PICC line chest pain?

[justbecauseicannotseeit]

Hello everyone, I'm not on the forums very often, but I was just wondering if anyone has had experience with a PICC line and chest pain? This is only my third line, and it was put in yesterday morning - the other two were in my left arm, but there was too much scar tissue from the previous lines and they were having trouble, so this one is in the right arm. I remember having some minor chest/arm pains with the other two, but this one feels a lot stranger... Not necessarily pain so much as pressure? It feels sort of tight, and hurts when I take a deep breath or move in certain positions. I had heat on it yesterday and last night and that helped a bit, but I'm not sure if I should keep putting heat on it. I don't think it's so serious that I can't wait until a nurse comes to change the dressing to ask him/her about it (unless it gets worse before then), but in the mean time, I thought I would try to ease my worries and see if this is just a common occurrence I haven't experienced before. Thank you in advance to anyone who may have any advice!

 

[Deb]

Are you having any shortness of breath? Rapid heartbeat? I developed blood clots in my lungs after a PICC line a few years back. Mine happened when they removed the line, not when they put it in though.

I assume you are experiencing normal discomfort from the insertion but if you do have SOB or rapid heartbeat in addition to the discomfort I would definitely check it out.

 

[mamaScarlett]

Are you having any shortness of breath? Rapid heartbeat? I developed blood clots in my lungs after a PICC line a few years back. Mine happened when they removed the line, not when they put it in though.

I assume you are experiencing normal discomfort from the insertion but if you do have SOB or rapid heartbeat in addition to the discomfort I would definitely check it out.

I have had a minor clot also. I had a line put in that caused moderate nerve damage during insertion and I still have pain in my arm, months later. It could be from the insertion, could be a clot, could be a not ideal placement. They can do an easy scan with dye to make sure everything is ok. Its good to know whats going on, because the most important thing is that you don't get a clot. They can prevent that with thinners.

 

[keefer11]

I wouldn't be too worried if you have a lot of pain the day after insertion. I have had pain for several days after picc line insertion and use a hot pad and ibprofen. Sometimes the pain is worse when the IV is attached and the antibiotics are going into my vein. I've even had pain throughout the entire picc line placement and my dr always associated it with my bad veins. It sounds like your veins aren't that good either since they switched sides after only 2 picc line placements. I'm betting it's just the placement, BUT I agree with Deb if you have rapid heart rate, shortness of breath, fever, sweats, I would go into the doctor ASAP.

I hope the pain subsides some!!!

 

[justbecauseicannotseeit]

Thank you, everyone, for your advice. I ended up mentioning the pain to a nurse who had me call my doctor who sent me for x-rays and everything looked fine! They said it might just be up against the wall of the vein and irritating it, which could explain why I was also experiencing some resistance trying to get saline through. But a few hours after I got home I could't get anything through it at all and stopped getting blood return - right in the middle of a huge snow storm, of course - so I ended up missing two doses before getting to the ER where they managed to flush it with a blood thinner. Everything seems smooth now, although it still hurts in my chest when I cough. But a bunch of people kept bringing up the possibility of putting in a port if I keep having problems with it. I'm not sure how I feel about this, since I only get IVs maybe once every year or so, and this one is only due to be in for two weeks. Any one who has a port - what are the pros and cons of it? Do you think it would be worth it for me to get one? I've heard that there are alternative areas for PICC access.

 

[billiewoolley]

Justbecauseicannotseeit, I experienced what you've said, although mine wasn't as painful as yours sounds, and didn't last very long either. But by the sounds of it and I'm speaking from experience myself- my veins are sooo terrible that I am myself only in hospital once a year, and one ttime I was in in 2 years ago I had 17 small canules in a week!! So then I had a long line, then my veins collapsed on that too and so I had the PICC line then, then I was suggested the port, and it was the best thing I ever done! The only bad point of it is you have to have it flushed every 6 weeks and I still ain't used to the needles yet haha

But if I was you I would defiantly think about having the port! it's done absolute wonders for me x

 

[LouLou]

The pro's of a port is managing it yourself and not having to be exposed to the hospital seen each time you need to do IVs. I access at home and get the drugs delivered and get rolling. I'm glad I have mine. I flush it every other month and after a few times using it with the help of home healthcare nurses I wanted to manage it completely on my own. There's been no looking back since! I'm so glad I have mine. It's been no problem. I've had mine for 5 years with decreasing use each year so I must be doing something right! Attitude is everything and it helps my attitude about this darn disease. It's just another one of my tools

 

[mrbubbles]

I have had the same exact experience you had. Feels like a tight air bubble in the middle of the chest close to the neck. Except when I flushed I felt a sudden and excruciating pain . not sure what caused it but went to the ER immediately and got an xray and everything checked out to be in place and fine. I refused them to attempt to flush because it hurt so bad and they were not the primary cystic fibrosis center and I did not want them making it worse. They said everything was fine so I went home and took an ibuprofen and slept for about 2 hours and tried to flush again and everything was fine. Sometimes picc lines can be difficult to understand and may have random flukes. I'm not sure what caused it but it was extremely uncomfortable.

 

[rubyroselee]

Hi - I had the same experience with my PICC just a few weeks ago. My chest hurt so bad. I mentioned it to the nurse when I was inpatient, and he said it was normal to be uncomfortable. It hurt when I coughed, and sometimes I could get it to go away by moving in different positions. I wasn't really able to lay on my right side at all. When my home nurse did my first dressing change, she inadvertently pulled it out a centimeter or so, and that actually took the discomfort away for the most part. So I'm guessing it was rubbing against the vein somewhere. I have heard from others as well that they can be quite uncomfortable. And actually, even when I had it removed, I felt the same discomfort intermittently for about 5 or 6 days after as well. Must have been some sort of irritation, because now it's fine.

 

[windex125]

I experienced tightness in the chest several times when on IV meds as the medication started dripping in, but my problem turned out to be more anxiety then the drug it self. Lou Lou how do you maintain that port yourself.. I am amazed. I would never be able to do it myself, The needle has hit exactly to the back to get the blood return I am so grateful that I hv a nurse that flushes me once a month. I will blame some of it on being lefty, but I also just hate needles. It was the best thing I ever did, and to think I was so upset for weeks about it all. I really thought things were going downhill, but I bounced back and the port (it's a double)
I recently learned it's actually a pederatic port, why that was put in I hv no idea???? But it works great when I have to use it. has been in since 2001 it is more visable now as it has moved up and the skin looks as though it's thinning, as though it can break though? I don't worry what will be will be Pat/60