[Nurse4years]

My daughter (20s) has veins that were permantly damaged by phenergan pushes. Terrible burning, ulnar and median veins now like hard rope. But, she will tell you that the pain and damage came from undiluted phenergan being pushed quickly. She actually had a nurse tell her "here comes the burn" after the nurse was told to dilute and push slowly- nurse got angry and ignored her. That was 5 years ago- that vein is now useless.
She now has a port (yeah).
Slow and diluted has always worked fine for me, as I give it over 10+ minutes, but I have worked with nurses who haven't taken the time.

[MIA-RN]

You are okay to be worried and cautious. Phenergan can give people lots of problems if/when it extravasates. Even if it doesn't damage the veins and tissue, it still can burn terribly and cause the patient pain.
As it stands now in my facility, the only way to give phenergan is IM or diluted in 50ml NS. I heard recently that soon we will not be allowed to give it IM either.
Where I used to work we could give it IVP but it had to be diluted in 10cc NS and given over 2 - 5 minutes. I still hung it in a 50cc bag, after seeing some of the pictures of the complications.

[JessieRN]

We do give IV phen frequently, but per hospital policy we only push 12.5 mg direct IV push.

[Nurse4years]

Just a heads up- 12.5 mg Phenergan is what damaged my daughter's veins (25 mg is her recommended dosage, but she hates the "crazy" feeling it gives her.)

[Spidey's mom]

My 23 year old son experienced the extra-pyramidal side effects and won't every take phenergan again.

steph

[BluntForceTrauma]

Phenergan can be given IM or IV. Being that it is so damaging to veins, it is not recommended to give IM.

In our ICU, we frequently give Phenergan IV to the "drug seekers" who tell us IM doesn't work for them.

[GrumpyRN63]

I have given it IV a gazillion times, I like to dilute it in 50cc's and run in over at least 15 minutes,( for 25 mg) have never had a problem and am quite fond over the snowing side effect... yes, your freaking out needlessly, relax...

[Fairlythere]

Are you thinking of vistaril??That is no longer given IV.

[GrumpyRN63]

I've never known Vistaril to be recommended IV, and it's IV compazine that causes the extrapyramidal side effects, not phenergan or vistaril

[madwife2002]

My hospital and my previous hospital didn't allow usage of IV phenergan anymore. It is banned here