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Methods of Administration

Orlando

Bluelighter
Joined
Feb 26, 2002
Messages
277
Oral
Oral administration means taking it in such a way that it is absorbed through your gastrointestinal tract. This may be swallowing a pill, parachuting, or insufflating the wrong drug and allowing it to drip down your throat.

Oral administration is generally the least risky and has the fewest negative effects that result directly from the method of consumption. Possible negative side effects of oral consumption include nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.

The main drawback to oral administration is that the drug will usually be partially metabolised by the liver before crossing the blood-brain barrier. One of the reasons that some people find other methods more desirable is that they (at least initially) bypass the digestive system, thereby denying the usual first pass metabolism. Also, oral administration will result in a slower onset and greater duration than other methods.

What is “parachuting?”
Parachuting is oral administration of a powdered substance wrapped in a piece of paper. Usually, this means crushing up a pill and then wrapping it in a bit of tissue paper. The idea is to get the dose to hit you with greater speed. The dose will hit more quickly, but the difference is negligible.


Sublingual
Sublingual administration involves placing the drug beneath your tongue and leaving it there, allowing it to be absorbed via the blood vessels underneath the tongue. The main advantages of sublingual administration are the faster onset and the initial bypass of the liver, which increases the bioavailability of the drug. Sublingual may be unpleasant if performed with a foul tasting drug, and may result in an irritated or inflamed area if done repeatedly.


Rectal
Rectal administration (plugging) involves inserting the dose through the anus, where it is absorbed via the epidermal tissue of the rectum. This method of administration has some of the same advantages of sublingual administration, such as the denial of first pass metabolism.

Some debate exists about how effective rectal administration is. It is often touted to have rapid onset and more pronounced effects with minimal shortening of the duration. At the same time, some people have found rectal administration to be ineffective. Although this may be true, it most likely results from improper technique as opposed to the ineffectiveness of the method.

The unpleasant burning sensation sometimes experienced with rectal administration is usually a result of insufficiently deep insertion. The dose should be pushed in so that it is two knuckles deep.

Another complication that can be encountered is the presence of feces in the rectum. You don’t necessarily have to give yourself an enema, but evacuating your bowels prior to inserting the dose is a good idea.


Inhalation
Inhalation almost always means smoking - inhalation of the vapours produced when the drug is heated. There are a variety of ways to do this, be it via a bong, pipe, cigarette, or foil sheet. Smoking typically results in a rapid onset and relatively short duration. Obviously, smoking [some drug] can be extremely harsh on your lungs. Also, some substances are extremely susceptible to heat damage and should not be smoked.


Insufflation
Insufflation involves partially inhaling a powder through nose (the powder will be largely trapped in the nose before going any farther). Once in the nose, the drug is absorbed through the mucous membranes there.

Compared to oral administration, insufflation will result in a more rapid onset and more noticeable effects. It can also result in several problems, as the sensitive tissues of the nose are not meant to handle the relatively harsh chemicals or particles that are taken this way.

Also, some substances are not well suited for insufflation, such as those that are not easily soluble or drugs that are mixed with a relatively large portion of insolubles. The second scenario can result from crushing pills that contain small doses of a drug mixed with a large amount of binders and fillers.

What is “bumping?’
Bumping is the insufflation of a very small, circular “pile” of powder. Bumping is usually done with substances that are effective in relatively small doses, such a heroin.

What is “railing?”
Railing is the insufflation of a thin line of powder, usually via a straw or other tube. Think of how you see cocaine used in movies. That’s railing.

What is “hotrailing?”
Hotrailing is basically the same process as railing, exception that a glass tube is used to channel the powder into the nose; and the distal (furthest from your nose) end of the tube is heated. The idea is to heat the tube enough so that the powder will vaporise before it enters your nose. Although this can be a more effective method than normal insufflation, it also has disaster potential. If you can’t imagine how this would go wrong, don’t do it.


Intramuscular
Intramuscular administration means delivering a dose of drugs to a large muscle. Intramuscular administration should only be performed with pharmaceutical grade substances! Getting a load of particulate contaminants in you muscles is seriously bad news, and can result in heavy bruising, damaged tissue, and infection.

IM administration will produce a more rapid onset (<5 mins) and more intense (but shorter-lived) effects than almost all other methods of administration.


Intravenous
Intravenous administration involves injecting a dose directly into a vein. This method will provide the quickest onset, most intense effects, and shortest duration. It is also the riskiest method of administration.

More information about both methods of injection can be found on these pages:
harmreduction.org
Bluelight Injection FAQ
 
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