Help getting a vein

[Craig2016]

Hi I'm Craig I've been a I.v heroin user for many years on and off but I'm now having a lot of trouble finding veins to inject into I've used my hands, arms and some in my feet and a couple in my lower legs (there is probably plenty I've not used but as I'm a bit chubby it's hard to find them . So after some tips on where some good veins are and how to find them. P.s I'm not interested in going in my groin vein for obvious reasons

 

[Ilove2nod]

Hot showers help.. working out, especially outdoors if its warm/hot outside... drinking lots of water.. and tying off, putting as much pressure as you can on the area you tie off and flexing your arm, leg, etc.. before really tying off, as much as possible to achieve more pronounced veins to shoot into.. because I am rather slim, due to a very fast metabolism, I cannot gain too much weight.. I have actually tried to put on some weight, but because of this, I usually don't have too many problems finding a vein, and I have been slamming daily for the past 3-4 years.. more like 4 though, as of lately I have had a bit more trouble finding a vein, because of a new job, and how I have to wear a uniform, which consists of a short sleeve t-shirt.. I cannot shoot into many veins I used to use everyday, anymore.. it sucks, because I sometimes have NO CHOICE! I have to shoot in spots where the tracks can easily be seen.. but when I do, I always have my arms kind of "hidden" where the tracks are.. I dread one of my managers seeing my arms, with bad tracks on them, due to having to shoot up in noticeable spots.. I already know one day they already have seen them, or are going to and say something.. last week I had bad scars on my arm, near the crook.. it was so obvious, and no one said anything.. so for all I know, I work with a bunch IVDUs lol.. But OP: some of my friends that are a bit more, big boned or heavy, they will have lots of problems finding veins, I have watched them sit there for over an hour some days trying to hit veins that just weren't showing... so they resorted(and this is a LAST resort too.. not advised, as it is more dangerous)to shooting in their jugular vein.. on their neck.. after desperately trying to find a spot on their arms, legs, and feet for hours at a time, whilst be in withdrawl. be careful, and definitely give those tips at the beginning of my post a try before resorting to shooting into veins like you jugular, its not safe to shoot there, especially just using a mirror.. if you ever do that, make sure you have someone do it for you or at least guide you through it and to make sure it goes ok, so they can be there if anything went wrong.. that is a last resort option! Be careful man, hope this helps..

 

[Craig2016]

Thanks m8 . I've also read some things on plugging it. Just wondering how effective it is with heroin as I. Really struggling to get a hit while at work lately due to the only place I can do it is in a cold toilet and thought that plugging it may be a option if I can't hit a vein as if I don't have a hit at work on my break I start rattling about a hour before I finish . The heroin is really crap quality these days in the UK where I am anyway

 

[keeping]

i don't have much to add, i'm also from the UK and was thinking about plugging my h
if anyones got any tips or stuff re: plugging no.3 i'd be grateful

tl;dr lurking

 

[Ilove2nod]

No.3? I forget, is that the base heroin? or just normal powder HCL dope?

 

[keeping]

No.3? I forget, is that the base heroin? or just normal powder HCL dope?

the smokeable stuff, you need to add citric acid to it to prep it for injection.
its basically the only heroin we get in the UK

 

[Jekyl Anhydride]

OP: There is a vein on the inside of the bicep (basilic/ cephalic) that is fairly reliable with a little practice and will stay hidden under a T shirt. You might also look for a copy of Gray's Anatomy for some diagrams that can help track others down as well. IIRC there are diagrams on the net that show the most common vein patterns found in the general public that can serve as a starting place to investigate.

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a9/Sobo_1909_597.png

^^ Converting your #3 to a salt with citric or any common acid (carefully) will improve it's water solubility manifold and therefore its uptake through most mucus membranes.

 

[Craig2016]

Is that vein on the inside of the bicept close to a artery at all

 

[steewith2ees]

the smokeable stuff, you need to add citric acid to it to prep it for injection.
its basically the only heroin we get in the UK

If your going to podge it - get some ascorbic aid (vitc) instead of citric, and use as little as possible. It's still safer than IV but you will injure you ass if you overuse really low pH solutions....

 

[razordesignz]

If u can't get a vein you should not shoot again...bluelight has seen enough deaths known and unknown

 

[crzydiamond]

The best veins are not found by sight. (Unless of course you're super skinny and they just stick out everywhere). But really, the best way to find is by that telltale spongy feeling when you lightly press down.

I shot on and off for 22+ years. At times (esp during coke binges) I was at a loss for a vein. I have found many on forearm, upper arm, hands, feet/ankle, lower leg (one goes right up the inside of your leg), upper leg (esp on inside of knee) , even places like abdomen and fingers. I can't imagine you having used up all possible places

And yes the poster above is correct; there is the vein mentioned that runs up from the forearm into the bicep area. There is also a deep vein (brachial) in the bicep area, but that one you're not finding by feel. I had found it accidentally and knew it was a deep one by the extremely fast flowing almost black dark blood. There's actually one like that on the inside of wrist , thumb side ( not the one on side of wrist , that's an easy one) but this one will hurt.

There's the pipeline on back of forearm ( fold arm like you're making a muscle and feel back of forearm). Also one on outside of wrist, hang your arm down then look right below the little bump of a bone on outside of wrist


And, as stated, vein maps are great. But your most important sense is touch, not sight. Feel for the telltale bouncy sponginess...

 

[Craig2016]

Yeah I have found a few vein s from looking at vein maps

 

[Jekyl Anhydride]

Is that vein on the inside of the bicept close to a artery at all

Unfortunately it is in fairly close proximity to an artery but closer to the surface of the crook / bicep. The lower on your bicep, closer to the crook of your arm you go the deeper the artery is. If you can locate the vein lower and carefully work your way up, the less chance of striking the red, frothy ,high pressure arterial blood. Dark and slow or no go. Also try to use a needle that is of a small gauge (27-30) and not to long (over 1 1/4 "). A 25-35 degree insertion angle will keep the depth at a safer level and help with after shot bruising that can occur when the needle is perpendicular to your arm and punctures both sides of the vein.

 

[Amaraline]

When the veins in my arms developed too much scar tissue, I started using my hands. Caution is advised if you do this, because they're so small it's easy to poke the needle right through. On the plus side, they tend to stick out more. Just avoid an artery, whatever you do!

 

[Ilove2nod]

Unfortunately it is in fairly close proximity to an artery but closer to the surface of the crook / bicep. The lower on your bicep, closer to the crook of your arm you go the deeper the artery is. If you can locate the vein lower and carefully work your way up, the less chance of striking the red, frothy ,high pressure arterial blood. Dark and slow or no go. Also try to use a needle that is of a small gauge (27-30) and not to long (over 1 1/4 "). A 25-35 degree insertion angle will keep the depth at a safer level and help with after shot bruising that can occur when the needle is perpendicular to your arm and punctures both sides of the vein.

All of this is very true.. I used to use that vein, on my left bicep for so long, and now it has disappeared.. I think I over used it right when I began injecting.. I still rotated sites always, but liked that vein and the one on my right arm, at the crook, the surgeons vein I believe?? the big juicy vein that most times nurses use to take blood! idk.. far right side, of right crook of my arm.. both have now, disappeared or cannot be found... now matter how much pressure I put on the tourniquet! I miss those veins, they were always very reliable, and easy to hit.. the one on my bicep, was a bit more painful to hit than your average vein though for some reason.. never did hit an artery though luckily!(knocking on wood). and I always use fresh, insulin rigs, 30 gauge, 8mm tip, 1ml.. that is my rig of choice.. but as long as the needle is less than 1" to me, it is fine... any more than that is overkill for IV. and no less than 27 gauge for damn sure, or else that shits going to HURT, the smaller the gauge size, the wider the point, you might think it would be the opposite to some of the people on here, but its not(probably stating the obvious here lol)! and it will leave a bigger mark.. too many things to say about that not being a very good idea, using the wrong size/gauge needle.. its very important though to use the right rigs and to also not use your veins too many times over and over, without rotating enough.. which I guess is why I kind of lost the ability to easily hit those 2 I mentioned earlier, when I was an IV using rookie and made some dumb mistakes...

 

[Craig2016]

Yes I always use a 1ml pin . I guess we all make mistakes in the early years of injecting hence why we struggle getting a vein I used to just use the same vein over and over until its gone then move onto the next one and now find it hard to find a vein some days I can get one within minutes and the next I'm trying for a hour . not nice when your in withdrawal witch makes it harder I think as your rushing to get it in to feel better . I still can't find any veins in my bicept tho . what happens if you do put the pin in a artery ? Is it OK as long as u don't push anything into it ?

 

[Ilove2nod]

Never hit an artery couldn't tell you.. but from what I have heard, you will know it even if you don't inject into it, but if you do, I have heard nothing but, it is absolutely excruciating pain! I would try to avoid hitting near any arteries where it might be more likely to happen.. I have this one vein that is a bitch to actually get into with the rig, but when I do, the feeling right after injecting, with almost every drug I have used to hit it, feels "stronger" than it would with other veins! I don't know why exactly, its not a "new" spot, I have hit it many times before, but the angling I have to do with the needle to actually hit it correctly is rather difficult some days, and easier others, its like I have to hold the rig almost the opposite way, almost at a slight upward facing angle.. it is the vein that is on the left side of my left arm, it runs all the way up my forearm, and is much more pronounced as it gets more toward the crook of my arm, where it eventually connects with other veins there.. but I swear, it feels stronger, no matter what it is I am injecting into that vein! Everytime I hit it, even with subutex, which I slam daily, it is noticeably stronger feeling at the initial onset of the high! very odd to me. Also whenever I hit a brand new vein, untapped, for the first time, I get that same, stronger, sometimes much stronger feeling.. especially if it is with something other than bupe, that will give you a "real" rush! like coke for example.. I almost always get an intense, crazy strong, bellringer when I hit the particular vein I mentioned above, or a brand new one... am I the only one who gets this, or can any one relate to what I am saying here? It sounds weird, but its no doubt in my mind, a stronger onset with certain veins you inject into, compared to other veins.

 

[Jekyl Anhydride]

^
I think the larger the vein and the closer to the heart it is , like the basilic that dumps right into the subclavian then heart, lungs , brain; has less time to dilute with other blood. For instance when IVing in a foot vein, it has a long path back to the heart and many other veins merging with it that promote dilution. But it all gets there in the end. The problem with the larger veins, in the upper arm at least, is that there is a large nerve conduit running parallel to it that would be unpleasant to say the least. Plus the proximity to a major artery makes it just a few notches down in safety from something like the neck (scary). I suppose long sleeves are better than an arterial bleed, nerve damage, thrombosis, etc. Unless you look like Arnold Schwarzenegger and it's popping out and staring you in the face. That would be hard to miss.

 

[bennyballs]

It hurts like hell unless you can get those pins with the superfine needles on in which case it only hurts but have you tried the veins that run down the sides of your finger and are prominent at your middle knuckle. Or there's a one on the meaty thumb part of your hand. These are pretty painful places to go granted. Personally I use my groin, I know it's dangerous due to the close proximity to your femoral artery and nerve but once you find it you can never miss. Please don't take this as a reason to go looking for it.

 

[bennyballs]

Do not groin inject