posted
What to do? My LLMD wrote RX for Bi-cillin injections. I've been on orals for several months but last month after being off orals for a few days an appendicitis emerged. Turned out the infection was so severe that I ended up losing my ascending colon as well. The infection had been there awhile and the antibiotics had "masked" it.
Needless to say, I want to protect my guts and take no more oral meds.
I know a lot of you out there get IV's and IM's...whether self-given at home or at a local clinic.
How in the world do you do it? Does it just work out that you have an LLMD who lives close or a Dr. at home who co-operates?
Thanks!
Posts: 343 | From Northcentral Iowa | Registered: May 2005
| IP: Logged |
janet thomas
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 7122
posted
I do my Bicillin shots at home. They aren't very painful. Have your LLMD show you how, if he will. You can ice it before and after.
Posts: 2001 | From NJ | Registered: Mar 2005
| IP: Logged |
posted
Hey Janet, I could do these myself (I'm an RN). Who dispenses the medication?
Posts: 343 | From Northcentral Iowa | Registered: May 2005
| IP: Logged |
posted
How do you normally fill your prescriptions? That is how you would fill your Bicillin prescription.
Posts: 977 | From Austin, TX, USA | Registered: May 2004
| IP: Logged |
posted
My local doctor's nurse taught my husband and me to give the shots. But I pick up the bicillin (in packs of 10 which must be refrigerated) at our local pharmacy. My LLMD wrote the prescription, and my local doc was kind enough to suggest his nurse.
You should have no problem! (just make sure you have the specifics on bicillin injection.) My LLMD had a printed sheet with "warm-room temp-the bicillin, ice he hip, slow (2-5 minutes) injection etc. It made a big difference, because the nurse gave the first two shots, and she said all that was not necessary--resulted in three days of really sore injection site) Now, usually just a little lump.
Best wishes.
Ann
[This message has been edited by Ann in CA (edited 28 July 2005).]
Posts: 287 | From Northern California, USA | Registered: Oct 2000
| IP: Logged |
Do most of your LLMD's give approval to self administer?
Posts: 343 | From Northcentral Iowa | Registered: May 2005
| IP: Logged |
janet thomas
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 7122
posted
Didn't you say he already wrote the script? Do you have it? Do you have a pencillin allergy?
Make sure you get Bicillin L-A. Call some pharmacies, sometimes it's in short supply.
Comes in a box of 10, needle attached. You will need a tubex.
I thought I was doing great on 2x/week until biggest herx ever hit after 3 weeks (and is staying around for a while it seems). LLMD said to back down to once a week. I'm gonna wait for the herx to pass to start again.
I also take 800 mg ketek daily.
If you're an RN I would guess you are certainly able to give a shot. The first time you may wish to be in a medical setting in case of a reaction.
janet thomas
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 7122
posted
My PCP cooperated and wrote the script in the hopes my HMO would pay for it. But they didn't. My PCP also injected me the first 2 times.
Christine 202- I would love to chat with a long time user. Did you get hit with a big herx at 3-4 weeks? How long did it last? How often do you inject? I have about a zillion questions.
breathwork
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 567
posted
Why do you suppose that IV or IM wouldn't mask a subclinical infection just as your oral medications did?
I had lower right quadrant pain as well. They did an ultra sound to find several infiltrated, septated ovarian cysts. I had a total hysterectomy after a GYN palpated a thickened uterus too. During surgery she found an infected fallopian tube to boot.
I had tolerated it all for a long time thinking it was related to the celiac disease and GI problems that come with antibiotic use.
If we have lower abdominal pain or discomfort, we need to ask for an ultrasound to see if there is something more serious going on.
posted
I am not so afraid that the IM's or IV's would mask anything new as I am that oral antibiotics along with all the supplements, vitamins, etc. will damage what colon I have left.
My next antibiotic was supposed to be Augmentin 875 BID and Amoxicillin 500 2 tabs QID. I didn't want to put nearly 6000 mg of Amoxicillin in me so I thought BI-Cillin would be a good alternative.
I had an abd ultrasound (for RUQ pain) as recently as March which showed nothing. I didn't really have symptoms until I had been off antibiotics for 2 weeks.
My local Dr. and I, thinking it could be a gall bladder problem talked about doing a Hida Scan if pain got worse, but I had not done that.
I'm sure I need to assume some of the responsibility here.
I am doing Primal Defense, Acidophilus, good oral care, Nystatin and Diflucan.
By the way, what does Bi-cillin target?
A million thank-you's for your input.
Posts: 343 | From Northcentral Iowa | Registered: May 2005
| IP: Logged |
posted
By the way, the script was faxed to the clinic and prefaced with "If Dr. agrees"....
Posts: 343 | From Northcentral Iowa | Registered: May 2005
| IP: Logged |
NP40
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 6711
posted
Hi Bug, e-mail me if you'd like to get in touch with other Wisconsinites who are battling this disease. Our group is getting fairly large. I'm sure there's more than a few who've been in your situation. Here's a link to one of the WI. groups, you can e-mail her. www.sewill.orgPosts: 1632 | From Northern Wisconsin | Registered: Jan 2005
| IP: Logged |
The Lyme Disease Network is a non-profit organization funded by individual donations. If you would like to support the Network and the LymeNet system of Web services, please send your donations to:
The
Lyme Disease Network of New Jersey 907 Pebble Creek Court,
Pennington,
NJ08534USA http://www.lymenet.org/
UBBFriend: Email this page to someone!
Printer-friendly view of this topic