Beginne IV issues - registering vein

[Behappystayhappy]

Been doing a lot of research on IV harm reduction. So far I have been injecting methamphetamine and have been having issues. First off, drawing up blood is hard for me. Maybe because the needle I use is too small? (30g) Or could it have to do with being dehydrated and blood being to thick to enter? Locating a vein is easy and inserting the needle has never been an issue. I get the needle in and I feel so certain it is in there but I pull up and all that comes is a vaccum. I take the needle out immediately when I see that but it still leaves a red bump over the vein. This has happened to me a several times. There have been 2 times where I would pull up and I would get like a small amount of blood and mostly vaccum. I inject it and there's a very small sting/burn sensation during the process. i get different answers about the sting occurring. Some sources I read say there should be apsolutely no sting at all if it isn't a miss, others say with meth there is a little bit of a burn. Either way when I did push down it left the injection site swollen and red for the rest of the day. There wasn't any pain or signs of infection, it just looked kinda concerning. Also, the high wasn't all that special and from what I heard an IV meth experience is a whole new level euphoria. im assuming these are misses (or just partial misses?). The areas are clearly healing, right now just a small reddish/blue bump with a bruise around it. Im hoping the marks will be permanently. But anyways if yall had any suggestions on
1. Type of gauge for meth
2. If blood thickness is a variable in why I can't register
3. Tips on hitting a vein everytime
4. Why I get these annoying marks and bumps and if they I need to see a doctor or not

 

[JessFR]

I'm a heroin addict, I don't use meth much. But I have a LONG and extensive history shooting up heroin and I have used meth lots of times before IV, so this is my view based on my experience and for my veins.

I find 30g too small, I experience much of what you describe trying to use it. Some of that may be inexperience, I don't have ready access to 30g to build up experience with it. But I have used them and gotten similar results to yours with difficulty registering.

I use 27 and 28g mostly. BDs and Terumos depending on availability.
You shouldn't experience a sting. I never have with meth. You will if you're not in properly though. You should also not have any resistance shooting up beyond what you would normally have just squirting the contents into a spoon or something. There shouldn't be any extra resistance.

I don't think blood thickness should make too much difference but if it does it likely will more so with 30g.
You'll get marks and bumps easily if you're missing, everything you've said makes me think you are, at least for some of the shot. This is also true if you don't apply pressure quickly once you finish your shot.

I wouldn't bother seeing a doctor unless you feel they aren't getting better after a day or so.
As for hitting the vein well. There's no substitute for experience. I could do it blindfolded without a tourniquet or by feel when I was shooting up every day. And I'm a girl, our veins tend to be smaller and harder to hit.
If I'm trying a new vein or one I have less experience with though, I'd recommend going by feel more than sight. Again with experience you'll figure out how to do it accurately by feel.


Hope that helps.

 

[bomber]

When I started shooting heroin, I thought I was in a vein but often I was just injecting my skin. If you don't draw blood easily, you are not in a vein.
Hitting the vein properly is something that seems to go hand in hand with expirience, and as soon as I realised that, I returned to my beloved foil, as I didn't want to destroy my arms until Im expirienced enough not to make any mistake. That's what I would advice you to do, but if you realy want to keep shooting, don't fool your self you are in a vein if you can't draw blood.