Topic: IV questions -- do you have to have PICC line?
randibear
Honored Contributor (10K+ posts)
Member # 11290
posted
I don't understand the IV thing at all.
a picc line is where they insert a line to allow themto put a needle in and you have it all the time, right?
what if you don't want a picc line? can you just go to the doctor's office or hospital and get an iv infusion? how many times a week? what does it cost?
is it painful? how many times? does it have to be rocephin?
sorry for all the questions, but i'm confused about this iv stuff....
-------------------- do not look back when the only course is forward Posts: 12262 | From texas | Registered: Mar 2007
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merrygirl
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 12041
posted
A PICC line is a very long catheter that is put almost into the heart. When placed in a sterile technique, I was told the catheter can remain in place for a year. Regular IV catheters are only good for up to 4 days so unless you would like to get poked every 4 days a PICC is the way to go. Also certain PICC lines allow blood to be drawn from them. Hope this helps, someone may have a fancier explanation and link, but thats all I got!!
Posts: 3905 | From USA | Registered: May 2007
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posted
a PICC line is nothing more than a very small plastic tube that leads to your heart, there are no needles. The only pain involved is when they first insert the line. If they put a line in your arm it usually will last for a year before a new line needs to be inserted, if they put one in your chest it can last longer, it depends upon the manufacture. Rocephin is the coctail of choice, once a day for about 15 min. I had my PICC last year from June to Dec. Best thing, I'm almost back to where I was before this round sidetracked me.
Posts: 16 | From kansas city | Registered: Jul 2007
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TerryK
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 8552
posted
It looks like I may be going on IV abx too so I appreciate you asking these questions randibear. Sorry I don't have any answers for you.
kai_ilima wrote:
quote: I had my PICC last year from June to Dec. Best thing, I'm almost back to where I was before this round sidetracked me.
Are you saying that you got a lot sicker on IV than you were before and you are just now getting back to where you were?
Were you on any biotoxin binders? Metal binders?
Terry
Posts: 6286 | From Oregon | Registered: Jan 2006
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randibear
Honored Contributor (10K+ posts)
Member # 11290
posted
you mean the line goes directly into the heart -- so the antibiotics go into the heart, right?
why can't you do vein iv or is that not good for rocephin?
do you have to have this picc line iv thing every day, every week???
-------------------- do not look back when the only course is forward Posts: 12262 | From texas | Registered: Mar 2007
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My friend who has lyme expained to me what a PICC is today because I am going to be having one put in tommorow morning. It is a small tube
that goes up your vein and into your heart. It is meant to last longer then peripheral IV's. You can also draw blood from them so you will
not have to get pricked every week. You can get peripheral IV's every four days, but they have to use a new vein every time so it is not fun.
You can not get a PICC line wet and they have to be cleaned every week. They give different IV antibiotics including Rocephin and doxycycline,
but Rocephin is the drug of choice for Lyme. If you have any more questions you can ask me tommorw after i have mine inserted.
Lindsay
-------------------- "One day at a time"
Current: -1.2 IM bicillin three times a week -1.25 IV Vancomycin every day -IV glutathione and IM B12 -Byron White since Jan. 2011 -ALA, Yasko protocal, Adapten-All, thyrosol, Pekano, phosphalipid exchange, probiotics, oregano... Posts: 390 | From FLORIDA | Registered: Jun 2007
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merrygirl
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 12041
A Peripherally Inserted Central Catheter, or "PICC line," is a thin, soft plastic tube -- like an intravenous (IV) line -- that allows you to receive medicines and fluids. A PICC line stays in place for as long as needed.
A nurse places a PICC line into a large vein in your arm and guides the catheter up into the main vein near your heart where blood flows quickly.
The nurse sutures (stitches) the PICC line in place and covers the site with a sterile bandage. An x-ray is done to make sure that the catheter is in the right place. It takes 1 - 1 1/2 hours to place the PICC line.
Most patients feel little or no discomfort during this procedure. A local anesthetic may be used. End
in my opinion you may not get sutured but a sticky thing called a statlock. I felt no pain because the nurse used lidocaine. I have bad veins and it was fine. It was done in my hospital bed. I had 2 chest xrays to confirm the location. Piece of cake
It does not go in your heart but close to it.
Posts: 3905 | From USA | Registered: May 2007
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tailz
Unregistered
posted
Just be careful. I got a staph infection while on IV Rocephin.
It's not painful at all, once it is inserted. My doc made me go to the hospital to have it inserted though.
The only part that hurt was the initial prick. I only felt a weird sensation while they were guiding it towards my heart - but it wasn't pain.
It didn't hurt at all having it removed.
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WildCondor
Unregistered
posted
You can use hep locks for some types of IV therapy, which are temporary, and replaced every 3 days or so. Some antibiotics require a central line though, so you have to get a PICC line or a port. Usually if you require IV treatment for Lyme, it will be for many months, so getting stuck with a needle every day is not logical. It depends on the medication you will be getting too.
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