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?

[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!!