Help- Having BIG problem with Sub Q Pump Sites

[nomore]

Well, I seem to have hit yet another obstacle. Ive been on the Sub Q Zofran since I was 6 weeks along... Friday I will be 24weeks. Well... my poor thighs have started to LOUDLY protest anymore injection sites.

We have tried at least 8 times in the last 3 days to put a new site in, and the needles will only go in 1/4 of the way (will go in until you hit the part with the cathetor on it).... Im sure those of you who have used the pump know what I mean with the needles.

Well..... my pin cushioned legs are aparently now full of tough scar tissue... so weve been trying ALL day to figure out what we are going to do.

My thighs are not super "fatty", nor is my tummy (which is growing quite large and isnt a real ideal spot to try). So, tonight my home nurse is coming over and we are going to try my upper arms.

Im at a loss.... I want to cry Im frustrated. My Dh and I were YELLING at each other last night due to him being SO frustrated trying to get a site in, and of course me being SICK of being a pin cushion. (I usually make him stick me as it totally freaks me out.... ive only done it once or twice myself). And, this is NOT typical for us.... we never fight....

So, the nurse service was going to try to do something so I could get the zofran on the pump through my PICC line. I was ALL for it, as was DH. Well, aparently my DR doesnt want to try it yet. He said the zofran is absorbed in your body differntly via PICC than a sub q site.

I guess this is a vent..... as we tried to wean the zofran last week, and if you read that post, you know it didnt go well.

Anyone have any suggestions???? The oral and ODT doesnt do anything for me.... not to mention I have ridicoulous co-pays and can only get 10 pills at a time (and Im on a 28 mg a day dose still). Home care zofran is covered 100% by my insurance- no copays.

The pump has been my savior as I greatly suffer from the zofran "lows" when the zofran is wearing off and you get closer to the next dose.

HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I feel so frustrated my body is now full of scar tissue from past picc lines and sub q sites. And, I still NEED the zofran.....

Any ideas or thoughts would be GREATLY appreciated....

Robin

[aaronsmommy]

I switched back and forth from the sub Q and the IV zofran, never noticed much of a difference between the two, can't really understand the concern. The only problem is that you can't mix zofran with anything, so it is a lot easier with a double lumen picc.

I'm amazed your thighs have lasted this long!

[nomore]

Aimee-

thanks for replying. I seem to react better to the pump than the IV doses.... however if we cant resolve this, I may be going to the IV version again.

THe benefit of the pump is a constant dose. And, with going to the IV version, not only would I not have the constant dose, it would also require getting up in the middle of the night to give the zofran, making sure Im at home for dose time, etc.

And, since I have had both (did the IV version when I was prego the last 2 times), I know the pump has reacted better with my body.

My home nurse came over last night and was able to get a new site in for us.

So, we are still working on this....

Robin

[aaronsmommy]

I did the pump through the picc line. You can only do this if you have a double lumen picc line because of the compatibility issues with other meds.

If you don't have a double lumen line, maybe you can get yours changed over a wire at the same site. I've had that done, it's a bit of a production, but not as much as putting the line in in the first place.

I hope you get it figured out. My legs got to the point where even if I got the needle in, the medication didn't flow, then I'd spend exasperated hours with the pump beeping at me, me crying and ready to throw it against the wall (if I had the energy of course).

[ColoradoMelissa]

Hi,
I am getting in on this a little late - I hope you found a satisfactory solution.
I did the pump through my central line (just removed last week - I have been back on oral for 9 days now, and so far so good, relatively speaking). It was only a single lumen line but the home health nurse found some Y-extenders that worked well. I don't know if you can use them with a PICC, but it is worth researching.
Last week when my line was starting to look like it was headed for infection, my doctor and I had a lengthy discussion about the using the pump sub-Q. I was all for it - afraid to relapse going back to oral zofran and the associated peaks and valleys. She urged me to give it a few days b/c of complaints just like yours and b/c she believes that a constant IV dose seems to work better than any other method. I am constantly amazed at the different approaches to treatment of this miserable disease.

Hope this is helpful to you or at least to someone out there considering a pump.