Harm Reduction Injection Complications FAQ and Mega Thread

[Captain.Heroin]

Yes thats what happens and with these new syringes when I pull back to register and I get air the plunger gets pulled back like there is some sort of suction.

Oh, I know what you mean. You know, it's ironic: I just began having that problem myself. I recently found myself out of clean syringes, and down to 27G's. Not my choice, but I have plenty of new ones. So, the plungers on these are so smooth, that if I pull back and I'm not in, it'll go sliding back really quickly because it's so smooth. It's kind of annoying and is not that great for registering.

However, not all of them do that.

As to why, or to how to prevent this, I'm not sure. After a while, you'll get a good feel for when you've entered the vein, so that more often than not when you do register, blood will flood back and you won't have to keep re-checking.

It took me a while to learn what that modest pushing-through feeling is like...but now that I know, despite a really smooth plunger, I don't normally have to keep checking anymore.

I guess a second pair of hands at that point, or mere luck of hitting the vein, is the only way to have an easy fix for that.

There are some needle brands that have stickier plungers - namely BD. I don't know if you're already using BD's, but most BD products I have had never have this problem. Ironically - the BD 27G 1/2" needle, 1CC are the ones I'm having this problem with! Alas...

Is there anyway to tell if I go through?

Um, well you should probably be able to feel it. How long are your needle tips? If they are 5/16", it shouldn't be too long if you use a nice and shallow angle. With a sharper angle, you'll only want to go about half way through.

With a 1/2" needle, you will only need to go a part of the way in. The 1/2" are scary long to me, I would never need most of the needle there unless I use a super-shallow angle.

Everyone else I know whiffs it except for one chick I know and she is kindy dirty!!

Even if she's kind of dirty, as long as she can wash her hands, and you can rub down your area w/ an alcohol pad, it shouldn't be a problem.

If she's good with technique, having her show you how to hit it with the right angle should really help you out.

But, make sure you do wash your hands with her too because you want a sterile environment, especially when having a friend help you out.

 

[flhx]

Oh, I know what you mean. You know, it's ironic: I just began having that problem myself. I recently found myself out of clean syringes, and down to 27G's. Not my choice, but I have plenty of new ones. So, the plungers on these are so smooth, that if I pull back and I'm not in, it'll go sliding back really quickly because it's so smooth. It's kind of annoying and is not that great for registering.

Well I finally got a descent register!! Now the next problem when I registered is was very slow but I knew I was in, could feel that feeling when you hit a vein. ( I can't really explain the feeling) I'm sure you know.

Now beening in the vein i registered and began to inject and it was very hard to inject. It did go in but with a lot of pressure and very slowly.

I did get some filters but can't seem to figure them out. The syringes I have, have the needle permanently attached. It seems as though the filter will only work without a needle. I broke off a pin and tried to use the filter to suck up water and it doesn't work.

Is there a different syringe I should use to draw through the filter?

The filter is made by Whatman 0.2um 25mm. It looks like a top that kids play with or a wheel with an axle in it. If you know anything about them please explain it's use!! (link below)

http://www.gpzservices.com/items/pr.../syringe-filter-20u-sterile-20sfss-detail.htm

There are some needle brands that have stickier plungers - namely BD. I don't know if {you're already using BD's, but most BD products I have had never have this problem. Ironically - the BD 27G 1/2" needle, 1CC are the ones I'm having this problem with! Alas...

Um, well you should probably be able to feel it. How long are your needle tips? If they are 5/16", it shouldn't be too long if you use a nice and shallow angle. With a sharper angle, you'll only want to go about half way through.

I am using Terumo 29g 1/2 1cc

 

[nevitup09]

like to say great post blow you mst of researched alot huh? i found the information really useful by the way

 

[Captain.Heroin]

Well I finally got a descent register!! Now the next problem when I registered is was very slow but I knew I was in, could feel that feeling when you hit a vein. ( I can't really explain the feeling) I'm sure you know.

Now beening in the vein i registered and began to inject and it was very hard to inject. It did go in but with a lot of pressure and very slowly.

That's great man, I'm glad you registered.

I'm not sure why it was really hard to push in, typically that's a really bad sign, however there are some sticks I've had that were incredibly hard to move, despite the fact I was in. So, it could just be the stick itself. Some batches of sticks I've gotten are stickier than others.

I did get some filters but can't seem to figure them out. The syringes I have, have the needle permanently attached. It seems as though the filter will only work without a needle. I broke off a pin and tried to use the filter to suck up water and it doesn't work.

Is there a different syringe I should use to draw through the filter?

The filter is made by Whatman 0.2um 25mm. It looks like a top that kids play with or a wheel with an axle in it. If you know anything about them please explain it's use!! (link below)

http://www.gpzservices.com/items/pr.../syringe-filter-20u-sterile-20sfss-detail.htm

# Luer Lock.

You need luer lock syringes.

http://www.gpzservices.com/items/products/syringe-only/list.htm
-> Terumo 5 CC Syringe without needle. Luer Lock tip.

You want to get those. I see that they are $7 each, so, if you can go to a Syringe Exchange Program which stocks syringes with a luer lock tip, it would be really good to get them there for free.

You may find a better priced vendor as well, I don't know.

However, yes, they screw on to a luer lock syringe. Ideally, I think you want to have the filter on the tip, then you back load whatever you need filtered in with the water, put the plunger back in, shake, then push through the filter (into a clean container). I believe that's how you want to do it.

If you want to pull it through the beginning of the filter, you can do that too, but then you have to take the filter off and then put the liquid into something else (or backload it into a fixed needle syringe), and I don't know how easy that would be.

Did this help? I'm glad you're using micron filters man.

I am using Terumo 29g 1/2 1cc

Yeah, that's a bit long of a needle. You ideally won't need to use but maybe half of the needle, depending on how shallow the angle you use is. I have 1/2" tips myself, and I typically only use 1/5 to 1/3 of the needle tip at the most. My veins are pretty close to my skin though, to be fair.

 

[HKSpowered]

as im reading this page i see a ton of things about knowing when your in the vein,,,, idk about anyone else on here but a FOAF pulls the tinyest bit back on the plunger right after getting into the skin so when he does hit the vein it kinda just autofills with blood.... is this a wrong thing to do? i would have thought everyone usually does it that way instead of guessing when they are "in"

 

[Captain.Heroin]

as im reading this page i see a ton of things about knowing when your in the vein,,,, idk about anyone else on here but a FOAF pulls the tinyest bit back on the plunger right after getting into the skin so when he does hit the vein it kinda just autofills with blood.... is this a wrong thing to do? i would have thought everyone usually does it that way instead of guessing when they are "in"

That's OK. It's normal to want to pull back a little on the plunger once you get in, so once you enter the vein you know for sure.

With a lot of experience, you'll know by feel when you're in - but it's not "guessing" to register. "Guessing" would be pushing in on the plunger because you think you're in, instead of registering first to make sure you are.

What your friend is doing is what's called "autoregistering" - so that it's a signal when he's in the vein.

Does your friend know the difference between vein and artery blood?

 

[HKSpowered]

That's OK. It's normal to want to pull back a little on the plunger once you get in, so once you enter the vein you know for sure.

With a lot of experience, you'll know by feel when you're in - but it's not "guessing" to register. "Guessing" would be pushing in on the plunger because you think you're in, instead of registering first to make sure you are.

What your friend is doing is what's called "autoregistering" - so that it's a signal when he's in the vein.

Does your friend know the difference between vein and artery blood?

he sure does, but he doesnt know the "feel" of being inside one, it only feels different for him once he breaks skin, but not after that... although n the femoral he said it pop's about three layers and on the fourth "pop" thats when he is in the vein, included in this post i will put a picture that my FOAF took when he purposely sampled blood from the femoral artery and the femoral vein.

remember in this pic its straight blood, so te colors will be brighter if you are mixing blood with clear fluid. i will post a diff pic with better clairity when my friend sends it to me later today, but for now here is the fuzzy one for people to referance what artery VS. vein blood looks like. sometimes its important to know, because in this shot you can clearly see the artery blood is not frothy or even that "bright" the vein blood looks very black when condensed, its important for people to always check a spot with a spare stick to be sure before using that spot they know with confidence its a vein since its a limb loosing mistake....

femoral artery blood on left, femoral vein blood on right

and once again here is another with femoral artery blood on left, femoral vein on right. REMEMBER THIS IS STRAIGHT BLOOD, BOTH WILL BE LIGHTER SLIGHTLY WITH MIXING YOUR SHOT WITH CLEAR FLUIDS

i think a bunch of people would guess that the artery blood is veinous blood if i just showed the one, thats why its so important to know how similar they look, with only a SLIGHT difference in the two shades... with your shot mixed in the vein blood should look about a tad brighter than the "black" dark red that it is, and the artery blood is not to to much brighter but more red than in the pics when mixed with the shot.... i would also like to note that when my friend pulled the samples, the artery did not foam, froth, or push back on the plunger at all, so its important not to base your knowladge on i you hit an artery on just if it gets frothy or backfills by itself since even using a 25G it didnt push itself in there and did not get the least bit foamy. always make sure it doesnt tingle when pushing down, and my friend usually pushes about a quarter of his shot, then pulls back, then pushes another quarter shot, and keeps backfilling about 3 or 4 times total to help dilute the shot and make sure he is in a vein as the blood color is more true with less "shot" still remaining in the syringe

 

[dopiate]

Sometimes me vein blood is really light, so much so that i only push a tiny bit to make sure i'm not in an artery.

Which is pretty much impossible since i use 5/16" tips. Other times the color is almost black. I wonder if it has to due with hydration.

 

[Jabberwocky]

hydration can definitely play a factor. the better hydrated you are the darker the blood will be.

 

[Captain.Heroin]

Sometimes me vein blood is really light, so much so that i only push a tiny bit to make sure i'm not in an artery.

Which is pretty much impossible since i use 5/16" tips. Other times the color is almost black. I wonder if it has to due with hydration.

The exchange finally had 5/16" tips, so I have those again, with mostly 31G (a few packs of 30's). %)

When I first started, I only needed half to 2/3's of a 5/16" tip, but now its' like I need 85% to 95% of it now. I guess it depends on how shallow your angle is.

 

[Bell Ringer]

Don't think that...

Did you mention NSAIDS? Apap is the best of then to reduce an abscess/missed hit.

 

[Bell Ringer]

That's pretty big, but nonetheless here's what you should do. Take a felt tip pin and draw a circle around it, then as time goes on, you can tell whether it gets bigger or smaller depending on where the line moves to.

If you start to develop more swelling, or pain, I would consider seeking medical attention.

If, over the course of the next few days, it starts to go away, then you should be fine.

Also if you get a fever then got medical attention because that is an indication that it has turned systemic (very serious).

 

[dopiate]

The exchange finally had 5/16" tips, so I have those again, with mostly 31G (a few packs of 30's). %)

When I first started, I only needed half to 2/3's of a 5/16" tip, but now its' like I need 85% to 95% of it now. I guess it depends on how shallow your angle is.

That's really lucky. The exchange i go to claims they only supply 28G because anything finer clogs...right. I had to buy some BD 31G syringes online because i was starting to look like a pin cushion. SO MUCH BETTER!

 

[Bell Ringer]

smallest sharps

That's really lucky. The exchange i go to claims they only supply 28G because anything finer clogs...right. I had to buy some BD 31G syringes online because i was starting to look like a pin cushion. SO MUCH BETTER!

Anyone know the highest gauge BD makes that is 1cc, 1/2 or 1 inch?

 

[Captain.Heroin]

That's really lucky. The exchange i go to claims they only supply 28G because anything finer clogs...right. I had to buy some BD 31G syringes online because i was starting to look like a pin cushion. SO MUCH BETTER!

It is really lucky. I was so happy to have found out about this - I really wanted to return the next day with the unopened box of 27's (200ct) so I could further stock up!

 

[dopiate]

Anyone know the highest gauge BD makes that is 1cc, 1/2 or 1 inch?

Insulin syringes don't come in 1 inch sizes. I know you can get 29 gauge 1/2" and maybe 30G 1/2" but i'm not sure.

 

[Valve]

so i missed a shot of dilaudid today and it's been about 30 mins but it is going down. luckily i realized i was missing the vein before i shot the entire rig. but since dillies dissolve so well is there any less of a chance of complications? i'm still feeling high from it so it must still get absorbed by IM but i'm a new shooter and this scared me.

but anyway, is it as dangerous as missing with other pills that aren't as water soluble?

 

[Jabberwocky]

unless you filtered it through a micron or wheel filter then yes, you're still going to run into exactly the same complications as you would any other pill that hasnt been filtered through a micron or wheel filter. insolubles and particles that would normally catch in the micron filter would pass through a cigarette filter, cotton or whatever you're using as a filter and end up in the barrel of your shot. im not 100% sure of the makeup and ingredients of a dillie, though they are one of the friendlier pills that you can inject but you still want to pass them through a micron before shooting regardless.

missing a shot of any type of pill can be extremely nasty, i know from experience.

 

[Valve]

it is not swollen anymore, just purple from busting the vein. think i shot too fast. i think i'll be fine i have been watchin it for the past few hours and like i said now it's just bruised but not swollen anymore, i'll keep watching it but thanks for the response.

 

[Bell Ringer]

not true

Insulin syringes don't come in 1 inch sizes. I know you can get 29 gauge 1/2" and maybe 30G 1/2" but i'm not sure.

BD makes 31 gauge but I have only seen 30 at pharms (1/2 inch 1cc).
Just dropped by the needle exchange and told them I wanted the highest gauge possible that are 1cc 1/2inch. The guy asked me if i would prefer 1 inch sharps.
Hell yes I would. He then said that they are a little shorter than an inch but I just compared them to my 1/2 inches and they are significantly longer. They are 28 gauge though they are BD insulin sharps (obviously the syringe is affixed to the sharp).