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Harm Reduction When are veins finally kaput & Can they be reused

blackjesus

blackjesus

Bluelighter
Joined
Feb 22, 2010
Messages
243
Hey guys, firstly i posted this in what i thought was the proper thread over a week ago and got no response, apparently it was in version 2 of the injection megathread and it must not get looked at any more anyways i have some general questions about information (misinformation) regaurding what i believe are [semi?]collapsed veins in my arms

-is a collapsed vein still passing blood (at a slower rate?) or not passing blood at all.

the reason i ask is because the two main veins to shoot in on both sides of my arms have become useless to me, when i tie off, they dont even pop out anymore, when i do try to insert the needle into the vein i get no register even tho im fairly sure im in (used to be able to do it nearly blindfolded) now i get nothing.

i just seem to think that these veins might be useful (although they appear visually "bruised" or "burned" like a scar appears; looks like a blue/black dot under my skin [not like pics for collapsed vein look like on a google search]) and fear that if they actually are collapsed (both veins [cephalic, and basilic?] on each arm) that blood flow to the extremities and digits would be hindered (ie: no finger movement) which is not the case (obviously)

another reason i believe these veins are still flowing just not "registering" when i pull back on the needle is that after i put it into the vein, i pull back & nada, then i remove the syringe and deep dark red blood flows out just like from...a vein..


if the mods dont get to this thread first i'd like to put some pictures up of my veins when i get home. currently the only place i can hit is on my hand that big vein going into the arm and its a shitty part of a vein it just burns all the way up my arm and is not as solid a shot as the other part of the vein. if i go any higher than the crook in my arm (up near the muscle i used to be able to hit once in a blue moon but the muscle tissue surrounding it was prone to bruising and missed shots)
 
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There are lots of veins in your arm that criss-cross each other in a complex web - so there's usually multiple paths for blood to bypass collapsed veins. Most of the time there is very little flow (if at all) through the damaged vessel. If they don't pop out any more there is not enough blood pressure in the veins and they are essentially useless for IV usage.

When you start collapsing arteries, on the other hand, then there's no "backup network" like with veins, and then you start killing tissue and your hand loses sensation. this is why people don't shoot intraarterial shots.
 
I actually have a similar experience. I'd stay away from those veins man. Once a vein has developed scar tissue, they seldom regain their ability to transport blood. Your best bet is to rotate injection sites as much as possible and learn from your mistakes.
 
the reason i ask is because im injecting into the same vein just further down the hand, it seems as tho i just cant get into that particular area of the vein anymore.
 
Once a vein has developed scar tissue after repeated use, it can't be salvaged, and the collateral circulation
(i.e., alternate routes of blood flow) usually involves smaller vessels that typically cannot be felt.

Promise me that you won't use your feet or your femoral or jugular veins. I know some people do without harm, but
those veins are close to arteries, and if you miss a shot or have phlebitis form at the injection site, you can throw a clot toyour heart or lungs (=death).

(Sorry for the formatting issues.)
 
One of the things I do to take care of my veins is using hot compresses on them 2-4 times a day, depending on how much they get used. Not only does it feel good, but the heat allows more blood flow to the area, thus encouraging healing. I'm not saying that this is the end-all-be-all of vein maintenance, but it's just one of the little things I do.

What gauge rigs do you typically use? Do you find that you re-use them? I'm certainly not implying that you do, just curious.
 
First off, Please stop shooting in your hand.
There are good veins in your upper arm that are a way better and safer bet. The chance of complications is just so much higher. Please, get a new location, or learn to use your left hand. See vein diagram for good places to hit in your upper arm.

Secondly, don't stick anything in the veins you fear are now collapsed for quite a while. Get lots of exercise (aerobic would be best) but also do some localized hand strengthening and normal forearms curls, etc to localize the effect.

You should match every session of localized strengthening with an hour or so of aerobic activity, which is so good for the circulatory system. Try running, cycling, racquetball, etc... get your heart rate and blood pressure up and sustain it for as long as possible. This probably helps heal veins faster than anything else.
 
Once a vein collapses you wont ever be able to use it again. It takes a lot of abuse for a vein to completely collapse to the point where it will never heal. While i was using i thought certain veins had collapsed, but when I quit they came back. This is probably because they weren't totally destroyed, just in bad shape and that's why they didn't pop out enough to be used anymore. As others have said it's best to rotate sites so you don't beat up on one vein too much. It doesn't take that long for a vein to heal from 1 needle prick, but poor technique and blunt needles will make it worse.

Blood doesn't pass through collapsed veins. If your veins in your arms aren't showing up anymore they are damaged. This doesn't mean that they are for sure collapsed permanently, but if you keep trying to inject into them they will be.

ALWAYS USE CLEAN RIGS! I know it can be a pain sometimes, but you really shouldn't use a needle more than once. Twice max, and that's only if you're desperate. Any needle that has been used more than once or twice becomes blunt, and that greatly increases the chance you are going to do a lot of damage to your veins.
 
like the avatar ,listening to AIC unplugged right now

anyway guys ,u can salvage veins that have "disapeared" but once they colapse ....nope

like said many times before ,look at ANY serious bodybuilder ,veins EVERYWHERE

lifting HEAVY AND INTENSLY "FORCES" more oxygen into the veins and the result is healthier veins ,ive had veins come back i thought were way gone

i dont understand whats going on when one spot is no accessable but u hit furthur down and it feels like sand running through your veins wich i woulod assume is becuse some/most of the shot went into the collpsed part,this has happened to me LOT
 
HYDRO_CHRONIC said:
i dont understand whats going on when one spot is no accessable but u hit furthur down and it feels like sand running through your veins wich i woulod assume is becuse some/most of the shot went into the collpsed part,this has happened to me LOT
Click to expand...

You should ALWAYS work from away the heart towards it along a vein.

like in my cephalic, I space them out about 1cm, and I can hit 8 times from the bottom of where i start using that vein to the top, so you don't run into trouble like that.
(btw, it is Thrombosis and Phlebitis - look them up and you will understand why it feels like sand running through your vein.

Again, it is very important to never shoot "below" the site of a recent injection.
 
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