Need Info on i.m. Rocephin

[Jackie_R]

Hello,

I am a patient with questions about i.m. Rocephin that I cannot seem to get my providers to answer(!) and was hoping that I could get some information here.

My doc is going to be prescribing i.m. Rocephin (don't know the dosage) 3x a week for 3 months. I don't have anyone who can assist me with this, so I will be doing it myself.

One nurse I spoke with who is currently providing care told me all sorts of horror stories and I am now completely terrifed. So much for minimizing anxiety in the patient. The other nurse turned white when I mentioned it but had the professionalism and diplomacy not say too much more other than "I could never do that to myself, omg, as soon as I felt the PAIN of that needle..."

The patients I have spoken with have given mixed accounts, but they weren't trying to do it themselves.

What I am mainly concerned with is safety. I understand that these are generally given in the gluteal area. This requires "mapping" in order to insure the correct and safe location. Is that feasable when you are trying to do it yourself? Especially left handed, I don't know if that would work at all. Which means I'd have to keep injecting into the same spot over and over. And this is every other day. I've heard of someone doing this in the upper thigh but have been told that the manufacturer of Rocephin advises against this, apart from the fact that it is beyond excruciating.

I can't get my questions answered by the doc, he just turns the patients loose with the nursing agency and just tells me, "oh, it's no problem" but since he isn't working with it firsthand I wonder if he knows.

I do not feel comfortable with this AT ALL. I would really appreciate some input from those who have experience with this procedure. What would you tell a family member (assuming you weren't taking care of them yourself) does this sound advisable or safe to you? Thank you.

[suzanne4, RN]

We are unable to provide medical advice for you per the Terms of Service of this forum. The nurses that are working for that agency should be providing the service for you as far as injections.

This is something that you need to discuss with your physician or his staff. There is also much information that you can read up on from the manufacturer of this medication.