I was in the ER Jan. 2 for post ob/gyn complications and I had an i.v inserted in my brachial area. I was given a litre of saline and meds were Demerol, Gravol, Torodol. I was sent home with pain meds for 2 days and my problem resolved itself. On the 5 th of Jan I noticed my forearm was sore...really sore. It hurts to straighten out my arm and if I apply pressure, it kills! It seems to be spreading down towards my wrist and the actual site of the i.v looks fine except for a small hard bump around the entrance. Small amounts of swelling but no discolouration. Cool to touch as well.
I've had a million i.v's and have experienced interstitial i.v's so I know it's not that either. My meds were all given at the furthest port and I don't get irritated with these meds.
I have a mildly elevated temp but I'll double check later on. What do you think? Is my arm going to fall off? :chuckle
At one point my needle started to come out so I played with it (held it in place) but it never came all the way out so I don't know about debris. I have no experience with i.vs yet so thank you for your thoughts!
In her case it would be "THROB-o-phlebitis" :rotfl: Sorry, not laughing at the fact you are in pain z's playa.
Hope your arm gets better quickly!!!!!! :kiss
Hehehe.. :chuckle You hit the nail on the head there Fun2care!
I'm sure I'll be fine.
Thanks guys!!!!!
I went to class after ultrasound and I swear....a line up formed to palpate my vein. Kinda funny mental picture. A bit painful though...I had to stop. God help me if I came in with colostomy.
Hehehe.. :chuckle You hit the nail on the head there Fun2care!
I'm sure I'll be fine.
Thanks guys!!!!!
I went to class after ultrasound and I swear....a line up formed to palpate my vein. Kinda funny mental picture. A bit painful though...I had to stop. God help me if I came in with colostomy.
Alright...I finished my Clindamycin and it's been over 2 weeks since the IV. My arm seemed to feel better but its acting up again. How long does this last? I'm taking so much Naproxen I feel sick to my stomach. What do you think. My arm is tingling and its sore to touch. Vein still palpable.
Specializes in LTC, assisted living, med-surg, psych.
Sounds like you might need another course of antibiotics, or a different kind, z.........you shouldn't still have a palpable cord after this long. Please get it checked again, OK?
Sounds like you might need another course of antibiotics, or a different kind, z.........you shouldn't still have a palpable cord after this long. Please get it checked again, OK?
Keep us posted, hon. :)
Ok...after my last class tomorrow I may pop into the clinic or the satellite unit again. My ultrasound came back negative however. Wonder whats up.
Thank you.
Z
I just realized this was my 1000th post! ....I have waaaaay too much free time :imbar
Specializes in LTC, assisted living, med-surg, psych.
Ok...after my last class tomorrow I may pop into the clinic or the satellite unit again. My ultrasound came back negative however. Wonder whats up.
Thank you.
Z
I'm glad your U/S came back negative, that's a good sign that you'll be OK soon. In the meantime, I'd still get the arm looked at, and in the meantime keep it elevated as much as possible and put warm or cool packs on it every few hours to help with pain and swelling. :)
youch! It's days later, I hope that you're feeling much better and glad that you got that looked at asap. Hope that it is now history and knowledge gained.
Thanks guys...I'm pretty much fed up with this little episode myself!
What makes me leery about going to see a doctor is the fact that my arm looks unremarkable! For the amount of pain I'm feeling...my arm looks like its almost normal. Small swelling but than again it never really swelled too much in the first place. I'm scared the doc won't believe me and think I'm paranoid. I'm going...just nervous.
I am now applying hot pack to my elevated arm ((((mjlrn.))))
When I was in the hospital back in late September with prostatic abscess, the guy that ended up being my roommate for about 3 days was......well, a bit of a character. A real mental headcase. Seems he has mental and personal issues, and was at a party and somehow was shooting himself in the arm with morphine (now HOW he got hold of it I can only wonder). Anyway, he rolled his nice new truck following said party and the arm got infected. Wasn't really all that remarkable in appearance except for some general redness and minor swelling. Musta had some dependency on the MS because he drove the poor nurses nuts bothering them for the next shot or painkiller, whatever. Anyways, I'm guessing the same sorta thing - missed the vein, extravasation into the IM tissue and general havoc. Maybe something similar with the Demerol? He ended up having a nice chunk of arm excised on his bicep just above the crook of his elbow, musta hurt something fierce.....I wonder what came of the guy afterwards?
Anyways, hope it works out for ya. Having a bum arm really blows....
When I was in the hospital back in late September with prostatic abscess, the guy that ended up being my roommate for about 3 days was......well, a bit of a character. A real mental headcase. Seems he has mental and personal issues, and was at a party and somehow was shooting himself in the arm with morphine (now HOW he got hold of it I can only wonder). Anyway, he rolled his nice new truck following said party and the arm got infected. Wasn't really all that remarkable in appearance except for some general redness and minor swelling. Musta had some dependency on the MS because he drove the poor nurses nuts bothering them for the next shot or painkiller, whatever. Anyways, I'm guessing the same sorta thing - missed the vein, extravasation into the IM tissue and general havoc. Maybe something similar with the Demerol? He ended up having a nice chunk of arm excised on his bicep just above the crook of his elbow, musta hurt something fierce.....I wonder what came of the guy afterwards?
Anyways, hope it works out for ya. Having a bum arm really blows....
Tom
Wow Tom, that's bizarre. I'm thinking maybe he had an infected needle because you can give MS IV, SC, or IM. The med shouldn't have caused the problem.
What makes me leery about going to see a doctor is the fact that my arm looks unremarkable! For the amount of pain I'm feeling...my arm looks like its almost normal. Small swelling but than again it never really swelled too much in the first place. I'm scared the doc won't believe me and think I'm paranoid. I'm going...just nervous.
Very understandable that you'd feel that way, but as previously noted, you might need another round of antibiotics and it's best to get it overwith if you do.
UUGH......I called my doctor and he can't see me. I had a couple of my nursing buddies give me suggestion but we all agree on one thing. I shouldn't go back to the hospital for this. Would I look ridiculous if I did do you think? If I can't get in tomorow that is. Considering the only thing visibly wrong looking is my palpable cord and my subjective pain.
Z
I'm going to call the doctor on call and ask. I'l lget back to you all.
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z's playa
2,056 Posts
Hehehe.. :chuckle You hit the nail on the head there Fun2care!
I'm sure I'll be fine.
Thanks guys!!!!!
I went to class after ultrasound and I swear....a line up formed to palpate my vein. Kinda funny mental picture. A bit painful though...I had to stop. God help me if I came in with colostomy.