posted
Just had picc line placed yesterday and am having lots of chest discomfort. I had to go back to LLMD for dressing change today and they sent me to the ER to have it x-ray'd again. Placement was fine and they said hopefully I'll get used to it.
So much discomfort, can't get comfortable, tossing and turning at night, I feel clicking when I breathe in, feel very guarded...like I can't walk normal. I have to have this in for 6 months - I want to yank it out now!!!! Arm is very tender too, but they said this is normal.
I describe the pain as a bladder infection uncomfortable feeling.
It is now the weekend - not sure what I should do?? LLMD thinks it's neurogenic??? but, I FEEL it in my chest. It hurts!!!
Posts: 618 | From NC | Registered: Oct 2009
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cactus
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 7347
posted
jwall, if it continues to bother you - keep telling your LLMD and/or your infusion company if you have one.
My first picc line sounds like yours. It was not just "discomfort"... discomfort shouldn't be keeping you up at night, you should not be in this much pain.
Xray after xray was normal, but it hurt. Just like you're describing.
After a week, LLMD finally pulled my first picc and said my veins were probably spasming. He was upset that it hadn't been treated more seriously by the infusion company.
We scheduled the next line placement, and I insisted on having it done by a radiologist rather than a tech. Had to get one of the hospital's patient advocates on my side, but it was worth it.
The difference was astounding!
Since it's a weekend - if you do end up having it pulled, you may have to get a peripheral line to get your infusions (go in some place - I was lucky in that we had a walk in clinic that could do it right around the corner).
Ideally, this wouldn't have to happen on a weekend, but if you are in a lot of pain... Well... Just keep telling all of your healthcare providers who will listen.
Maybe you can give it a few days to see if it settles down, if you can bear it. But if this is very bad, I would call the LLMD's office again.
Not very helpful, am I?
Wishing you a pain-free night!
-------------------- �Did you ever stop to think, and forget to start again?� - A.A. Milne Posts: 1987 | From No. VA | Registered: May 2005
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posted
I got my port very recently. I had a lot of chest discomfort for the first 3 or 4 days. The doctor who placed it, while not discounting the 'realness' of what I was feeling, said about 10% of his patients say they have this kind of discomfort. But, you (me) shouldn't REALLY be able to feel it in there.
I did, but it did get better.
Posts: 322 | From Venice, CA | Registered: Sep 2008
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sammy
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 13952
posted
My chest and arm felt tight and achy for several days after my PICC line was placed. I also had the blood vessel spasms, even made my arm feel cold and blue at times. The actual insertion site in my arm was very sore.
It helped to take Ibuprofen 600mg every 4-6hrs (decreases pain and inflammation). It also helped to apply warm compresses to the site, on 20min, off at least 20min. If you don't have one you can buy a small microwavable warm compress at Walmart for about $2.
I had trouble sleeping and waking because of pain. My arm hurt if I slept on my back and let it rest on my ribs. My arm hurt even more if I happened to roll over and sleep on it! I learned quickly that it helps to sleep with a small squishy oblong pillow. If you don't have a pillow like that a rolled up towel or teeshirt might work the same.
jwall, trust your gut instinct. I can't feel what you are feeling right now. If you are feeling scary bad, go get yourself taken care of tonight. If you are feeling achy, sore, but think you're OK call a friend over and rest at home.
Posts: 5237 | From here | Registered: Nov 2007
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posted
Thank you everyone! I am up again tonight. Just tried to lay down in bed and it feels achy and awkward. If I'm flat on my back, I feel it and it is uncomfortable. It is not severe pain, just like an annoying, uncomfortable ache - definitely feel a foreign object in there - definitely painful enough to keep me awake and on advil every 4 hours.
I'm trying to be tough, but this is really bothersome! I can't think about anything else now but this picc line with every move I make.
My arm also aches a lot - like I've had stitches put in. It definitely feels very sore and tight. I am very guarded with it as well and don't want to move it much. this, I was told, was very normal. the chest achiness I was told was not normal.
I will call LLMD's office tomorrow and leave a message. Not feeling scary bad, just a feeling that I want to pull this thing out ASAP b/c it's really bothersome. Maybe I can stick it out until Monday. I am traveling home tomorrow and once I'm home, I suppose I can see my GP who works closely with my LLMD. Or maybe I should stay in town to sort this out.
the strange thing is the nurses at my LLMDs office all said that it was inserted incorrectly...they left too much tubing out at the end. I am a small person - 5'2" and 99 lbs. they said they should have used a child's length...and not left so much hanging out as it can move in and out. I REALLY don't want to think about that.
Thanks all.
Posts: 618 | From NC | Registered: Oct 2009
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