nerve damage due to IV

[Trish53]

I recently was in the hospital and had an IV and while they had to try a few times, one of these time it hit a nerve. The IV ended up in the other arm but a day or so after I got out of the hospital I started to have somwhat sharp pain in my wrist and down into the meaty part of my thumb.
I'm wondering if this will go away eventually or should I see someone about it?

[SomeNerve]

I've had nerve damage in my left arm for 25 years. When I had blood drawn for my marriage blood test, the nurse pushed in the needle and it stung. The place where the needle screwed into the syringe apparently was stripped and the needle broke free while in my arm. I think a nerve must have been nicked. She said that something had seemed wrong when she was preparing the needle. I should have taken that statement and filed a lawsuit then and there. But I was getting married and didn't want that time of my life to be ruined by legal battles.

All this to say... it did not get better, ever. I have had tingling in that arm from the elbow to my fingers ever since and cannot wear a watch or bracelet on that arm. It falls asleep easily if it is bent or if I cannot rest it on an armrest while sitting. I am grateful to have full use of my hand and fingers, but I just about hyperventilate any time I have to have blood drawn.

On top of this, I had an IV put in at the ER two years ago, same arm. I cried out in pain as it was shoved in, and now I have pain from my elbow up into my shoulder and my left chest. Two years have passed and it's no better. I have to prop my arm on a pillow at night to ease the pain.

Sorry to be such a sad sack, but I just don't believe the nurses on this thread saying "it doesn't happen often." I see now that I'm not alone. It must happen quite a bit.

[Suffering54]

For those saying it's rare, etc. You have NO idea! PLEASE do not "dismiss" anyone's pain as if it couldn't possibly happen. It DOES happen, and it is HORRIBLE!! I suffer with the worst nerve damage pain ever, Worse than anything I have experienced in my life. The nerve damage caused by an IV in my arm has been the same for a year. The pain has been the same, nothing has changed, Not even after 3 nerve blocks. At this point 8 gabapentin and 7 hydrocodone a day keep me from losing my mind. I take 40 mg of prozac a day as well just to try and deal with this. My life was robbed from me, Actuality...  I can't even put into words how this pain affects every waking minute of my life. Just the movement of my arm while typing this flares the pain so I must stop.  

[Roselyn01163]

I totally understand where you coming from. I have the same problem for 2 months now and its *****. Can you sue the hospital for it?

[Dior809]

I agree 100% with you, no one knows how it feels until they are the ones on this position. I experienced this after giving birth to my first child, it was a normal birth and after the nurse removed the IV from my right hand wrist I felt a  weird sensation. When I got home From the hospital I was in pain, I couldn't carry my new born, lift heavy things, move my hand certain ways because the pain will not allow me. I felt like I wanted to cut my hand off sometimes to relive the pain. After one year with this pain I decided to go and get and X-rays on my right hand and took the results to a hand surgeon. The surgeon told me that one of my six tunnels on the dorsal aspect of the wrist was irritated and inflamed. He prescribed  some steroids pills that I can't remember the name and after that my hand got back to normal. Now that I gave birth to my second child my left side is messed up, my newborn is only one month old and I will have to go back and get it fix :(. I believe that by having that IV on my veins during labor I made it  worst  because  I was grabbing so hard on my husband hand and on the bed edge while I was having contractions and pushing. Nurses should find a different spot to place the IV so this doesn't happen ever again to no one. Hope your pain went away, good luck.

[ATangent]

I actually had this happen to me this past October when I was in the hospital. At the exact area you are talking about on the inside of my arm just above the thumb.  When it was inserted I felt like an electrical shock when through that area, the nurse could see that it hurt me, but continued. She put lots of tape on it.. rubbed it for a little while..and left it in place.  Had I seen your knowledgeable information beforehand, (and for any future hospital stay), I would demand that it be removed.  A few weeks later I explained to my GP that I am having numbness, and pain, in that area and can no longer pick anything up using that hand, he brushed it off, and said that is no big deal...it will be fine.  But it isn't fine..

[Bexstar]

I have the same problem. Just before surgery 23rd March 2016, the anaesetic nurse put the drip in on the side of my wrist above my thumb and as she was putting cannuala in I grabbed my finger n said I just felt an electric shock, she said I'm sorry I must've hit the nerve. She continued n put tape over. She never took it out.since than I rub where the cannula was put in n still can feel the shock. And also between my index finger n middle finger knuckles is a numbing feeling.I can't clench my fist as it pulls n hurts.

[libraluna]

Travana.... thank you.  Because I was in the hospital just last week and this happened to me. I have noticed every time I use my hand (I put a plate into the microwave) I feel that same electric shock that I felt when she put the needle in... I screamed and she still continued....

[KarlaRW]

My boyfriend had an IV put in at the hospital after he fell off a roof.  The next day he said his arm hurt really bad, when I looked, there was blood in the IV.  
It has been two years, at least 5 doctors, X-rays, MRI's and tons of therapy and he STILL has severe pain in his elbow and it swells up often. Nothing shows up on the X-Rays or MRI's, therapy did not help. Yesterday he had an EMG (no results back yet) and he states it hurts now more than ever and is constant instead of just on and off during the day. Is there any other explanation other than the IV "popping" out? One Dr stated that when it popped out it maybe it sliced a nerve...

[dmike7071]

I was in the hospital and received several needle sticks 9 to my right wrist be exact from a trainee anesthesiologist who when I complained to the senior anesthesiologist that I wanted to have the senior complete the needle insertion to the vein. The senior told me that the trainee needs to get his training so she said I will continue to accept the trainee to complete his work while I complained the he was missing my veins and hitting a nerve. She refused to complete his work for him. My surgery was completed on August 20th, 2015 for Bilateral Deep Brain Stimulation.  

Now I have 1 more operation to complete the surgery to have the Stimulator installed in my right upper chest. to have the wires properly programmed on Sept 4th. But now I dread getting the anesthesiologist to do the next operation for fear of something else going wrong. It has been 10 days and I still feel pain in  my right wrist. I hope this will go away, but the pain is the same from day one of the operation Should I be concerned that this could lead to permanent damage .Is there any recourse to this issue ?

[TJT21]

I had an IV while I was in the hospital back in January and my arm still feel like I have the IV in 3-4 months later. It's very weak and painful.

[qbandan]

  Last Tuesday,before surgery. the nurse started an IV in my arm. It produced a painful shock and  fortunately, the nurse removed it immediately.  I am now experiencing numbness and pain in my two middle fingers that worsens when I fully extend my arm. A doctor and an OT believe it will probably heal. But I sure would appreciate any exercises that you think might be helpful. I am very concerned because I need to be fully functional to  earn a living. thank you very much       Karl Lattarulo

                                  ***@****

[markken1]

Yes, please send the exercises to me.  ***@****  my son has the pain on the inside of his arm at the elbow at a point close to his body.  this happened about two years ago when an iv was removed very quickly and the needle was bent.
thanks
Mark

[sacestbon]

Understand what you saying, but 3 mts. later, and still hurting. Can't even scratch my wrist area without feeling like its being shocked. Limited mobility of the wrist.

[Sleepybe]

I know it's been a few years since you posted this but since you seem to know what's going on i thought I'd ask.

I had an arterial gas test less than a week ago. It was about my fourth or fith such test but though they are always more painful than a regular blood test it had never been so outlandishly painful. When the dr took the needle out it felt like it was way too thick and had pulled something away with it. I SCREAMED in pain for over an hour. The pain radiated all the way up my arm and I to my shoulder. Slowly over the next few days it got a little better although I was feeling slight tingling in my hand, like pins and needles plus a dull ache and my hand was hard to use.
Until this morning when things just got much worse agin: I woke up with my hand fully asleep as if I had been lying on top of it, except that I wasn't: my hand was just lying straight by my side, no weight on it at all that could explain pins and needles. But it felt like my circulation was totally cut off. Then throughout the day I noticed that my hand got more pins and needles each time I was in the lying position, or raised my hand, and then as soon as I began to try and do anything with my hand (like pulling a door open, picking something up) it became very difficult and painful at the wrist where the puncture was. I am terrified that the artery was damaged as it really felt like blood flow to my hand was reduced seing as I had classic pins and needles. I asked the nurse but she couldn't be bothered to help.  Further more the nurse doesn't seem to know whether my symptoms are of artery damage or nerve damage. In your opinion which is more likely and what is the prognosis???

[Sleepybe]

I had an arterial gas test less than a week ago. It was about my fourth or fith such test but though they are always more painful than a regular blood test it had never been so outlandishly painful. When the dr took the needle out it felt like it was way too thick and had pulled something away with it. I SCREAMED in pain for over an hour. The pain radiated all the way up my arm and I to my shoulder. Slowly over the next few days it got a little better although I was feeling slight tingling in my hand, like pins and needles and my hand was hard to use. Until this morning when I woke up with my hand fully asleep as if I had been lying on top of it, except that I wasn't: my hand was just lying straight by my side, no weight on it at all that could explain pins and needles. But it felt like my circulation was totally cut off. Then throughout the day I noticed that my hand got more pins and needles each time I was in the lying position, and then as soon as I began to try and do anything with my hand it became very difficult and painful at the wrist where the puncture was. I am terrified that the artery was damaged as it really felt like blood flow to my hand was reduced seing as I had classic pins and needles. I asked the nurse but she couldn't be bothered. Further more the nurse doesn't seem to know whether my symptoms are of artery damage or nerve damage. In your opinion which is more likely and what is the prognosis???

[rodomary1]

i have the same pain i wen ttwo  days ago and had it at the same site,, they stuck me twice in the same place  at two diffeent times ,   its  brusied  and  i have been having tingling in differnt parts of body today , feeling wierd but wrist is weak now and arm feels like i had a tetnus shot in it   ***@****

[Geo_brit]

I had surgery 2 weeks ago. The entire surgery and the hospital stay were the worst in all my years. I kept telling the nurses when the IV started hurting and felt like my veins were going to burst, they several times just flushed the IV with saline, it continued to be very painful after this flush, I had several episodes where a nurse would call another nurse to try and find another place to get the IV in as they were poking and poking me with no success. The 4th night in the hospital the IV backed up again the pain was unbelievable.  Two nurses took turns from about 10:40 pm until midnight trying to relocate the IV. I kept telling them that this all was very painful and reminding them if they looked in my chart I have lupus, Reynaud's Disease which I had been told from other IV attempts in previous hospital stays that it makes it very difficult to IV me and I thought that they should be finding other ways to get me the medicine I needed. I was now into Friday 5th day in hospital, I suffered all night after the midnight episode, Friday morning the new site on the left inner arm was doing the same. When Resty the RN came in that morning I said I cant do this anymore! Why can't you give me pills for the meds, I am no longer on IV fluids for hydration and I refused IV pain meds at least 36 hrs ago. The IV was removed finally. The RN brought me approx.  4-5 pills that were in place of the IV meds. I got out of there that day, they wanted me there another day or two! I cannot lift a full glass of water without pain or feeling I will drop it. My right hand up to my fingers has been swollen and my arm from wrist to almost my elbow. This is 16 days since surgery and IV was removed. Up most of the night icing my arm, took Norco as the pain at 2 am was so bad. I am going to get in and see a neurologist as I truly think they have caused me serious nerve damage and did not consider my compromised health and they were negligent in not looking for other ways at least in that 24- 36 hr period were this all started going seriously wrong. I am contacting the hospitals Advocacy Department and filing an official complaint against the hospital.

[nevadaman]

I've been reading through all the comments. Its obvious that nerve damage occurs, but it seams not to be a rare thing, its more common to me. On March 30th I took my wife into U of U ER for lower abdominal pain.  Her appendix ruptured and I found out they don't operate now they fight it with antibiotic's. Her IV's were hard to do and she has several bruises from the attempts.  this past week the remaining part of her appendix became inflamed again and back to the ER.  this time after six painfully unsuccessful attempts on both arms with an ultra-sound they got the IV in her left arm.  Oh that one came out a short time later the catheter was not long enough and the fluids got in her tissue, ( I have some photos of that) so they had to use a longer catheter so the ultra-sound again and ta-da!  she out two days later and now 4 days after shes released a dull pain in both her arms from her elbow to shoulder.  Now she says its not as sever as I've been reading about but the pain is there.  It sounds like this nerve damage to me.  one of the times the third person to try sticking her arm tried right at her wrist.... she screamed and winced in pain and cried.  We called the doctors office and they just called back and I told them whats going on... they have to see her to make an evaluation.  I told the dr about what ive read and he didn't know anything about how that would be,  but it sounds like nerve damage to me....and she still has to go into to remove the remaining part of  her appendix May 14th.  I just hope they don't need to do an IV............oh boy!

[Golaise]

What did it take for you to get better in the 6 months?

[Golaise]

Please send me a copy of those exercises - I have sharp pain and uncomfortability with movement of my right hand and wrist.

[babydoll0136]

It has been 6 months since the nurse put in my IV (left forearm thumb side)  The pain at the time was excruciating and now I still have numbness in my wrist and sharp needle like pain in my forearm.  I am going to get tested on the 12th of December for nerve damage.  Nurses need to learn that if you do not hit the vein upon needle insertion DO NOT continue to dig with the needle until you 1. find the vein 2. give up on your own or 3. are made to quit from your patient or her spouse.  Don't get me wrong.  I'm a "hard stick" and some are wonderful and if they don't get it the first try will call the IV team but there are also a lot out there that feel they have something to prove.  I am anxious to get the results, won't actually have the results til Christmas eve but would like to know if it is permanent.  I would guess since it's been 6 months with no change the answer is yes.  Merry Christmas to all!!

[Midgetjan]

How very arrogant of you to scoff at people who said their experience was agony.

Unless you have experienced this you have no idea what someone else feels.

I have an extremely high pain threshold and recently had to go for a general anaesthetic for an operation.  The anaesthetist inserted the needle into the back of my left hand and I immediately felt an excruciating dull pain from the tips of my middle two fingers right up to my elbow.  I told him it was very painful and he said "Yes, sorry your vein rolled as I inserted the needle"  The cannula was left in place and my only comfort was knowing I was being put under and wouldn't feel it.

When I woke in the recovery room the nurse asked if I was in pain (it was a very painful operation I was having).  I replied that my cannula hurt more than my wound.  No one took me seriously.  I was returned to the ward and asked them to remove my cannula.  I was told not until I have drank some fluids.  I immediately drank the whole jug of water and asked them to remove  it.  They removed it 4 hours later and it was never mentioned anywhere on my notes that I had complained of pain.

Unfortunately my original operation had to be repeated and I had to go back to theatre 10 days later.  I told the anaesthetist not to  touch my left hand as it was still very painful and I still had pins and needles down my middle 2 fingers.  He used my right hand and 6 days later the new cannula site has healed but my first one is still very painful.  My GP said just leave it - it will just take time to heal.......

I found this site as I too wanted to know if this was going to get better or be a permanent pain.

[monicaj12]

I was in the hospital last year for a blocked bile duct and then developed pancreatitis from the ERCP procedure.  During my 8 day stay, I had IV infiltration in my upper left arm.  My arm swelled significantly.  A few days after I got home, I started getting intense pain and throbbing in my upper arm.  I could not even lay down to sleep at night.  I went to urgent care, the ER for ultrasound for blood clot, primary care, orthopedist, neurologist, several months of physical therapy and I am still in constant pain.  It has been 13 months now and I am concerned that this may never get better.  Any suggestions on what else I can do.

[Kev1978]

I recently saw a Neurologist and after seing the specialist
I have been told I am to receive an injection into my wrist.
Can anyone tell me what they think this might be for?
Any and all advice will be gratelly appreciated.

Thanks

[JtotheS]

Please anyone with any knowledge please help me. I have been a dumby and IV using everything from Roxys to cocain I inject into my hand. I tried injecting in my wrist and woke up and i can nomlonger move my wrist it or down. I cant give a thumbs Up and am having a hard time moving my fingers and thumb. Its been two weeks and It has not got much if any better. Is this perminate? is there any exersize i can do to make it heal? any pills I can take to stop This? I have since quit IV drug using and im taking methadone to help quit so I geuss thats good Please help Im really scared I work on Computers and its making working near imposable PLEASE any one some advice    

[AJJ01]

Interesting there are nurses on this site claiming this is rare bc if you take a look at how long this comment list is I think it's obvious it's NOT uncommon! Nurses should try other access sites vs the radial PERIOD. I'm an ICU nurse so I know.

I just had an out-patient procedure and the first place the nurse placed the IV was my left radial. Immediate, severe, shooting pain numbed my wrist and hand. Shocked the hell out of me as well as my nerve obviously. I demanded the nurse remove it and try the top of my hand instead which is what she did and it was fine.

I'm appalled the radial would be the first place someone would try & place an IV. What a vulnerable area and what a sell-out thing to do just bc it's an easier access for the person inserting it.

[Auntjillsy]

It just happened to me. During a catheter procedure a nurse started an IV in my left wrist. The pain was immediate and did not lessen. I begged her to remove the needle and use my hand, as I have had several IV's there and they have never bothered me. There was also a lot of blood. She refused, saying soon I would be in surgery and the pain meds would help. Surgery was delayed, and it was over an hour until I was taken to surgery. I was crying and begging the nurse to please reposition the IV. Now I have no feeling in my left thumb. It is completely numb. My repeated requests for help were denied. The nurses were too "busy".