Nurses and knowledge
Not all nurses know that compazine gives some people panic attacks. It was terrible before I worked out what was going on. they call it "must flee" or somesuch. It's not a general anxiety attack. It's very precise. You have to leave. I've been on the verge of pulling out my own IVs and walking out--even after I learnt it was the drug. But it's good against nausea, and helps with migraine pain too, so I keep it in my cocktail. The magic is benadryl. 50mg of that, and as calm as the doldrums.
But there's the trick. Gotta get the benadryl first. Because if you dose me with compazine and get distracted with a different priority, or the line blows or infiltrates, I will have eaten the wall before you get back, if I'm even there anymore. So always compazine AFTER benadryl, preferably right after so it's at peak or whatever. The toradol and dilaudid can wait. A little. Everything should be given in close succession, preferably into the line, not a saline bag (time, sweet time).
Some of them get it. Some don't. The compazine is easy enough to explain. The rest sounds a bit...particular. But it works, and I need works.
The last nurse was happy I had gotten a portacath. We'd had a rocky beginning (in which he deliberately drove me to terrified tears). But ever since that he's been more than great. Willing to go the extra mile (read ultrasound) to get in a line. He called me brave for taking all the needle sticks to get to that point. Dude, what was I supposed to do? The pokes hurt less than the migraines.
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