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  • BDD Moderators: Keif’ Richards

Some questions/concerns about injecting heroin....I am new to this scene......

R

rofl_227

Greenlighter
Joined
Aug 12, 2011
Messages
45
I've ben using heroin for about 2 years now. Until yesterday I had only ever snorted it and occaisonally smoked it. I recently tried injecting it as snorting it was not getting me high enough. I am aware that I am embarking down a dark road now that I am starting to inject. However, I figure that if I'm going to do it, I need to be doing it as safely as possible. Here are a few questions and concerns I have after my first few experiences injecting:

1) I only have one needle at the moment, and I have used it 3 times now. I plan to get a supply of fresh ones once I find a place to obtain them. For the time being, i have been filling the syringe with isopropyl rubbing alcohol and leaving the needle/needle-cover in a small dish of the alcohol after each use. When I use it again i flush it out with water. Is this sufficient for disinfecting the needle? I am in any danger from having reused my needles so many time?

2)The last time in injected, I injected into the opposite side of the elbow on my right arm. About 10 seconds after, I began to feel very itchy and tingly between my thumb and my index finger on my right hand. It went away after about 15 minutes. Does anyone know what might have caused this? Was this potentially serious?

3)How much air in a needle is dangerous? Obviously I try to get ALL of the air out of the needle before injecting but I understand that it very difficult to get 100% of the air out everytime and that some can come in the needle when drawing back to make sure I'm in a vein. I've read that a little bit of air is ok but if anyone has knowledge on how much air until is ok until it gets dangerous that would be great.

Any help would be greatly appreciated...Thanks
 
Hi rofl, welcome to BL and BDD :)

You're right, it can be a dark road but you're also right in asking how to stay as safe as possible :)

Reusing syringes is bad news.. they get blunt very quickly and will do a lot of damage to your veins. You should always try to use a fresh one.. isopropyl alcohol should disinfect it (not against absolutely everything though, some bacteria form spores which are pretty damn resistant..) but overall what you're doing is not nice for your veins..

The itching is most likely a histamine release. As long as you didn't miss your shot and it didn't last long, it's probably okay. Hitting a nerve can cause tingling/numbness/pain, but some itching sounds more like histamine. However, that area is the area supplied by one nerve in particular, so if you do get tingling/numbness/pain there again or any weakness in your hand you should get it checked out by a doctor. It's a little odd that you only got the itching in that area after injecting into your elbow..

A tiny bit of air is okay but a lot is bad, as you say. As a rule of thumb just keep it as minimal as possible - less than a ml or so is probably okay but you don't really want to be injecting that much just incase. Just get as much out as poss, hold the syringe upright (needle up) and flick it a few times to get the air to the top, then push the plunger til it's gone :)
 
effie said:
A tiny bit of air is okay but a lot is bad, as you say. As a rule of thumb just keep it as minimal as possible - less than a ml or so is probably okay but you don't really want to be injecting that much just incase. Just get as much out as poss, hold the syringe upright (needle up) and flick it a few times to get the air to the top, then push the plunger til it's gone
Click to expand...

Not exactly the case, eff... Speaking from experience of inserting dozens of IV catheters and shots a day at work, I can most definitely say that ANY bolus (amount) of air within your circulatory system is not recommended, and definitely not 1mL - Thats potentially fatal (sorry effie but for the sake of harm reduction I had to chime in there.) but like effie also said, a tiny- and I mean tiny - bit of air will not hurt you but whats often referred to as "a little air" in the syringes is actually the vacuum bubble that forms during the drawing up process. This tiny bit of air cant be avoided (unless you're prepping rigs in space with zero gravity) and does not actually "go into" your vein during the administration, so the tiny little air bubble near the tip- is okay. Anything else, including visibly large bubbles and particles in your solution- NOT okay.

Hope this helps clear things up a bit, be safe and happy shootin'! ;)
 
effie said:
Reusing syringes is bad news.. they get blunt very quickly and will do a lot of damage to your veins. You should always try to use a fresh one.. isopropyl alcohol should disinfect it (not against absolutely everything though, some bacteria form spores which are pretty damn resistant..) but overall what you're doing is not nice for your veins..
Click to expand...

Just thought that this bit of advice needs an image to display how badly needles decay with multiple use

xuDNM.png
 
Reusing needles is REALLY bad for your veins, will lead to bruising and blowing out your veins. I used the needle daily for about 7 years, but I used to buy 100 boxes, so I rarely re-used them, and my arms are really veiny so I would never have to hit the same spot twice too soon.
Best thing, really, is to not start with the needle. But if you are deadset on it, always use a new one, and try not to hit the same spot more than once if possible.
Never share rigs with anyone. Bleach is the standard for sterilizing your rigs, make sure to flush it out with clean water several times after you pull up bleach. Again, the best thing to do is not mess with the needle, but if you do, USE ONCE AND DESTROY .
 
Ok, thanks for all the help all, I am currentl having a lot oftrouble finding a vein. I have never been successful in any attempt at any location other then the middle join of my arm. Anywhere else good to try?
 
Can I buy new rigs at any drug store? Or do I need to go to a needle exchange site? I live in the Greater Toronto Area...

Nevermind, just got some at the pharmacy up the street. That picture a few posts up really scared me straight.
 
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rofl_227 said:
Ok, thanks for all the help all, I am currentl having a lot oftrouble finding a vein. I have never been successful in any attempt at any location other then the middle join of my arm. Anywhere else good to try?
Click to expand...

Patience and practice my friend. Practice makes perfect, and patience makes it happen sooner.

It really does get easier the more you do it, but some food for thought, you should Google search a forearm anatomy picture and look closely and learn where the veins and nerves are in your arm. This can come in SUPER handy because hitting a nerve will definitely ruin your day. Not to mention totally kill your buzz. ;)
 
Hey Del, thanks for the info, I will definetly be extra careful about air or other contaminants in my syringes. However, lets just say I did inject a dangerous amount of air by accident one day. What would I feel to know its serious? Would I know right away? I'm just wondering if theres any sign I should look for to call an ambulance or friend before it gets to the point where I would be unable to do so.
 
rofl_227 said:
Hey Del, thanks for the info, I will definitely be extra careful about air or other contaminants in my syringes. However, lets just say I did inject a dangerous amount of air by accident one day. What would I feel to know its serious? Would I know right away? I'm just wondering if theres any sign I should look for to call an ambulance or friend before it gets to the point where I would be unable to do so.
Click to expand...

Well, put it this way bud, I'm an EMT (AND IV drug user) and I know a bit about venous air emboli (VAE) and I must say that I couldn't think of a worse way to die. Most VAE aren't big enough to cause any problems or symptoms and are stopped in the lungs and you will likely never know about it, However, if it passes through your lungs to your heart, its game over. Your heart will stop pumping and fill with blood, causing an arrhythmia and ultimately bursting the ventricle walls, all the while you're still conscious while this is happening.....see what I mean about a horrible way to go? But to answer your question simply, its best to avoid any VAE altogether, because if one slips through your lung defense, you're gone. No need to even call an ambulance. So be careful about this my friend, I hope I've made it clear how serious air in the bloodstream is. ;)
 
To cause serious VAE you need to inject a respectable amount of air. Medical case reports suggest that more than 1 cc has to be injected to cause VAE.
Your heart wont explode either. Its "just" as deadly as any other form of embolism. You will expirience dyspnoea, tachycardia and intense thoracic pain because the blood wont be able to pass your lubgs any more which puts a lot of pressure on your heart. So you will most possibly die because of heart failure or hypoxia...
 
VanWeyden said:
To cause serious VAE you need to inject a respectable amount of air. Medical case reports suggest that more than 1 cc has to be injected to cause VAE.
Your heart wont explode either. Its "just" as deadly as any other form of embolism. You will expirience dyspnoea, tachycardia and intense thoracic pain because the blood wont be able to pass your lubgs any more which puts a lot of pressure on your heart. So you will most possibly die because of heart failure or hypoxia...
Click to expand...

Oh I'm sorry, I forgot for a second that I'm a fucking paramedic. Gee thanks for ENLIGHTENING us all by practically restating what I posted. Thank you.
 
K, so how long does it normally take for a VAE to occur immediately aftef injecting the air?
 
DelRi0 said:
Not exactly the case, eff... Speaking from experience of inserting dozens of IV catheters and shots a day at work, I can most definitely say that ANY bolus (amount) of air within your circulatory system is not recommended, and definitely not 1mL - Thats potentially fatal (sorry effie but for the sake of harm reduction I had to chime in there.) but like effie also said, a tiny- and I mean tiny - bit of air will not hurt you but whats often referred to as "a little air" in the syringes is actually the vacuum bubble that forms during the drawing up process. This tiny bit of air cant be avoided (unless you're prepping rigs in space with zero gravity) and does not actually "go into" your vein during the administration, so the tiny little air bubble near the tip- is okay. Anything else, including visibly large bubbles and particles in your solution- NOT okay.

Hope this helps clear things up a bit, be safe and happy shootin'! ;)
Click to expand...

Oh really? Interesing, I have been misinformed. Thank you, don't apologise! :)
 
I'm serious guys, I haven't wasted all of these years of my life studying anatomy, physiology, biochemistry, and pharmacology for nothing. A venous air embolism is dangerous, no matter how big or small. The cardiovascular system is a pressurized, closed circuit, and anything that obstructs it (VAEs included) is dangerous and absolutely can kill you within seconds. These are absolute facts, not my opinions. In my job I have a duty to help never hurt, so I'm continuing that ethos here.
 
1) Your method of cleaning sounds sufficient. Re-using needles is never good, as it increases risk of infection and is more painful and difficult. I would go to the store and buy some. They are cheap and usually easy to purchase.

2)Heroin makes you itchy. This is normal.

3)A small bubble wont hurt you, but it's best to try to inject as little air as possible. Your veins and heart will thank you in the long run.

*I would listen to the paramedic's advice, as he probably knows what he's talking about.
 
DelRi0 said:
Well, put it this way bud, I'm an EMT (AND IV drug user) and I know a bit about venous air emboli (VAE) and I must say that I couldn't think of a worse way to die. Most VAE aren't big enough to cause any problems or symptoms and are stopped in the lungs and you will likely never know about it, However, if it passes through your lungs to your heart, its game over. Your heart will stop pumping and fill with blood, causing an arrhythmia and ultimately bursting the ventricle walls, all the while you're still conscious while this is happening.....see what I mean about a horrible way to go? But to answer your question simply, its best to avoid any VAE altogether, because if one slips through your lung defense, you're gone. No need to even call an ambulance. So be careful about this my friend, I hope I've made it clear how serious air in the bloodstream is. ;)
Click to expand...

OMG... im scared.
 
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