold it in my hands, that was if my hands were warm (they are usually ice cold )
At the time of injection, my nurse would wipe away the EMLA cream, serialize the site with an alcohol pad, and then deeply inject the syringe pointing at a 90 degree angle... being certain to aspirate. Then inject very slowly over a 3 minute period.
Immediately following that, I would try to lay down and place the heating pad in the area for about another 15-20 minutes. Some will also massage the area to eliminate lumps... and some will try to walk it off to get the muscle heated up. Just depends on your level of comfort.
This routine did not make things perfectly painless, there was still pain, but it did ease the discomfort.
The reason to warm the Bicillin a little first is mainly to help with the flow of the very thick substance through the needle. You are really not actually 'warming' it...but bringing it to room temperature.
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