Harm Reduction Help with sterilization of Focalin (and other pills) prior to I.M. Injection?

[MasterKeeks]

I’ve recently started injecting Focalin extended and instant IM after filtering with either cotton or cigarette filters. The effect I get from this dwarfs any other route I’ve taken (even plugged and I am hip on how to plug correctly FYI). I’ve never used it or any drug intravenous so please don’t suggest I just move on to that because I absolutely will not out of fear of filler giving me a heart attack alongside general fear of sticking a needle into my vein myself lol. But I will say I am done using the Focalin IM until my wheel filters and sterile injectable water comes in the mail. My point of discussion for this post is to ask if any experienced drug users here and anyone in general have any insight into how I can further sterilize a solution not meant to be injected to further increase my safety doing so? Would one of the UV sterilization devices on Amazon be a useful purchase or is something else advised?

 

[Helpmeescapethis]

Ironically, IV use is actual much “safer” in terms of damage+infection risk. Veins have moving blood, with the “disease fighters” already present. You also won’t have a heart attack.

IM allows a substance to simply sit and fester, and the body’s response tissue infection is severe and unpleasant.

Please don’t IM annything until at least the wheel filters come in. I pray they’re 0.22um as well… otherwise they’re still dangerous. You could try adding a small amount (0.9% seems standard) of benzyl alcohol to the solution. That’s the only thing I’d consider trustworthy as far as sterilization goes.

 

[MasterKeeks]

Ironically, IV use is actual much “safer” in terms of damage+infection risk. Veins have moving blood, with the “disease fighters” already present. You also won’t have a heart attack.

IM allows a substance to simply sit and fester, and the body’s response tissue infection is severe and unpleasant.

Please don’t IM annything until at least the wheel filters come in. I pray they’re 0.22um as well… otherwise they’re still dangerous. You could try adding a small amount (0.9% seems standard) of benzyl alcohol to the solution. That’s the only thing I’d consider trustworthy as far as sterilization goes.

I’m realizing I may have been a bit too eager just stating “heart attack” but isn’t their a risk of injected pill filler causing issues with the heart or lungs or something when moving through your veins that would be incredibly severely damaging or am I just ignorant and haven’t read enough? I figure IM would be better off for the fact that it just sits and doesn’t get a chance to move anywhere more serious? Also I have one more Focalin ER that I’m struggling with not injecting as any other way will be hugely less effective and I want to ingest it badly in general. Think I’m gonna just make myself plug it instead and hope for a perfect plug not gonna lie though I’m gonna be hugely disappointed if it doesn’t hit well and wish I injected it but your right. Just going to look at it as maybe this would’ve been the one to cause serious harm.

Edit: 0.22 indeed

 

[Helpmeescapethis]

I’m realizing I may have been a bit too eager just stating “heart attack” but isn’t their a risk of injected pill filler causing issues with the heart or lungs or something when moving through your veins that would be incredibly severely damaging or am I just ignorant and haven’t read enough? I figure IM would be better off for the fact that it just sits and doesn’t get a chance to move anywhere more serious? Also I have one more Focalin ER that I’m struggling with not injecting as any other way will be hugely less effective and I want to ingest it badly in general. Think I’m gonna just make myself plug it instead and hope for a perfect plug not gonna lie though I’m gonna be hugely disappointed if it doesn’t hit well and wish I injected it but your right. Just going to look at it as maybe this would’ve been the one to cause serious harm.

Edit: 0.22 indeed

While particulate matter isn’t a good thing to have in the bloodstream for sure, it’s still much safer to IV than IM without a micron filter.

The main worry is infection, which is far more likely to happen from improperly filtered IM use, but can be more easily avoided with responsible IV use, even without a micron filter.

Neither is truly “safe”, but I have over a decade of IV use experience.

 

[MasterKeeks]

While particulate matter isn’t a good thing to have in the bloodstream for sure, it’s still much safer to IV than IM without a micron filter.

The main worry is infection, which is far more likely to happen from improperly filtered IM use, but can be more easily avoided with responsible IV use, even without a micron filter.

Neither is truly “safe”, but I have over a decade of IV use experience.

Ok I gotcha. Up to this point I’ve injected 5 or 6 of these pills IM using rolled up tight pieces of cotton from a sterile bandage I found in the bathroom closet. I was filtering in a medicine cup with one then sucking the solution into the syringe and out into a different medicine cup with a second rolled piece of cotton. I tried to be diligent in making sure the solution was clean as possible and injected when I saw no particulate floating around even though I have read more than enough here and have enough common sense to understand that a piece of cotton can only ever be so effective compared to a real filter. Don’t take the sterile bandage part of this to imply I was sanitary because I used the same needle for half of those pills and a very old syringe that I’m pretty sure I have used dozens of times plugging that I washed with dish detergent. I’m not joking either, I’m that r*tarded I guess. After maybe the 3rd pill and injecting in both of deltoids they both swelled up and became incredibly sore and painful. No abscesses. Yet anyways. But anyways sorry for the long tangent just figured I would add significantly more background information since you took the time to engage with me and was decent and caring enough to try and stop me from doing ridiculous harm to myself further. So thank you.

 

[MasterKeeks]

While particulate matter isn’t a good thing to have in the bloodstream for sure, it’s still much safer to IV than IM without a micron filter.

The main worry is infection, which is far more likely to happen from improperly filtered IM use, but can be more easily avoided with responsible IV use, even without a micron filter.

Neither is truly “safe”, but I have over a decade of IV use experience.

I have a few things I was wondering if you or anyone else cares to answer.

How long does it take for an abscess to form from an injection that is going to cause one?
In your unbiased opinion, outside of it never being safe to inject pills period, with micron filters and stringent harm reduction practices, is it safer to inject pills IV or IM/SC all things equal?
I’m not sure if I can ask this one but, if I or someone ever took the time to properly learn how to IV responsibly, what vein is the general safest to use? Is there a size of needle that can be used that won’t damage a vein or greatly minimizes the damage to a vein or is the destruction of veins always a reality when injecting IV?
How do you IV users manage to park the needle tip in such a small diameter location especially with skin covering partial sight of it?
When a IV user has injected enough times does it become quick and easy to shoot up? Or does it always take a bit of effort?

To be honest the only thing that was stopping me from diligently learning how to safely IV and injecting the pills that way was my perception that pills injected into your veins was the absolute worst case scenario when it comes to injecting them. But if you’re saying IV is substantially safer regarding this then I will switch to IV to minimize the substantial harm I’m already inflicting on myself injecting them in the first place

Anyone else that stumbles on to this thread, is this true?

 

[Helpmeescapethis]

A piece of rolled up cotton bandage isn’t really even a fine enough piece of cotton that I’d want to use as a filter. Did you sterilize your cooler every time? Hands and injection sites? I’m not surprised that you’re experiencing swelling. Sad thing is, you can’t see deep into the muscle tissue so we have no idea what’s going on under there.

As for an abscess, I don’t know timeframe exactly. But a few days is enough time. Check for tenderness and heat radiating from the area. Sure fire sign that your body is attempting to fight something off. Like I said though, by the time discoloration reaches the surface, something fierce is probably happening underneath. The swelling is concerning.

As for size of needle, 31G with the shortest tip possible. Yes it becomes second nature after a short while. It just takes practice, and good health helps. When I was into bodybuilding my veins were impossible to miss, and I never even broke 180lbs so I wasn’t some massive freak of nature. Also, the healthier you are, the better drugs feel overall.

And yes, I would always IV before IMing anything. With a micron filter, it probably shouldn’t matter too much. But I still would never IM.

 

[StraightObtuse]

I was on foculin for a while and just snorted and ate it. Then my doctor pulled me off the script with no warning, so i switched to IV meth. Through my own research i've found there is no practical way to sterilize that solution for iv use, and for dexmethylphenidate, it depends on if it will decompose after 30+ min vigerous boiling, which is how long it takes to sterilize a solution. Sterility is a yes or no value. Either something is sterile, or it isnt. Disinfection is significantly reducing bioburdern, Sanitization is reducing the bioburden. These are legally protected terms. An exception is so called Sterilising filters, because they do not sterilize. They filter out organisms > .22 microns but this does not include a genera of bacteria called mycoplasms and ALL viruses, which are very very very small.
Let me say this: there is no way to guarentee sterility for a shot for the average consumer. Even if you had a sterile solution, without training in ascetic technique you will contaminate it during preperation and administration.
best option for most people: industrial grade PES .22 micron filters off of amazon. Pyrogen free + surfactant free is best.
Other tips for reducing bioburden - boil water 30 min, or at the very least 5 for disinfection or use sterile water. I cant get sterile water in louisiana in the US, it requires a perscription.
WASH YOUR HANDS. WASH/ALCOHOL THE INJECTION SITE.
use sterile cotton balls for the filter and sterile cookers, if you can get them, i cant, i boil a clean spoon with my water.

But while pathogens are a major concern with iv/im/subq use, pill fillers are even worse. Your body has a whole system designed to deal with pathogens. It has no way to deal with inorganic pill fillers. Not even a .22 micron filter will remove talc and certain other constituents, which travels into your capilliries and block them, and its gonna stay there forever. Or stay just under the skin as a home and safehaven for pathogens and reoccurant infection. It seriously is never worth it to crush and inject pills. If you are going to do it regardless, a cotton filter is next to useless. order a 5 mm pore size filter and then the smallest pore size u can find, .11 i think is the smallest ive seen. First pass you push ur solution through the 5 mm for the large gunk. Second pass into the small pore. If its too difficult to push through with either of these, you can try a coffee filter to prefilter or use multiple filters if it clogs. If you do that, the talc will probably still be in it and so will viruses and unusually small microplasms maybe, but it will be the cleanest you can expect to get it. You can use any size needle u can get but IM injections are usually performed with a 20-25 gauge needle. They do not make insulin needles this big. Pick a suitable site for IM injection. Common sites include specific areas of the shoulder, hip, buttocks and thigh. I could try and explain it, but best if you google "ideal IM sites" so you can see the pictures. Once youve selected a site, wipe it with antiseptic like alcohol/hydrogen peroxide, ect, then you go straight in, like a controlled stab, perpindicular to the site. Then inject slowly, pull out, cover with sterile gauze or cotton and band aid.

Let me reiterate, this is not a good idea. Please don't do this. When you inject subq or IM, what happens is the drug gets taken into the capillaries and into systemic circulation. The effect is a slow onset effect just like taking it orally, without the safety filters. Not every drug/substance gets absorbed this way, some will not cross into systemic and start damaging the muscle and soft tissue. Idk the specifics of dexmethylphenidate, but extrication and intrication of IV drugs (basically, a "missed shot") is a very real risk for nurses administering IV formulations that can cause necrosis and require urgent surgery. If you get an abscess from an IM injection, thats a sure sign not to do it anymore, it means there is something nonremovable/inorganic getting stuck. Drugs administered this way are specially designed to work that way, it is not a "natural" path of absorption, if that makes sense.
Im trying to be helpful without fear mongering, i just want you to know what ur dealing with. Plugging it is honestly the besr compromise. Instant/near instant diffusion into systemic that bypasses 1st pass metabolism. Dont worry about the details of the technique, just mix with water, lube entrance/canal and needle-less syringe (generously), and then shoot it up the pooper. How deep? Doesnt matter, just make sure ur in the rectum, about an inch+ in, the anal canal is a transitional epithelial layer which will not absorb as well. How much water? Doesnt really matter, but Probably no more than 3 ml, or it switches from plugging to giving yourself an enema. I use 1 ml, but a pill might take more.

 

[MasterKeeks]

I was on foculin for a while and just snorted and ate it. Then my doctor pulled me off the script with no warning, so i switched to IV meth. Through my own research i've found there is no practical way to sterilize that solution for iv use, and for dexmethylphenidate, it depends on if it will decompose after 30+ min vigerous boiling, which is how long it takes to sterilize a solution. Sterility is a yes or no value. Either something is sterile, or it isnt. Disinfection is significantly reducing bioburdern, Sanitization is reducing the bioburden. These are legally protected terms. An exception is so called Sterilising filters, because they do not sterilize. They filter out organisms > .22 microns but this does not include a genera of bacteria called mycoplasms and ALL viruses, which are very very very small.
Let me say this: there is no way to guarentee sterility for a shot for the average consumer. Even if you had a sterile solution, without training in ascetic technique you will contaminate it during preperation and administration.
best option for most people: industrial grade PES .22 micron filters off of amazon. Pyrogen free + surfactant free is best.
Other tips for reducing bioburden - boil water 30 min, or at the very least 5 for disinfection or use sterile water. I cant get sterile water in louisiana in the US, it requires a perscription.
WASH YOUR HANDS. WASH/ALCOHOL THE INJECTION SITE.
use sterile cotton balls for the filter and sterile cookers, if you can get them, i cant, i boil a clean spoon with my water.

But while pathogens are a major concern with iv/im/subq use, pill fillers are even worse. Your body has a whole system designed to deal with pathogens. It has no way to deal with inorganic pill fillers. Not even a .22 micron filter will remove talc and certain other constituents, which travels into your capilliries and block them, and its gonna stay there forever. Or stay just under the skin as a home and safehaven for pathogens and reoccurant infection. It seriously is never worth it to crush and inject pills. If you are going to do it regardless, a cotton filter is next to useless. order a 5 mm pore size filter and then the smallest pore size u can find, .11 i think is the smallest ive seen. First pass you push ur solution through the 5 mm for the large gunk. Second pass into the small pore. If its too difficult to push through with either of these, you can try a coffee filter to prefilter or use multiple filters if it clogs. If you do that, the talc will probably still be in it and so will viruses and unusually small microplasms maybe, but it will be the cleanest you can expect to get it. You can use any size needle u can get but IM injections are usually performed with a 20-25 gauge needle. They do not make insulin needles this big. Pick a suitable site for IM injection. Common sites include specific areas of the shoulder, hip, buttocks and thigh. I could try and explain it, but best if you google "ideal IM sites" so you can see the pictures. Once youve selected a site, wipe it with antiseptic like alcohol/hydrogen peroxide, ect, then you go straight in, like a controlled stab, perpindicular to the site. Then inject slowly, pull out, cover with sterile gauze or cotton and band aid.

Let me reiterate, this is not a good idea. Please don't do this. When you inject subq or IM, what happens is the drug gets taken into the capillaries and into systemic circulation. The effect is a slow onset effect just like taking it orally, without the safety filters. Not every drug/substance gets absorbed this way, some will not cross into systemic and start damaging the muscle and soft tissue. Idk the specifics of dexmethylphenidate, but extrication and intrication of IV drugs (basically, a "missed shot") is a very real risk for nurses administering IV formulations that can cause necrosis and require urgent surgery. If you get an abscess from an IM injection, thats a sure sign not to do it anymore, it means there is something nonremovable/inorganic getting stuck. Drugs administered this way are specially designed to work that way, it is not a "natural" path of absorption, if that makes sense.
Im trying to be helpful without fear mongering, i just want you to know what ur dealing with. Plugging it is honestly the besr compromise. Instant/near instant diffusion into systemic that bypasses 1st pass metabolism. Dont worry about the details of the technique, just mix with water, lube entrance/canal and needle-less syringe (generously), and then shoot it up the pooper. How deep? Doesnt matter, just make sure ur in the rectum, about an inch+ in, the anal canal is a transitional epithelial layer which will not absorb as well. How much water? Doesnt really matter, but Probably no more than 3 ml, or it switches from plugging to giving yourself an enema. I use 1 ml, but a pill might take more.

Been a few weeks since I got out of the hospital for leg abscess removal surgery, second time, first time was a deltoid abscess, needed surgery also as well.

I'm done injecting pills, going to water ethanol/methanol extract them and snort instead. Also, I've done a boatload of scientific research into creating a vape able dexmethylphenidate freebase that I plan on getting to soon.

BTW, I.M. dexmethylphenidate absolutely decreased the Tmax to around 10-15 minutes and bioavailability was somewhere near 100% so there was a reasoning for my insanely dumb behavior, doesn't excuse being so irresponsible.

Regarding the plugging/boofing you actually want to insert between a half inch and a inch and slowly push the plunger so the solution lands on the anal columns which are full of blood vessels or whatever. Nurses often avoid this area because of how fast and efficient the absorption is and prefer the rectum for a slower more controlled release of medication. Also, at the most you want to use 1 mL of water so that it does not overflow into the rectum and stays in place, 1-1/2 mL at the most but 1 mL is most optimal and efficient. You should do your plugging standing and then sit down or remain standing as this is the best position to keep the solution where it needs to be. It takes 10-15 minutes for most drugs to peak plugging.