Misc anyone elses veins ruined?

[justchemicals]

Hi!

I would never class myself as a 'hardcore' drug user. But I went through a time of injecting a very damaging substance intravenously daily for a month or two (cyclizine). I got so desperate, I just ruined my arms, feet, legs, GROIN. At the time I wasn't in a great place, I had no care for myself..

My doctor etc wasn't aware of the drug use, I was also taking a lot of opiates, mainly snorting. I managed to maintain my full time job but it suffered.

Anyway one day I was in hospital. They needed to take blood.... I couldn't hide it. I had to be honest. They respected me but couldn't find ONE vein on my arms/hands. Eventually the kind doctor could a vein in my foot...

Anyone else's veins shot to pieces? It's still early days for me ( been 3 weeks since iv'ing) I literally have NO veins visible in my arms or hands, everywhere is very lumpy and painful from scar tissue, I'm hoping SOME veins will come back?

I want children one day...

 

[lptrax]

Why on earth would you bang that trash and not the opiates? You got it backwards homie. And holy shit did you blow out a different vein everyday? Absurd.

Get microns in your next life when you have veins

 

[justchemicals]

I started by experimenting with diamorphine amps and fell in love. They aren't easy to come by though, and I wasn't willing to go and find a dealer on the streets. I wouldn't trust what I was getting for a start, and i just wouldn't know what I was doing.

So my source (he is in the medical field, I am sure you'll have guesse). He started suppling me iwith oxycontin 60mg... Which I got a habit of snorting and eating like smarties.

Then came the cyclizine lactate solution for injection. No need for microns, I would never inject a tablet! But you wouldn't believe how damaging the solution is. I had no problems with my veins during the heroin and morphine use (both pure amps). But the cyclizine... Fucks your veins it hardens them immediately. I didn't realise how seriously it damaged them. I should have flushed the vein with saline after each use. You live and learn..

 

[lptrax]

Oh wow so it's a solution meant for injection that is still that hard on the veins? Crazy. Were you just potentiating the dope or is that stuff a high in and of itself?


Your veins will heal to what extent I don't really know. Sry for being a dick good luck

 

[Swimmingdancer]

There are a ton of threads here on how to hit veins when you feel like you've used up and destroyed all your veins, or how to avoid/minimize vein damage, if that's what you're asking? But I think you said you stopped injecting 3 wks ago? Which, if so, is very good.

As to whether your veins will ever heal, it depends how badly damaged they are I guess. Mine haven't improved and it's been years since I've injected anything. When I was in an accident the paramedics couldn't find a vein and decided to just give up, so I asked what they would do if it was a life or death situation. They said they would try to inject into my neck or cut open my skin and flesh to reveal the deeper veins. I also still have bad very noticeable scarring that will never go away, although it has lightened a little bit in some places. My circulation is terrible. But I don't see why having damaged veins would prevent you from having children? Do you just mean that you wouldn't want your kid to see your track marks?

If you've only been injecting for 1-2 month and you feel you've destroyed all your veins on your arms/hands already that is a sign that you should really consider other ROAs. If you are going to continue to inject, the best things you can do to avoid destroying your veins are to always use a fresh needle for every single poke, only inject things that are relatively non-damaging to veins, and rotate your veins - do not keep shooting in the same place over and over.

 

[justchemicals]

Yep, comes in vials and is prescribed as an anti emetic I believe. As it was a vial and said 'for iv or im injection' I thought the solution itself wouldn't damage veins. I was wrong. Obviously for its intended use by a doctor, the dose is much less frequent, it would be through a catheter type iv not an insulin needle, therefore Dr can immediately flush with saline and rinse the vein. It's very caustic if it just sits in the vein... A lot of my veins collapsed after iving minimal times. But i was hooked.

Yeah you got it right there, it potentiated the opiates. I would describe it more that the opiate potentiated the cyclizine actually. Cuz that was my addiction. I sometimes used the cyclizine on its own, I dunno. It isn't describe-able. It's just the hit on the drug washing over me I was addicted to, once that leaves (within a minute) you're left feeling so lethargic and wrecked, but i'd shoot another 50mg and another 50mg until I was a wreck. If you shoot it fast a taste hits in the back of the throat that reminds me of H, maybe that was part of my obsession. But it was nothing great. Nothing worth losing all the functional veins in my arms for, and I'm left with nerve pain in my left ARM

 

[Swimmingdancer]

Well I'm glad you're stopping now Hopefully you're veins will heal somewhat. Things you can do to help include staying well-hydrated, getting lots of exercise, and applying a scar healing gel to the scars (the sooner you do this the more likely it is to have an effect - it doesn't work on old scars).

 

[justchemicals]

There are a ton of threads here on how to hit veins when you feel like you've used up and destroyed all your veins, or how to avoid/minimize vein damage, if that's what you're asking? But I think you said you stopped injecting 3 wks ago? Which, if so, is very good.

As to whether your veins will ever heal, it depends how badly damaged they are I guess. Mine haven't improved and it's been years since I've injected anything. When I was in an accident the paramedics couldn't find a vein and decided to just give up, so I asked what they would do if it was a life or death situation. They said they would try to inject into my neck or cut open my skin and flesh to reveal the deeper veins. I also still have bad very noticeable scarring that will never go away, although it has lightened a little bit in some places. My circulation is terrible. But I don't see why having damaged veins would prevent you from having children? Do you just mean that you wouldn't want your kid to see your track marks?

If you've only been injecting for 1-2 month and you feel you've destroyed all your veins on your arms/hands already that is a sign that you should really consider other ROAs. If you are going to continue to inject, the best things you can do to avoid destroying your veins are to always use a fresh needle for every single poke, only inject things that are relatively non-damaging to veins, and rotate your veins - do not keep shooting in the same place over and over.

Thanks for your reply too. Sorry I seem to have cross posted

I've no intention of ever injecting again - sorry i should have made myself clearer. I should've also pointed out ive lurked here for over a year and finally decided to post. I'm not sure why I'm posting now, but it feels good to have some control over my life on the injecting front.

I've been injecting for over two years, but got hooked on the cyclizine for two months. Perhaps I had a bigger problem with injecting drugs than I like to think, I dunno, my arms and feet etc would.

 

[Znegative]

A lot of antihistamines are damaging to inject intravenously, even when they are pharmaceutical ampoules. In fact, Promethazine ampoules even have a black box warning about IV use. I went through a period a few years ago where I'd stupidly shoot up Diphenhydramine tablets with my opiates, and it really did a number on my veins, some of that damage still remains to this day. I can sympathize with your situation, as I also found IV antihistamines to be strangely addictive, even by themselves, but it's a horrible thing to do to yourself, even when using pharm grade injectable's. From what I've heard Cyclizine is one of the more preferred antihistamines to IV, and it was included in Diconal back in the day.

 

[maxalfie]

I was injecting heroin for about 8 years until my veins just wouldn't have it anymore.
When I went for blood tests at the hospital it took them 10 attempts and 2 different doctors before they were able to find a vein on me where they could get enough blood from.
I had to show them a vein in the webbed part of my hand between my forefinger and thumb and that was the only place that worked.
I haven't injected any drugs for about 4 years now and still that one vein is the only place they can take blood from me as my other veins are still shot to shit

 

[duckeee]

Hi!

I want children one day...

Glad children aren't conceived using veins then But yeah, I've been researching this subject lately and I understand that SOME of the veins build new pathways around the damaged area and that some of the damage is reversible. But of course it is really hard to say what will your veins "decide" to do.

And yeah, you are definitely not alone in this... if that helps Maybe you could buy lotions like Lioton1000 or Diclac that help with scars, bruises and stuff like that.

PS. You definitely deserve a golden star for quitting iv. YOU ROCK!

 

[justchemicals]

Thank you for your replies

Znegative; you described it perfectly. iving antihistimines really is strangly addictive - even without opiates. I had a complete COMPULSION when i was into cyclizine.

Lucky babies aren't conceived by veins hey! I just can't imagine going for check ups whilst pregnant and not having veins viable in my arms - so having to have blood taken from my ankle... I would hate to be judged or looked down upon.

 

[T. Calderone]

I had never used IV drugs but my veins are hard to find anyway. Any time I've had to get blood drawn, it's an ordeal. When I had my son, the nurse gave up and had to call on another just to hook up the IV. Ended up in my hand which sucked they had to keep it there almost 3 days.

 

[duckeee]

Well, you can't control what other people look down on, or what they think about you in general. All you CAN do though, is to remind yourself that 1) nurses and doctors have seen WAY worse, 2) their job isn't criticizing you but to monitor your health (if they see something that could potentially be harmful to the baby, they will try to help you first and foremost), 3) there might be tons of reasons for ruined veins and if you are clean, you should feel proud for QUITTING iv, and hold your head high.

What do they have to show? Medical degree and dozens of saved lives? Still quitting iv gives you more points! (That was an example of my - often very lame - humor. I don't diss doctor here, just fyi.

 

[drminaq]

It takes time but your veins will come back. Perhaps, not to their original puffy glory but they do heal.
A healthy diet and exercise will speed this up. I have heard taking collagen supplements can help too.
I was in the same boat as the OP. I went to get a colonoscopy and was a little excited to get some iv Midazolam to prep me for the procedure but the Doc couldn't find a single vein and decided to go ahead with out any sedation. Worst abdominal pain EVER!
Another great reason to stop IVing.

 

[duckeee]

...
Another great reason to stop IVing.

Well, one don't really have to HAVE specific reasons to stop iv'ing, I think it's well established to be harmful and better not to iv at all (or do drugs for that matter). My point: if you are searching for reasons (=excuses) to stop you are not ready to stop... And when you are, you don't need to list any reason, do you?

 

[method own girl]

Depending on how badly damaged they are, they may repair themselves to a certain degree. It sounds like you had a relatively short stint and that bodes well for your chances at healing well. I've been an iv user for 26 years and have tapped out all my veins. I'm at the end of the line so to speak, having to inject in my femoral veins. However, it took many years for my other veins to become irreparably damaged so if you take all the right precautions and use proper and safe technique (or just stop altogether ) you will probably heal well.