Heroin I barely ever manage to find a vein even after reading all of the tips I can find. Is there any technique I can use for a sure fire way of a success?

[Jabberwocky]

In fact don't do that. Alkie wipes are for disinfecting the area BEFOREHAND .

Swipe your injection site once or twice in one direction. Wait a few secs for the moisture from it to dry on your skin. After injection press a piece of gauze or clean paper tissue on the site which will help to minimize bruising and stop any bleeding.
The alcohol in the wipes actually encourages more bleeding which is why they're not for after. (Also no need to disinfect twice.)

good catch. complete brain fart on my part!!! i did mean before so fuck knows why i wrote after.

 

[TheUltimateFixx]

good catch. complete brain fart on my part!!! i did mean before so fuck knows why i wrote after.

I've seen a lot of people use them afterwards though. So just as well your brain farted

PS and believe it or not I've seen some people in a safe injection site (Germany, not UK 'cause here we've not got them) who seemed to think the little piece of gauze was like some kind of doily you put your cooker on

 

[polarthedog]

PS and believe it or not I've seen some people in a safe injection site (Germany, not UK 'cause here we've not got them) who seemed to think the little piece of gauze was like some kind of doily you put your cooker on

LOL, I can totally see someone doing that too, and then when you tell 5em what’s it’s really for they get mad because they feel dumb

 

[genericuser]

I cant 'find' veins by barely seeing them, but none of them ever stick out when i tie my arm off. Ive tried the windmill method, keeping it warm, chugging water, literally fucking everything What do I do?!?!

look up a vein map on google... everybody has veins in the same place. Use the map and then try feel out where yours are.

 

[OpiateKiller]

Can you post a pic of your arms / veins>?

I actually find the insulin needles most drug users use to inject incredibly difficult to use.

I have big arms and veins but I find 3 mL 25-27 gauge needles much easier to inject with

 

[genericuser]

Can you post a pic of your arms / veins>?

I actually find the insulin needles most drug users use to inject incredibly difficult to use.

I have big arms and veins but I find 3 mL 25-27 gauge needles much easier to inject with

I'm like OP in that I have terrible veins, however I know where they are. I use a myjector aka the baby needle, or a 3/8th. I dunno if you guys are in the states and things are different.

 

[polarthedog]

I'm like OP in that I have terrible veins, however I know where they are. I use a myjector aka the baby needle, or a 3/8th. I dunno if you guys are in the states and things are different.

Hey man, I just realized you only have 28 posts, just wanted to say, welcome to bluelight

 

[genericuser]

Hey man, I just realized you only have 28 posts, just wanted to say, welcome to bluelight

thank you very much. I was on here years ago, but only posted occasionally. Life got in the way and I stopped posting about ten years ago, and I can't remember my old username.

 

[IceKing69]

I too have a difficult time finding veins.. but recently came up with a nifty lil trick that works great for myself.. I use the flashlight app on my phone.. I turn the brightness up all the way for it.. then just put the light against my skin.. and viola, all my veins show up like a dang road map.. lol.. and I also have been hitting in my chest area.. those veins show up well too with the phone flashlight.. of course you're gonna wanna be in a kinda dark room.. the darker the room the better the trick works.. hope this helps....

 

[Bishillkillyou]

I was banging heroin (and plenty of meth/coke in there) for 7 cumulative years and, needless to say, I know your pain.

The desperation I went to to hit was astounding. I went from my arms and hands to my feet and then my ankles and calves. And then my neck. And then my groin and crotch. Finally...you know where. Nothing could stop me. I'm done now (18 months clean!) and can look back on that with some horror.

Anyway, a couple things that I did as I was winding down and getting desperate:

Warm washcloths held on the space you're trying to find a vein. This can help them stand up.

Go up in needle size (or down in gauge). This helps blood flow back into the rig itself and the heftier needle can punch through scar tissue more easily. I used 30 gauge (31 if I was hitting my hands or feet) shorts for years but towards the end I "upgraded" to a 28 gauge long. I was able to find a few deeper ones in my arms that way (and when I say deep, I mean I sank most of the 1/2th inch needle into my arm to find it). You aren't limited to just the veins you can see or "think" are there. Veins run all up and down your arms, and most you can't see.

Somebody said this, but ROTATE THOSE SITES. I know it's exciting to find a reliable spot to hit after struggling and just go in for the kill on that ONE specific spot going forward (I was that guy for a long time), but trust me, you are in for a life of pain and disappointment if you do that. My rule was 3 shots into that one spot before I move on and give it a minimum of five days to heal up. 7-10 days would be even better, though I know that's not easy.

Also, get creative. I don't know if you want to constrain your use to your arms only (though that won't last, if you're at all like me), but there are decent sized veins that run back underneath your forearm. If you do a "bicep flex" type of pose and look where your elbow meets your arm on the inside, you're gonna see some pretty thick veins run upwards. I made use of those many times. If you hit those, you might be shooting AWAY from your heart, so in the wrong direction in a sense, but as long as you don't slam the plunger down I never had any problems.

Finally, if you're shaking too badly from dopesickness, pop a few units of your shot into your upper arm or thigh. Wait a few minutes for that small amount of dope to absorb and your shakes will get a lot better. Just don't make a habit of doing that and DON'T do it with a dirty, because skin popping with dirties can give you an abscess. (Honestly, you should never do anything with a dirty rig besides dispose of it properly, but I would be a hypocrite if I said that I "only ever used a rig once.")

Hope that helps! I won't comment on your situation, because I don't know it, but if you ever want to discuss any hardships or addiction in general then let me know.

The fact your clean and I’m asking this just proves this fucking disease. I am u and u are me. I have nothing left I’m too scared to stick myself in the groin because I can’t physically see it. Could you? Did u stick on faith? For some reason I don think my 28G long insulin syringes will reach and I only think my next step is paralysis! Help me

 

[DesertFox991]

The fact your clean and I’m asking this just proves this fucking disease. I am u and u are me. I have nothing left I’m too scared to stick myself in the groin because I can’t physically see it. Could you? Did u stick on faith? For some reason I don think my 28G long insulin syringes will reach and I only think my next step is paralysis! Help me

Honestly, look up a diagram of your cardiovascular system first. You'd be surprised how thick those veins are and easy they are to find. I reached mine with a 30 short on a regular basis, though my veins (were, past tense) pretty easy off the bat. A long will reach it, but for God's sake be careful with how much of the point you put in. There's a massive nerve right near there and you will want to die if you nick it. Assuming you're a guy, look underneath your balls and to the right, between your thigh and your gooch. A HUGE vein is right there. Just two things:

Alcohol wipe beforehand! That area is naturally filthy.

For fucks sake, NEVER EVER use a dirty down there. I did and got an abscess right in that vein and spent two and a half days in the hospital because of it.

I hate to recommend this, but hitting your cock is honestly super easy and hurts way less than you think. Use a 30/31 short and get an erection beforehand and the veins are right there for the taking, plus there are a lot of them down there. It doesn't even hurt as much as you'd expect it to; it's less painful than your hands and feet, in my experience. Same two rules apply as above: alcohol wipe beforehand and NO DIRTIES.

Have you torn up your ankles yet? Both sides, as in the outside and inside? Top of your feet? Back of your calves? Biceps? Back of your forearms? All of those are much better choices than your groin or dick and I'd encourage you to go for those first. I mean, I'd encourage you to quit, but I know from experience that it's borderline impossible. I relapsed recently and went on a 3-week bender, but I'm back in sober living and doing pretty well.

 

[JuncoPartner]

When your going in your groin it's time to stop youl end up with no leg, iv got a big hole in the right hand side of mine it's gross.
There's always the jugular aswell I suppose I dunno it might not be as bad.
I know this lass who always goes in her neck, she uses a mirror

 

[TheUltimateFixx]

.. SHIT I can't raise a vein. For perspective, even when I was a multiple - daily, full - time user, I could always ALWAYS hit.

My veins btw were also always crap. I have to have regular blood works done due to a genetic condition, and the medical staff will be poking me more full of holes than a Swiss cheese before they're finished ; because apparently my veins lie lower beneath the skin surface than average. Just great when ya wanna do IV drugs eh Xd

 

[ChemicallyEnhanced]

Preferably on my arms. I’ve used tourniquets and warmth and everything from a-z but it’s still nearly impossible for me to find a vein. Any help would be much appreciated.

Do you rotate? Despite what a lot of people claim, your veins DO come back if you leave them alone long enough, so if there's somewhere you rarely shoot, or haven't used in a while, I'd try there.

 

[polarthedog]

Do you rotate? Despite what a lot of people claim, your veins DO come back if you leave them alone long enough, so if there's somewhere you rarely shoot, or haven't used in a while, I'd try there.

I think it depends on the amount of damage done to them

I have some in my left arm that have never been the same since I screwed them up one day, but they grew back, Justin not how they used to be, ones way bigger than it use drugs to be, Andy I think one just died. So the bigger one grr to replace the dead one. Though, I would think if someone did more damage than me, they might Justin have spider veins grow back

Lol, it autocorrected just to Justin, ima leave it cause it’s kinda funny, especially with and being switched to Andy constantly

 

[ChemicallyEnhanced]

I think it depends on the amount of damage done to them

I have some in my left arm that have never been the same since I screwed them up one day, but they grew back, Justin not how they used to be, ones way bigger than it use drugs to be, Andy I think one just died. So the bigger one grr to replace the dead one. Though, I would think if someone did more damage than me, they might Justin have spider veins grow back

Lol, it autocorrected just to Justin, ima leave it cause it’s kinda funny, especially with and being switched to Andy constantly

My phone does that too lol! It's always auto-correcting "mom" to "cunt"! LOL! Silly phone!

 

[ChemicallyEnhanced]

^I'm kidding lol.

 

[polarthedog]

^I'm kidding lol.

I figured, or atleast half kidding lol, I’m not judging, me and my mom have issues too. Can’t say I’ve never called her a cunt lol

I love her though,it’s just that sometimes I hate her too

 

[Darknessandabottletohold]

I figured, or atleast half kidding lol, I’m not judging, me and my mom have issues too. Can’t say I’ve never called her a cunt lol

I love her though,it’s just that sometimes I hate her too

Sameee. Do u think that's why some of us do this? Mother issues? I guarantee in 25 years one of us will be living in a place called bates motel, n wearing our dead mums hair n scalp n talking to ourselves like she would"im not even gonna swat that fly! They'll all see n they'll say," see he wouldn't harm a fly"

 

[pkt]

A doctor once told me I have really thin fins veins and nurses have always struggled with me. I used to find a decent vein and use only that vein until it was no more… one of the reasons I stopped IVing was the nightmare of spending an hour to draw blood and many times having to throw half gram shots away because the needle would slip out and the blood coagulate inside the needle, I had a lot of friends with big thick veins sticking out all over there body and I must admit a certain level of vein envy