How to subQ?

[Inds]

I need advice on my first subcutaneous injection. I'm skinny so I guess the only place for the needle to go is in my ass but how do I know I'm at the right depth and so on?

 

[JTemperance]

I need advice on my first subcutaneous injection. I'm skinny so I guess the only place for the needle to go is in my ass but how do I know I'm at the right depth and so on?

Are you aiming for a subcutaneous injection? (If so, I'd be curious why.) Generally, intramuscular injections are better absorbed than subcutaneous injections, and thus more potent and less prone to infection if you are injecting street drugs. Either way, try to prepare the shot in as sterile a manner as possible without any particulate matter involved, since the risk of abscess is higher with both than with an IV injection.

For an IM injection, use a longer needle if possible (longer than 1/2-inch/13mm), and insert it perpendicularly into the top of the butt just under where it meets the hip on the side -- this way you have a chance of actually hitting the gluteal muscle tissue rather than just the fat of the buttocks.

If you really desire an SC injection, I think anywhere you have skin will work. The idea is to just inject slightly below the layer of skin, and even a very short insulin needle will work, since insulin injections are meant to be done subcutaneously.

 

[Inds]

Of course I'm aiming for a subcutaneous injection, what else would I be referring to? Why? I'm preparing to slam some oxytocin again which I did IV previously but heard it's more potent subcutaneously. I'm not sure if it's done IM and I'm even more reluctant to try IM than subQ, it sounds painful. My insulin needles are about 1cm long but still not sure how far to go. Would it be less the distance I needed to reach the vein or what? I'll be as sterile as possible, I got septa vials for this purpose.

 

[JTemperance]

Of course I'm aiming for a subcutaneous injection, what else would I be referring to? Why? I'm preparing to slam some oxytocin again which I did IV previously but heard it's more potent subcutaneously. I'm not sure if it's done IM and I'm even more reluctant to try IM than subQ, it sounds painful. My insulin needles are about 1cm long but still not sure how far to go. Would it be less the distance I needed to reach the vein or what? I'll be as sterile as possible, I got septa vials for this purpose.

I didn't mean to second-guess you, just wondering, since most of the more commonly injected drugs (heroin, [meth]amphetamine, ketamine, etc.) are not done subcutaneously that often these days, at least not intentionally. Never heard of injecting oxytocin, and have no idea what the effects are by any route, but I don't doubt that you have accurate information about SC being preferable.

If you look up how to give an insulin injection, that should be the same procedure for any SC injection. Basically insert the needle at a 45 degree angle, depress the plunger all the way, wait a couple seconds, and pull the needle out. With a 1cm needle, you probably want to insert it all the way. You're aiming to get the tip of the needle beneath the skin but above the fat and muscle, so if you have thick skin in the area you're using, you should use a higher angle (closer to vertical).

 

[4meSM]

Of course I'm aiming for a subcutaneous injection, what else would I be referring to? Why? I'm preparing to slam some oxytocin again which I did IV previously but heard it's more potent subcutaneously. I'm not sure if it's done IM and I'm even more reluctant to try IM than subQ, it sounds painful. My insulin needles are about 1cm long but still not sure how far to go. Would it be less the distance I needed to reach the vein or what? I'll be as sterile as possible, I got septa vials for this purpose.

Why are you injecting oxytocin? As far as I know it's mainly used in women during childbirth as it causes the uterus to contract.

That peptide is thought to play a positive role in social interactions and stuff like that, but I doubt you could use exogenous oxytocin to get that kind of effect, though I could be wrong.
I have no experience with it but I wouldn't think it could cross the blood-brain-barrier either...

I'm quite curious about it. Did you feel anything after the IV injection?

 

[JessFR]

If you're really skinny the trick to giving subcutaneous injections is to insert the needle at an angle rather than straight in. That way when it's injected it's not as far under the skin. That's how it usually be done with children for instance. Generally for most adults it should be about half an inch under the skin, but for very skinny people perhaps a bit less.

Subcutaneous is probably the easiest kind of injection to do, anywhere in the usual fat layers of the stomach, the thighs or above the buttocks should work fine.

 

[TheAzo]

I'd try it if I didn't have to shoot it. What a bother. I'll bet it could be really nice, especially mixed with the right drugs. I think it's key to the magic of mdma (my theory has always been that the magic requires not just a triple release agent, but the HT1A agonism - which triggers oxytocin release. Which is why you triple release agents (either novel ones, or mixtures of a serotonin releaser and straight stim) don't feel like rolling); wouldn't be surprised if oxytocin provided some elements of a roll...

 

[Inds]

Correction guys, the needle is 7mm long. Straight vertical in my asscheek sound good, then?

Why are you injecting oxytocin? As far as I know it's mainly used in women during childbirth as it causes the uterus to contract.

That peptide is thought to play a positive role in social interactions and stuff like that, but I doubt you could use exogenous oxytocin to get that kind of effect, though I could be wrong.
I have no experience with it but I wouldn't think it could cross the blood-brain-barrier either...

I'm quite curious about it. Did you feel anything after the IV injection?

Why? Therapy. Being a man, I don't have to worry about destroying my uterus. It doesn't cross the BBB but many of the receptors are located in the crotch area.

I didn't feel anything after the first IV (arm) but sure did the second time when I did a massive dose in my hip. My social anxiety was obliterated, random people suddenly wanted to hang out with me and I got the courage to visit this asshole in a really bad part of town to get some molly, which then got me into a hyper-anxious bi-polar LTC when I candyflipped that mdma with some other meds. I fucked up, lmao.

If you're really skinny the trick to giving subcutaneous injections is to insert the needle at an angle rather than straight in. That way when it's injected it's not as far under the skin. That's how it usually be done with children for instance. Generally for most adults it should be about half an inch under the skin, but for very skinny people perhaps a bit less.

Subcutaneous is probably the easiest kind of injection to do, anywhere in the usual fat layers of the stomach, the thighs or above the buttocks should work fine.

Okay, does the angle rule still apply if I'm sticking it in the butt cheek?

I'd try it if I didn't have to shoot it. What a bother. I'll bet it could be really nice, especially mixed with the right drugs. I think it's key to the magic of mdma (my theory has always been that the magic requires not just a triple release agent, but the HT1A agonism - which triggers oxytocin release. Which is why you triple release agents (either novel ones, or mixtures of a serotonin releaser and straight stim) don't feel like rolling); wouldn't be surprised if oxytocin provided some elements of a roll...

You're onto something here, I believe oxt can certainly enhance a roll. I was gonna try that when I joined this site but I ran out. There might be a synthesized alternative of oxt that isn't destroyed in the stomach so can be taken orally and I'll try those too in the future to see how it compares, I heard it's stronger too.

 

[F.U.B.A.R.]

Correction guys, the needle is 7mm long. Straight vertical in my asscheek sound good, then?



Why? Therapy. Being a man, I don't have to worry about destroying my uterus. It doesn't cross the BBB but many of the receptors are located in the crotch area.

I didn't feel anything after the first IV (arm) but sure did the second time when I did a massive dose in my hip. My social anxiety was obliterated, random people suddenly wanted to hang out with me and I got the courage to visit this asshole in a really bad part of town to get some molly, which then got me into a hyper-anxious bi-polar LTC when I candyflipped that mdma with some other meds. I fucked up, lmao.



Okay, does the angle rule still apply if I'm sticking it in the butt cheek?



You're onto something here, I believe oxt can certainly enhance a roll. I was gonna try that when I joined this site but I ran out. There might be a synthesized alternative of oxt that isn't destroyed in the stomach so can be taken orally and I'll try those too in the future to see how it compares, I heard it's stronger too.

If you're planning on 'sticking it in the butt cheek', then that would count as an IM injection rather than SC.

But IV is far safer than IM or SC unless you're using pharmaceutical grade drugs in a perfectly sterile manner. Injecting non sterile substances under the skin or into a muscle (otherwise known as 'misses' among IV users) runs the risk of a localised build up of bacteria which can cause nasty infections such as abscesses. Going into a vein minimises this risk as the bacteria is washed away and diluted by the bloodstream.

 

[JessFR]

If you're planning on 'sticking it in the butt cheek', then that would count as an IM injection rather than SC.

In the butt cheek itself perhaps (though it probably depends on depth), but there is an area suitable for SC injection above the butt cheek.

Okay, does the angle rule still apply if I'm sticking it in the butt cheek?

It applies whenever there's not enough fat to stick the needle all the way in. It's just a way to make the needle functionally shorter if you need it to be.

 

[F.U.B.A.R.]

In the butt cheek itself perhaps (though it probably depends on depth), but there is an area suitable for SC injection above the butt cheeck.

Maybe so, but my point still stands. IM and SC are more risky than IV and therefore not desirable for self administration.

Subcutaneous injection used to be known as 'skin popping' which often crops up in drug taking literature but is a practice I have never heard of being done deliberately. However, I've inadvertently done it myself on many occasions by missing small surface veins - and I've got the scars to prove it...

 

[JessFR]

Maybe so, but my point still stands. IM and SC are more risky than IV and therefore not desirable for self administration.

In that we are definitely in agreement. For non pharmaceutical grade drugs anyway.

Viable SC areas.

 

[F.U.B.A.R.]

Actually, I'm probably confusing intradermal and subcutaneous, but there's a very fine line between the two.

 

[Inds]

It is pharmaceutical grade, yes. I didn't know IV was safer, I always assumed IV was more risky, especially if the syringe had air bubbles in it.

In the butt cheek itself perhaps (though it probably depends on depth), but there is an area suitable for SC injection above the butt cheek.

It applies whenever there's not enough fat to stick the needle all the way in. It's just a way to make the needle functionally shorter if you need it to be.

How do I judge if I have enough fat? For reference, I weigh 155 pounds.

The area that pic shows is not above the buttocks but right on them, or am I missing something? It also says not to poke in the same spot. My needle only holds 1mL so I'm gonna have to give myself like 5 different shots, I'm nervous now, lol.

 

[JessFR]

It is pharmaceutical grade, yes. I didn't know IV was safer, I always assumed IV was more risky, especially if the syringe had air bubbles in it.



How do I judge if I have enough fat? For reference, I weigh 155 pounds.

The area that pic shows is not above the buttocks but right on them, or am I missing something? It also says not to poke in the same spot. My needle only holds 1mL so I'm gonna have to give myself like 5 different shots, I'm nervous now, lol.

It shouldn't be hard to get a 5ml syringe. And detachable needles are pretty much one size fits all. The bigger issue is that you really shouldn't be injecting that much liquid subcut. Probably not IM either.

Again IV should be better because there's no pressure build up.

As for danger. With pharmaceutical drugs it doesn't matter, they should be sterile. But with street drugs or dissolved pills or almost anything else, there can be bacteria and stuff.

If that bacteria is injected IV, most likely your immune system will kill it and your lungs will filter out any particles. Now obviously that's not great for your health either, but it's often a lot better than it getting stuck in a nice warm confined space where it can multiply as with non IV injection.

Air bubbles actually aren't a problem at all. I mean they are, but it's gotta be a lot of it. Like several ml of straight air at the least. I've injected piles of small bubbles in my life and I'm still here. They just dissolve into your blood provided there's not too much of it. Which there's pretty much never gonna be by accident.

I don't see a picture in your post. But at 155lb I suspect you'd have enough fat to not need to worry about fiddling around with the needle angle. Pretty sure it's more for small children and really really skinny people.

I mean it depends on your height, but unless you were around the 6ft range or taller I kinda doubt it would be an issue.

 

[Inds]

This syringe has 30g needles, any larger and the needle probably will be as well. Thanks for clarification on air bubbles, I had a more dangerous impression until now.

The bigger issue is that you really shouldn't be injecting that much liquid subcut. Probably not IM either.

Crap, what could happen?

I should've mentioned my height as well, I am 6 ft on the mark.

 

[JessFR]

Uhh, well at the very least, it's probably gonna hurt. Quite a bit. Could also cause a some trauma, bruising, injection site leakage.

IM injection has a larger max volume at about 5ml, so it might be a better choice for that reason.

As for the needles. Syringes come with either fixed or detachable needles. If it's a fixed needle, usually an insulin needle, you're stuck with whatever needle size it comes with, but if it's detachable then pretty much any needle should fit any syringe.

I've never seen any incompatibilities anyway. You can stick a 30g on a 10ml syringe or a 18g on a 1ml.

 

[JTemperance]

Subcutaneous injection used to be known as 'skin popping' which often crops up in drug taking literature but is a practice I have never heard of being done deliberately.

Skin-popping used to be a pretty common introduction to heroin use back in the 50s/60s in the US (probably until cocaine reintroduced snorting as an ROA on a wider scale). And before that the legions of morphine/heroin addicts in the 1870s-1920s pretty much all injected subcutaneously. It was only in the early 1930s that IV injecting really became widespread, though it quickly became dominant.

Also, I was surprised to learn that Keith Richards was an SC/IM injector during his legendary heroin career; he said it was partially because his veins were always very hard to hit, but also because he preferred the less sedating effects compared with IV.

IM injection aka "muscling" (which sometimes ends up being SC in practice when using shorter insulin needles) is very common among West Coast heroin addicts in the US; it's the traditional "injection of last resort" in that region, like groin/femoral injecting in the UK, which was fairly unknown in the US until recently (though neck/jugular injecting had been).

 

[Inds]

Uhh, well at the very least, it's probably gonna hurt. Quite a bit. Could also cause a some trauma, bruising, injection site leakage.

It's not detachable. I'm not gonna slam 5mL in one spot, how about 5 different spots on my ass? I'll do it if you promise me that the worst consequence is looking like I got a bunch of hickeys there. That sounded wrong... :D

 

[Inds]

Guys, I couldn't get these tiny ampoules to open so I had no choice but to smash the top open and pour the product into a larger septa vial, should I be worried about glass shards getting into the needle?