posted
I just did my first shot of Rocephin IM last night (mixed with 4.2 ml of lidocaine). I am to do 4 shots of 2 Gram Rocephin per week and 1.2 mil/units Bicillin on my days off from Rocephin. I am also on Alinia and Biaxin.
After the shot last night, I had a huge lump! This never happens with Bicillin. I massaged the area like crazy after and still woke up with a lump.
My LLMD did say that I can use my thigh muscle for the Rocephin if needed...
How long can I do this for? I can stand the pain but I'm not sure how long my body can take it. Can you inject through the lumps?
Thanks!
Shelly
Posts: 292 | From UT | Registered: Aug 2001
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TerryK
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 8552
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I got the lumps too. I tried the thighs and they also got lumpy and sore. I eventually had such awful inflammation and pain with the lumps that I had to stop. They were very hot to the touch and felt like they could be infected but I never ran a fever so I think it was just inflammation. I had a lot of pain just sitting down and I would constantly wake up due to the pain.
Didn't realize they could hurt so much. It took months to reach that point though. There was another thread here recently where LymeCFIDS said they got the lumps too.
I recently got NAET (a form of acupunture) to help with the reaction. This was suggested by my doctor. I won't know if it worked until I get permission to go back on the shots.
You can break up the lumps with a hand held electric massager if they aren't too sore but it takes time. Be very careful not to make it worse though. IM ceftriaxone (generic rocephin) brought my pain levels down by 70% so it was well worth the hassle and pain. I want to go back on but I may just end up on IV if I can swing it financially.
Edited to add: I don't know how long you can use it. Depends on your doctor. I know IV can go on for a few years. I was on IM it for about 4 months. I would have stayed on it longer if it weren't for the lumps.
Thanks for the info! What dose of Rocephin did you do? What size needles? I am doing 2 gm and 22 gauge 1 inch needles. I mixed the Rocephin with 4.2 ml of 1% lidocaine.
I'm wondering if I need to use longer needles... I am an RN and I have read that only 3 ml should be given at one time.
I'm not sure how long I can last with these lumps. Did you inject through them? Seems like I am going to run out of places to inject...
Shelly :-)
Posts: 292 | From UT | Registered: Aug 2001
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posted
I am so lumpy right now it's absurd!! I also put comfrey ointment on the lumps which seems to help a little: it is used often to prevent scar tissue. I'm going to try the massager. I am starting to find it's often hard to push down the plunger since I'm often plunging on top of an old lump or too close to one. Personally, I found the thighs so painful I just couldn't do it, and I got bumps there -- not exactly like the lumps but still pretty bad!! Is Bicillin typically given on the days off of Rocephin?
Posts: 929 | From Massachusetts | Registered: Oct 2007
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posted
Are you injecting into the hip? I would do 2 sites, using half the injection into each hip (upper outer quadrant). You're a nurse, so you probably know about all that.
I was doing claforan with 3ml of lidocaine and was told this was too much to do into my thigh (I would have to break it up into 2 sites). I wouldn't suggest doing over 4ml into my thigh in one site.
I only used the hip and was doing this 2 times a day and would sometimes get lumps, but they would be gone the next day. I did start to run out of sites and sometimes skipped a dose.
I would think that if you broke it up into 2 injections of @2ml each, you wouldn't get such large lumps. Good luck!!
TerryK
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Member # 8552
posted
I read the same thing about splitting the shots. My LLMD didn't seem to think it would make much difference. I tried it and it didn't help. At that point I was getting the really painful lumps. Maybe if I had tried it sooner, before the lumps turned really painful, it would have helped.
Shelly - my LLMD ordered a 23G 1 - I assume that is bigger around and the same length as yours?
I was taking the same mix as you, 4X's per week. My husband would try to inject through the lumps but you may have a good idea in using a longer needle when going through the lumps. I did wonder about that at the time but forgot to ask my LLMD about it.
I probably could have continued even with the lumps had they not become so painful. The key may be to keep breaking them up but that is not easy when they are really painful.
They didn't get really painful until about 4 months in. Hopefully you can avoid that and continue with the shots.
Terry
Posts: 6286 | From Oregon | Registered: Jan 2006
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Last night I tried something different and I think I may have found the key. I was reading online about injecting Rocephin last night and it is really important to get it into the muscle. It is really irritating to tissue.
I split the dose and used a 21 gauge 1 1/2 inch needle (that's the only 1 1/2 inch needle that I had). For the first side, I made sure that the Rocephin was to the top of the syringe but didn't push any through the needle. On the other side, I pushed the Rocephin up until it came out the needle.
I didn't end up with even so much as a little lump on the first side! There was hardly even any pain! I ended up with a little lump on the second side - I think because there was Rocephin on the end of the syringe.
Anyway, I think that you should try a 23 gauge 1 1/2 inch needle. I really think that the Rocephin is way too irritating for the tissue and that a 1 inch is too small unless you are a really thin person. I think that I'm going to split it up into 2 doses too.
Shelly
Posts: 292 | From UT | Registered: Aug 2001
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TerryK
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Shelly - That is great news! Smart thinkin'! I'll mention that to my LLMD when I ask to resume the shots in a few weeks. If he OK's the shots, I'll give the longer needle a try.
LymeCFIDS - Thanks for mentioning the comfrey ointment. I'll give that a try too. If I start on it now, maybe I can get the lumps cleared out before I try the shots again.
Very helpful information you guys!!
Terry
Posts: 6286 | From Oregon | Registered: Jan 2006
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David95928
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Am I correct in assuming you are mixing it with Lidocaine? If not try that.
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