I'm ready to rip out this PICC line (TMI, whiny)

[Lynn Bodoni]

I have a PICC line in my left arm, so that I can receive IV antibiotics. I want it GONE. The tape is irritating my skin, and making me itch. The place where the tube enters my skin is sore and irritated too. The stitches are driving me right up the wall. I've had this thing for nearly two weeks now...I've thought several times that I was going to ask the nurse to take it out on her next visit. I have a home health nurse come to my house every day to take care of this PICC, and give me antibiotics through it.

I want this thing GONE. It's sore, it itches, and it's hard for me to shower and sleep with it in me. I don't know how many times I've looked at my sharp little scissors and thought about cutting and removing the stitches that hold it in me. Surely I could just pull it out after removing the stitches.

Hey, I warned you that this was gonna be whiny.

[DeVena]

Could be worse... Could be a catherter.

I'm sorry the PICC is bothering you. BUT DON"T PULL IT OUT! The last thing you need right now is another infection, especially one that has a straight line to your heart.

Sorry. How much longer does it have to stay in? Hopefully it can come out soon - But things are better. You're not in the hospital. And you have internet connection!

I'm praying for you and sending you peaceful, non-itchy, non-irratating thoughts.

[Brynda]

Can you cover it with something? A clean sock with the toe cut out, perhaps? In my expereince, part of what makes it sore and itchy is getting tugged on all the time. It is hard not to do that. Plus, it would be nice to have the damn thing not visible, wouldn't it?

In any case, I, too, am sending peaceful, non-irritating vibes. Sorry you have to go through this and hope it will be over soon.

PS Hide the scissors.

[Roadwalker]

I'm sorry you're so uncomfortable. My daughter had to have PICC lines once and a while. IMHO 2 weeks is a week to long to have one in. You may ask how lone one shoud be left in. Also try some Benidryll, at lweast at night.
In the mean time, you can do what Naomi did. Lay in bed cruling your toes shouting "ITCH! ITCH! ITCH!" as lud as you can. It may not help, but share the feeling with as may possible.

[pencilpusher]

Oh my I do know how that feels. I just had one removed yesterday and I am SOOOOOOOOO glad THATS gone! I couldn't believe how much it ITCHED!!! Hang in there.

[picunurse]

You could be sensitive to the tape the nurse is using. Does she dress it with an occlusive dressing, like Tegaderm ™?
If not, that might help. No matter what kind of dressing/tape, there are skin prep products that are applied & allowed to dry before applying the dressing, as a barrier between your skin and the tape.
One other issue is, since you're on long-term potent antibiotics, be sure the nurse checks your skin for any signs of a fungal infection.
If none of the above helps, try some distraction/relaxation exercises. One that might help, (now don't think this is a cruel joke, it does work) when the itching is at its worst, pinch the webbing between your thumb and first finger as hard as you can, and concentrate on that spot. hold it for 10 seconds, or as long as you can up to 10 sec. do it as often as you need. It seems to work for longer each time you do it.
Good Luck and hang in there.

[Lynn Bodoni]

I think that I DO have a Tegaderm dressing. I've got a largish 4"x4" transparent dressing on the area. And believe me, I have the nurse inspect the site every day, just to make sure that there's no more than normal irritation. I'm fairly sure that part of it is just irritation from the tape, as I'm sensitive to most bandage tapes.

I wrap the clamps and tape the dangly bits to my arm, so that they DON'T dangle and get caught on stuff. Also, so that they don't dangle and tempt my cat to play with them!

I still have the PICC in. I HOPE that I'll be rid of it on Wednesday. <crossing fingers>

[azvolpe]

Originally Posted by Lynn Bodoni

I have a PICC line in my left arm, so that I can receive IV antibiotics. I want it GONE. The tape is irritating my skin, and making me itch. The place where the tube enters my skin is sore and irritated too. The stitches are driving me right up the wall. I've had this thing for nearly two weeks now...I've thought several times that I was going to ask the nurse to take it out on her next visit. I have a home health nurse come to my house every day to take care of this PICC, and give me antibiotics through it.

I want this thing GONE. It's sore, it itches, and it's hard for me to shower and sleep with it in me. I don't know how many times I've looked at my sharp little scissors and thought about cutting and removing the stitches that hold it in me. Surely I could just pull it out after removing the stitches.

Hey, I warned you that this was gonna be whiny.

I agree. Got mine after a biopsy. found that if i cut a hole at the toe of a sock, i can cover the whole thing. unfortunately i'll have i for 3-6 months

[cochrane]

Hang in there, Lynn. You really do need the antibiotics and a PICC line is definitely preferable to getting jabbed in a vein multiple times. I've had to have PICCs on several occasions and I've had to endure them for 6-8 weeks. I didn't need a nurse to come every day, though, as the nurse taught me to administer the antibiotics myself. She only needed to come a couple of times a week to change the dressing. I got used to them after a while, but was glad when they finally could be pulled. I really hope you can get yours removed before Thanksgiving, though.

[SeaDragonTattoo]

This thread is 9 years old. I'm pretty sure the PICC was removed and Lynn Bodoni has been all better for a long time.

[buddha_david]

Originally Posted by SeaDragonTattoo

This thread is 9 years old. I'm pretty sure the PICC was removed and Lynn Bodoni has been all better for a long time.

Could've been worse. I once accidentally zombified a thread by arguing with someone who had recently died.

[cochrane]

Originally Posted by SeaDragonTattoo

This thread is 9 years old. I'm pretty sure the PICC was removed and Lynn Bodoni has been all better for a long time.

Dang. I rarely fall for a zombie, but--BRRRAAAAIIIINNNNSSSS!

[Lynn Bodoni]

Originally Posted by SeaDragonTattoo

This thread is 9 years old. I'm pretty sure the PICC was removed and Lynn Bodoni has been all better for a long time.

Yep. The PICC was removed sometime in late September or early October of that year, IIRC.

I still have the scar, though. And a determination to resist getting another PICC.

Interestingly enough, the IV antibiotics weren't what finally cleared up the infection, it was an oral antibiotic that was very, very new and very, very expensive. The doctor had to argue with the insurance company about prescribing it for me...I told her to tell them that it would be cheaper than having to amputate the arm. Yeah, it was THAT serious.

[SeaDragonTattoo]

Wow. Do you remember the name of the antibiotic? I would be curious to see if it's still so crazy expensive now. Glad any kind of ABO eventually worked, though, and it didn't spread past your arm!

[Cartooniverse]

Zombie Amputations. Hmmm.

In reading this thread, I wonder if the application of topical anti-itch creams would work. Surely they wouldn't interfere with the working of a PICC line, and they might ameliorate the maddening irritations.

No? Yes?

[Lynn Bodoni]

Originally Posted by SeaDragonTattoo

Wow. Do you remember the name of the antibiotic? I would be curious to see if it's still so crazy expensive now. Glad any kind of ABO eventually worked, though, and it didn't spread past your arm!

I don't remember the name, sorry, it's been nearly a decade, after all. I imagine that the price has come down, if it's still on the market.

[Hirka T'Bawa]

Originally Posted by SeaDragonTattoo

Wow. Do you remember the name of the antibiotic? I would be curious to see if it's still so crazy expensive now. Glad any kind of ABO eventually worked, though, and it didn't spread past your arm!

An educated guess, she was probably on Vancomycin with the PICC, and they changed the drug to Zyvox (Linezolid)...

Originally Posted by Lynn Bodoni

I don't remember the name, sorry, it's been nearly a decade, after all. I imagine that the price has come down, if it's still on the market.

If I'm correct, and it was Zyvox you were put onto.... It is still CRAZY expensive. Crazy Crazy expensive...... Drug prices don't start to go down till the patent expires, which is 20 years.

[Lynn Bodoni]

Yes, I think I was on Vancomycin, and then Zyvox. Those names sound very familiar to me. I'd been on a couple of other antibiotics (and developed allergies to them*) before the Vancomycin. I could remember that the last antibiotic name started with Z.

I remember that the Zyvox cost me more than $1000 for 20 or 30 pills. This was AFTER my insurance had paid part of it. I want to say that my co-pay was about $1400, but again, I don't remember the details. I'm gland it was available, but crazy crazy expensive DOES describe the cost quite nicely. A quick Google shows that the price is more or less in line with my memory.

*The nursing staff doesn't LIKE it when I ring my buzzer and say "I need some Benadryl RIGHT NOW, I'm having an allergic reaction." Especially if I do it twice in one night. Of course, I don't do this sort of thing for fun.

[jayjay]

I know it's a zombie, but...I had a central line when I was in the hospital for my septicemia and resultant amputation. That thing scared the crap out of me...my aunt had a heart infection from a PICC line removal and never really recovered from it (she's still putting off the heart valve replacement she needs because of it from fear of the surgery). I spent most of three weeks scared to even put my hands anywhere near my neck because of it.

[aceplace57]

I begged my doctor for a PICC line. IV's always fail after a few days and it takes multiple sticks to start a new one. My last IV puffed up my hand nearly double in size before they yanked it out.

They sent me home with a PICC line and a portable IV pump. I changed the medicine in it daily while I was on the antibiotics. Home Health came out a few times to draw blood and make sure the PICC was clean and not infected.