Heroin Missed Vein Question

[vonnegut]

Hello, I'm new to the forum so if this is in the wrong place or something- sorry about that.

So I've snorted many times, but tonight was my first time actually shooting up heroin, and I definitely missed.

I'm quite obviously a newbie/idiot with this, since I think I got a little air in the syringe and missed, like I said, which prompted 2 bumps (clots?) under the skin and redness/irritation. The swelling has gone down in just a few minutes, but I'm worried that this could lead to an abscess or something really harmful?

What are the chances of this needing medical attention? I feel fine, but I know sometimes these things get gradually worse if untreated. And is air in the syringe something to worry about if it didn't even hit the vein? If so, what if it was just a tiny amount?

Thanks in advance.

 

[TokinDerrick]

you will be fine. the bump will go away, and you will still get high, it will just take a bit.

if it was just a little air bubble you have nothing to worry about.

next time, tie off good, find a good fat vein, stick it in, and REGISTER your shots, meaning make sure your in the vein by pulling back on the plunger a bit and see if any blood comes back. once it does, start pushing the plunger. if you feel you feel out (stinging, or bump forming) stop and re-register, its very easy to go through the vein, meaning you will have to pull back on the entire syringe.

 

[CTdopeLove]

I think it would be easiest to learn to shoot without tying off, unless you absolutely need a tie in order to see your veins. If you tie off, you need to loosen the tie after you register but before you inject, and the motion can easily cause you to pull out of the vein, either requiring you to re-tie and re-find the vein, or miss your shot if you don't. If you inject while the tie is still tight, you risk ballooning the vein, causing it to collapse.

As for the missed shot, I think it's largely dependent on what kind of heroin you're shooting. I shot the columbian powder on the east coast US for years with many many misses over that time, and never had an abcess or any other complication. However, tar heroin is more damaging to tissue, and the inferior purification seems to lead to a higher proportion of medical problems in regards to its use.

~CTdopeLove

 

[nvan7891]

like they said u should be fine. all I ever get here in the east is white and tan powder. I have to hit my girlfriend cause she can't do it herself and unfortunately I miss, rarely, but its happened more than a couple times cause her veins are so fuckin small ( she gets soooooo pissed. ) She has never had a serious problem. I do it in her hand cause that's the easiest for some reason.

also I would always try and get all the air out beforehand. small amounts aren't bad to inject, even in a vein but the air bubble can cause blood in the syringe to clot faster if your having trouble and its all around Just better for u to just not mess around with air.

it might take a bit but it'll ho back to normal. beware tho, it might make that vein harder to hit for a while too.

I think heroinhelper.com has a good guide on shooting properly. check it out.

 

[Alcohol120]

I'll think you'll be fine. Everyone misses a shot now and again. I usually take a Benadryl (diphenhydramine), and put a warm washcloth over the area for 15 minutes at a time.


I would also suggest reading this thread, it can be very helpful;
IV Megathread

 

[Dr.kush]

Yeah it should b fine. I use to leave a little air in my rig when I would dark shots so I can see the blood flow in. But you should a hot compress next time this happens and the heroin will disolve in.

Your most likely not going to, but if you get an abcess go to the doctor right away.

 

[TokinDerrick]

If you tie off, you need to loosen the tie after you register but before you inject, and the motion can easily cause you to pull out of the vein.

really this depends on the skill of the shooter.

I use 1/2" needles and I get almost the whole needle in my vein, that way I can take my hand away from the needle carefully, pop the tie, and then shoot.

btw, its MUCH easier to pop the tie-off real quick when doing this if you use one of the rubber kind the hospital uses. before that, I was using a belt, and I always had to leave the belt tight while I shot otherwise it'd slide down my arm and hit the rig or something.

 

[jamesBrown]

I dont understand why you people say you must loosen the tie before injecting. Ive NEVER done this and ive been shooting up heroin and oxy for over 2 years(thousands of times) and ive NEVER had any problem.

What gives?

 

[ThePharmicist]

I dont understand why you people say you must loosen the tie before injecting. Ive NEVER done this and ive been shooting up heroin and oxy for over 2 years(thousands of times) and ive NEVER had any problem.

What gives?

Because the excess pressure could cause a vein to rupture. It's a simple HR thing. Just because you've never ruptured a vein doesn't mean no one else will.

Funny thing though, one of my buddies says the same thing. He NEVER loosens the tie when shoots (if he actually ties off). Perhaps it's okay for some people, but definitely not everyone.


It's funny that this thread got posted today, because I actually just came on here to look up info on missed shots, because I missed one today. I thought I was in for sure, but I must have slipped out because I registered and everything. Also, I've missed part of a shot before and it stung real bad so I knew to stop immediately. This time though it didn't sting at all until after. I must have gotten a small amount in the vein because I definitely felt a rush, but now I've got a bump on the crook of my arm and it hurts.

I've been using a hot compress and gently trying to work it out. It was weird because I must have slipped out whilst pushing the plunger down after registering. Damn. Oh well, I'll sort it out later when I shoot again.

 

[Georgie25]

If you can see/feel your veins in the first place, don't even use a tourniquet. I've been "blessed" with skinniness and can let my arm hang low for a couple seconds and all my veins in the hands and arm will pop out. Plunging without taking the tourney off is just careless and dangerous. It can cause you to burst the vein.

 

[TornUpKnuckles]

there is some good videos on the internet showing you how to do it correctly.

I wouldn't do it for the first few times by yourself or with people who don't know what their doingr.

Try finding someone to show you how, or to even shoot you up, or if your connection is cool, ask him.

Be safe, dude. It's not like your doing something that does not have any risks involved. Make sure you know what your doing before you go shooting anything into your veins.

And remember this important rule; you can always do more, but you can never take it out of your body. The amount you use to shoot up is significantly smaller the the amount you would use to snort or smoke.

Good luck, and I hope you understand that once you start shooting up, you will never go back to snorting/smoking it again. Know the risks, and if your ready to take that leap, make sure you do it correctly.

 

[Keif' Richards]

You're in the clear as long as you don't get an abscess. A little air in the rig is fine, but too much air going into the vein can give you a gas embolism possibly resulting in death. To my knowledge though you would need to be injecting a shitload of air, like a good part of the full volume of your syringe. IV'ing isn't rocket science but if you don't know what you're doing shit can go wrong badly, so be careful, and as I've said before find someone who knows what they're doing and you'll have a much easier time.

 

[jamesBrown]

Wow, Im suprised no one EVER told me the entire 2 and a half odd years I was injecting heroin that your supposed to loosen the "tie" before you push the plunger for fear of "bursting a vein". I still dont really get it, unless you have really weak veins. I never had any pain, bursting veins, .....nothing. I guess it makes sense theoretically that you could possibly burst a vein that way, but Ive NEVER heard of anyone having this happen to them and everyone I know who shoots up doesnt loosen the tie(and I know about 30 people who shoot up several tiems a day....I know, its sad).

 

[Captain.Heroin]

really this depends on the skill of the shooter.

I use 1/2" needles and I get almost the whole needle in my vein, that way I can take my hand away from the needle carefully, pop the tie, and then shoot.

btw, its MUCH easier to pop the tie-off real quick when doing this if you use one of the rubber kind the hospital uses. before that, I was using a belt, and I always had to leave the belt tight while I shot otherwise it'd slide down my arm and hit the rig or something.

Most of a 1/2" needle?

Most of my veins are accessible with 5/16" (sometimes only needing half or less of the short tip to register and shoot), and I have IM'd with a 5/16" before. If I used most of a 1/2" needle, at almost any angle, I am sure I would hit muscle.

I dont understand why you people say you must loosen the tie before injecting.

You obviously don't have to, it's just advisable (if you are going to use a tourniquet). It's also a waste of time IMO because using a tourniquet isn't necessary unless you can't really see/feel your veins without one.

there is some good videos on the internet showing you how to do it correctly.

I wouldn't do it for the first few times by yourself or with people who don't know what their doingr.

Try finding someone to show you how, or to even shoot you up, or if your connection is cool, ask him.

Be safe, dude. It's not like your doing something that does not have any risks involved. Make sure you know what your doing before you go shooting anything into your veins.

And remember this important rule; you can always do more, but you can never take it out of your body. The amount you use to shoot up is significantly smaller the the amount you would use to snort or smoke.

Good luck, and I hope you understand that once you start shooting up, you will never go back to snorting/smoking it again. Know the risks, and if your ready to take that leap, make sure you do it correctly.

This is good advice, having a skilled friend can help you out a lot when you are first starting IV use.

 

[Georgie25]

Anyone else love that big vein on the top of the wrist near the hand..for 3 years i managed to use the two elbow crook veins daily without any problems even reusing rigs a lot. I juststarted using the top of the wrist vein and it's so big and easy to hit and you dont have to go too deep to register I get it first try every time so Im trying to make it last, lol

 

[vonnegut]

^That's where I tried (and failed)! haha

Thanks y'all. I appreciate the help.

 

[Georgie25]

^That's where I tried (and failed)! haha

Thanks y'all. I appreciate the help.

Haha damn. You should try without a tourney next time and dont stick the needle to deep. I can see how it would be harder to untie a tourney while holding the needle in that vein as its much easier to slip out compared to your elbow veins. BTW wrist isnt really a beginner spot to be hitting, most beginners start with the easiest vein to hit which is your inner elbow crook vein where most doctors take blood.

 

[CTdopeLove]

I dont understand why you people say you must loosen the tie before injecting. Ive NEVER done this and ive been shooting up heroin and oxy for over 2 years(thousands of times) and ive NEVER had any problem.

What gives?

Just because you haven't had a problem (I never had a major problem in my years of doing the same thing) doesn't mean there isn't a risk in injecting while tied off. People survive gunshots to the head, but I wouldn't recommend it.

In addition to the risk of ballooning the vein, the pressure on the vein can also cause a small amount of blood and injected substance to be forced back out of the vein, leaving it under the skin where it can progress into an abcess just as a missed shot could do.

~CTdopeLove

 

[iceicebaby]

I learned by having someone else shoot me up first. I used a 5/16" needle and I'm also lucky to not have the need to tie off.

 

[nvan7891]

I know a great trick for people that pop their ties before plunging. take a string that's a couple feet long. and tie one end back onto the string to make a balloon on a string or noose shape. then thread the other end thru that loop and put your arm thru. tighten it and hold the end with your teeth. once u register Just let go of the string with your teeth and it loosens. no need to move your hands or anything!

also a question: how bad can bursting a vein be?