JAN 8 2018 Misses heroin shit in crock of arm. Super swollen an red!

[Addicted420]

I shot about 40units if black tar it was about a .3. I didn't think I missed but my arm is super swollen an red as fuck. I can't even straighten my arm an I'm super scared. Been shooting for years this has never happened to me on this level!!! It's also very warm around res area! It's painful to move my arm out and extend it. Stiff also

 

[DynoSpec]

Go to the dr, sounds like you have an abscess the warmth is a sign of infection aswell as the pain.

 

[Keif' Richards]

You need to go to the emergency department if you value the possession of all of your limbs. That is all. We cannot do anything and I mean anything for you. If you choose to rely on us for help in this scenario, you run the risk of amputation and/or death. It also might resolve on its own, but we do not play that game. We don't gamble with life and limb under Harm Reduction philosophy. Please seek help immediately. Call an ambulance if you have to.

Botulism is an occasional complication arising from injecting Black Tar Heroin.

 

[Tzcatlipoca]

I shot about 40units if black tar it was about a .3. I didn't think I missed but my arm is super swollen an red as fuck. I can't even straighten my arm an I'm super scared. Been shooting for years this has never happened to me on this level!!! It's also very warm around res area! It's painful to move my arm out and extend it. Stiff also

What you have sounds like an Edema resulting from a missed injection into the subcutaneous epidermal tissue instead of the targeted vein.

Whereas an Edema is not necessarily an emergency it is indeed painful and will take up to a painful month to heal without proper treatment. I suggest you go to a hospital and tell them you fell on your arm. If the needle tracks are invisible they may not even doubt you of opiate usage.

Always consider your physician when in doubt, my advice is by no means failsafe health-care advice, and I would recommend you to get examined by a physician before I suggest anything further

 

[Keif' Richards]

What you have sounds like an Edema resulting from a missed injection into the subcutaneous epidermal tissue instead of the targeted vein.

Whereas an Edema is not necessarily an emergency it is indeed painful and will take up to a painful month to heal without proper treatment. I suggest you go to a hospital and tell them you fell on your arm. If the needle tracks are invisible they may not even doubt you of opiate usage.

Always consider your physician when in doubt, my advice is by no means failsafe health-care advice, and I would recommend you to get examined by a physician before I suggest anything further

Hey buddy, while I definitely appreciate your desire to help, I really do, we like to steer clear of making even educated guesses in terms of diagnosis. All we can truly do is make these educated guesses and we really have nothing to stand on when we make these claims. Not only do we not know, by suggesting the fact that maybe the condition is minor, the person in question could take this to heart. They are already extremely nervous about having to go to the hospital and explain their condition, we absolutely can't have any kind of information that might sway them to the decision to seek medical treatment.

Sure, if the condition is minor and/or "textbook", it can be helpful to provide some educated guesses, but when we're dealing with issues like missed shots, there is always the potential for severe complications leading to amputation and/or death. So, while I totally appreciate where you're coming from, let's try not to make any kind of diagnostic decisions unless we are truly sure.

 

[TargetX]

What you have sounds like an Edema resulting from a missed injection into the subcutaneous epidermal tissue instead of the targeted vein.

Whereas an Edema is not necessarily an emergency it is indeed painful and will take up to a painful month to heal without proper treatment. I suggest you go to a hospital and tell them you fell on your arm. If the needle tracks are invisible they may not even doubt you of opiate usage.

Always consider your physician when in doubt, my advice is by no means failsafe health-care advice, and I would recommend you to get examined by a physician before I suggest anything further

The guy describes his arm as extremely swollen, to the point of immobilising it, that it's extremely red which probably means it's also hot and that he's in a lot of pain. That doesn't sound like a bit of Oedema, it's not something that should be played down, it's not something that you can diagnose from 2 lines of text and especially if you've not seen it. Not trying to be a dick here, but you can't diagnose something over the internet and from the severity of what he's describing the only correct thing to do is tell him we can't help him and he NEEDS to go to the ER

Furthermore he should be completely honest with the Dr, lying about the cause of an injury is stupid. If he tells them he fell on his arm it could potentially delay or mess up a diagnosis, if they think it's just blunt force trauma he could sit in the ER at a low priority with a raging infection, though they more than likely aren't idiots and will see through the lie and will piss them off. Don't lie to your Dr folks, you only put yourself at risk

 

[Tzcatlipoca]

The guy describes his arm as extremely swollen, to the point of immobilising it, that it's extremely red which probably means it's also hot and that he's in a lot of pain. That doesn't sound like a bit of Oedema, it's not something that should be played down, it's not something that you can diagnose from 2 lines of text and especially if you've not seen it. Not trying to be a dick here, but you can't diagnose something over the internet and from the severity of what he's describing the only correct thing to do is tell him we can't help him and he NEEDS to go to the ER

Furthermore he should be completely honest with the Dr, lying about the cause of an injury is stupid. If he tells them he fell on his arm it could potentially delay or mess up a diagnosis, if they think it's just blunt force trauma he could sit in the ER at a low priority with a raging infection, though they more than likely aren't idiots and will see through the lie and will piss them off. Don't lie to your Dr folks, you only put yourself at risk

I agree with you completely. All I said were geared to calm him down, seek emergency aid, receive least punishment and best treatment possible.
It is to my knowledge especially in the US healthcare staff loathe dealing with ODs, and in some states legally required and others morally obliged to report the incident to law enforcement, which in itself is the biggest deterrent to patients having trouble with illegal opiates seeking aid.

 

[Keif' Richards]

^I hear you and understand completely why you would have this view of health care in the United States. We have always been two steps behing Europe and one step behind Canada in terms of the liberalization of recreational drug use. The good thing is though, that in recent years, there has indeed been a liberalization in the treatment of drug addicts. Granted, there is going to be a variation from state to state, but as the so-called epidemic has encroached into the Caucasian population, politicians and concerned parents and citizens have forced the hand.

I've known people who even just ten years ago were prosecuted simply for being in the presence of an OD. It was not uncommon for the cops to try to stick a manslaughter charge on said individuals, automatically implying that because they're the only person there, that they supplied the Heroin. You would be prosecuted for possession of syringes. They would test the barrels for residue of Heroin and prosecute you for Felony possession.

In recent years, what are called Good Samaritan laws have proliferated. These laws absolve individuals from prosecution when calling in an OD. Too many people were being abandoned to die over the fear of dealing with the law. Things have changed significantly and I'll admit that most of my experience is in the fairly liberal bastion of New England, but from what I have learned in research, the rest of the country is following a similar trajectory.

Those who are afraid of prosecution or other negative consequences should absolutely not let this fear prevent them from seeking care, regardless of the law. Luckily, it is highly unlikely that you would be in any trouble whatsoever for seeking medical attention. In modern times, the worst consequence is that the hospital will indeed label you as a drug addict, which, given the fact that all medical records are electronic, could produce some roadblocks in the future if trying to obtain prescriptions for controlled substances.

All of these are no reason not to seek care. The consequences of a missed shot can be and often are much more significant than the minor consequences you will face by seeking medical treatment.

 

[Tzcatlipoca]

^I hear you and understand completely why you would have this view of health care in the United States. We have always been two steps behing Europe and one step behind Canada in terms of the liberalization of recreational drug use. The good thing is though, that in recent years, there has indeed been a liberalization in the treatment of drug addicts. Granted, there is going to be a variation from state to state, but as the so-called epidemic has encroached into the Caucasian population, politicians and concerned parents and citizens have forced the hand.

I've known people who even just ten years ago were prosecuted simply for being in the presence of an OD. It was not uncommon for the cops to try to stick a manslaughter charge on said individuals, automatically implying that because they're the only person there, that they supplied the Heroin. You would be prosecuted for possession of syringes. They would test the barrels for residue of Heroin and prosecute you for Felony possession.

In recent years, what are called Good Samaritan laws have proliferated. These laws absolve individuals from prosecution when calling in an OD. Too many people were being abandoned to die over the fear of dealing with the law. Things have changed significantly and I'll admit that most of my experience is in the fairly liberal bastion of New England, but from what I have learned in research, the rest of the country is following a similar trajectory.

Those who are afraid of prosecution or other negative consequences should absolutely not let this fear prevent them from seeking care, regardless of the law. Luckily, it is highly unlikely that you would be in any trouble whatsoever for seeking medical attention. In modern times, the worst consequence is that the hospital will indeed label you as a drug addict, which, given the fact that all medical records are electronic, could produce some roadblocks in the future if trying to obtain prescriptions for controlled substances.

All of these are no reason not to seek care. The consequences of a missed shot can be and often are much more significant than the minor consequences you will face by seeking medical treatment.

This is exactly why I prefer smoking/eating or nasal spraying my opiates. IME needles are a last resort if anything, and best handled by professional healthcare practitioners.