Well I had my first LLMD appt yesterday. He recommended I begin taking Bicillin Injections 3 times per week for the remainder of my pregnancy.
Has anyone here taken them before? Can you tell me how you took the injection? Did you do it yourself? How does it feel? Was it tolerable?
Any feedback is greatly appreciated!
Thanks!
Posted by psr1 (Member # 22957) on :
I am doing them 3x a week: my husband gives them to me. I have found that the pain is really pretty negligible: the Bicillin going into the tissues can be a bit bothersome but in the grand scheme of things - it is nothing. Most of the things that docs did to me in my pregnancy were much much more painful - please don't be afraid of the injections. I herxed when I first started & now feel pretty good...
Posted by Hoosiers51 (Member # 15759) on :
The best way to get the injection is laying down, stomach down on the bed, for me.
Depending on where you are in your pregnancy, I'm not sure how possible that is, so I would think the second best way would be laying on your side, with the side you are doing the shot on facing upwards.
Though I am not a doctor or nurse and am not trained in IM injection. I do get them though.
I'm hoping someone trained you on how to do these? That is very important, in my opinion. Aspirating and checking for blood is the most important part. Getting the location right is also very important.
However, once you learn that, these shots are nothing to fear.
You will want the muscle to be relaxed, not tensed, when the needle goes in. Before the needle gets close to you, be sure you are in a comfortable position and the muscle is relaxed. Exhaling kind of forcefully, through your mouth, right before the needle goes in helps the muscle stay relaxed. So if someone else is giving it to you, have them go, "1, 2, 3" and inject on 3, so that you can time your breathing so you start the exhale on 1 or 2. That is how I do it.
There is a numbing cream that you can put on an hour beforehand, called EMLA cream. I find that helpful. Then I tape a sterile 3X3 gauze pad (walmart sells them) over the cream so I can pull my pants up while the cream sits there for an hour.
You'll have to make sure the cream is safe in pregnancy.
For after the injection--I'm not sure if heating pads are okay in pregnancy or not, but I'm thinking as long as it is not too hot, it's safe. Though, I would use the "bean bag" type that you put in the microwave, because I wouldn't want something electrical like a plug-in heating pad up against my body while pregnant. That is just me. I would worry the impact of that on the baby.
But anyways, either heat or walking around after the injection will help the medicine distribute and help prevent the medicine from just lumping there. Also, let the medicine come to room temperature before injecting it.
If you can, I would have the first one done in a doctor's office, in case you have a reaction. I fainted during my first one. For some people, the size of the needle in the muscle can cause a fainting reaction, because it's a foreign object.
After the first one, I was fine. This is a great med. Good luck!!!!!
The numbing cream helps you barely feel it. If it starts to feel painful, you can have the person stop the injection (just stop pushing the plunger, don't pull out the needle), then wait until you say "go" again to keep injecting.
What you may feel is like a burning pain deep in the muscle. Without the cream, it can get moderately painful, for me. But I am a small person, and it seems to be harder for small people without much meat. The numbing cream helps to the point that most of the time I feel nothing.
Posted by hildy0521 (Member # 25133) on :
Hoosiers,
So do you give yourself the injections?
Posted by lymebytes (Member # 11830) on :
I love Bicillin. Bicillin and oral Biaxin is the combo I used.
Of course I hate the shots, but it is the best abx I have done. I feel more emotional on the shots, they can really fool you into believing that they aren't working, it takes time to see results at least 6 months or longer. But trust me, they are. I did my own shots standing in front of a mirror for the exact location, I take the weight off the leg entirely on the side of where I am doing the shot (in the upper outer quad of the butt - diagram below). I have also gave my husband and son the shots. Pregnant, the further along you are, it may be hard to do them yourself the bigger you get.
My teen son (who was very sick w/LD) did many abx and then the last 9 months did 2 shots of Bicillin per week and got well.
The only thing about Bicillin is that it only hits Lyme, so you won't get better if you have co-infections that need treatment.
One of my LLMd's saves Bicillin for last, when all co-infections are gone.
Is your doctor starting you on 3 shots per week? That is a hefty starting dose - usually patients are started at 1 shot per week and over a few months work there way up. But it depends on what you can handle. I found 2 shot per week to be very hard, so I had to back down to one shot.
Yet my son did 2 shots fairly easily - everyone is different.
Walking after the shot helps some, I like a heating pad ready and would apply heat after the shot, that seems to help me with the pain of the shot.
Take care.
Posted by Hoosiers51 (Member # 15759) on :
Nope, my husband gives them to me. It would be pretty impossible to lay flat on your stomach and give them to yourself. If you are giving them to yourself, you may wanna lay on your side. The other option would be standing.
I think there are some people that do it laying on their side, but I'm not sure exactly on the form they use. Like if they twist their body somewhat to get a better view/reach, etc.
If I had to do it to myself, I think I'd try to lay on my side and do it. It is just easier to have something to put your weight on (like a bed) than having to juggle standing while getting or giving yourself the shot. That is my opinion.
But check with your doctor. I think you should do the first one in a doctor's office. Be sure they go slowly too, that makes it less painful, and helps it absorb into the muscle.