Australian IV drugs; safer practices and useful experiences

[MR Candyslut]

OK, I am going to be practicing injecting with water. Whenever I try to get a register though, I only get a little tiny bit of blood, whereas the time I tried to get a register on the shot of speed I stuffed up, the syrine filled with blood like I saw my guy do it. So what's the deal? Am I hitting the veins right with the water and it just doesn't carry blood as well, or what?

More than likely, you are not going deep enough into the vein. This may be caused simply by being too tentative when you go in, or it can also occur whenyou go in on a wrong angle and you are not completely in the vein.

Regardless of what substance you are booting, you should essentially be getting the same register if you are in the vein deep enough. As you would be aware, don't inject until essentially you get a decent cloud of dark red blood seep into the barrel.

My advice is to pressurise the area you are wanting to inject in, and once you can actually see the vein, use you finger to feel the direction of it. This should help with the angle (and of course, sterilise after you have been in contact with the site you are going to inject from).

Good luck.

 

[Splatt]

You might only be pulling back a tiny bit but also as others have said you may not be in deep enough. You should be using a strap of some kind that you can release with your teeth as the plunger is going down. Don't try injecting without this, or another person can hold your arm above the injection site and release as they see it go in.

 

[Jabberwocky]

good to see this threads still crankin.

i just had a shot of some speed about 20mins ago; only my 2nd or third blat this year, part of my new years resolution was to cut back only using once or less a month and im kickin ass.

i'd also popped 600mg of tramadol earlier this mornin when i woke up, so theres some nice drug interaction going on at the moment

ive also taken a fair break off oxy (mainly due to a fuckhead mate i had a falling out with being my source, which he was going to someone in my family who is a 2nd or 3rd cousin who i hadnt met and wanted to meet me but i never got the chance because of the falling out). but when i saw my dealer before she said she'd be able to hook me up with some :D so ive got a strong urge to go get a 40 or 80mg soon in preparation for my comedown.

any others out there that iv oxy? whats your dosage at? if youve tried morphine as well which did you find superior?

its the only way ive ever taken it. the rush for me is phenomenal and one that i think of all the time haha. though this time ive decided if i get some im just going to parachute it/swallow it or even try plugging it...im still a bum virgin (i think? lol i may have rear ended before, not sure though)

\ fried rant over

peace out

[EDIT: Availability discussion removed. Lil Angel15]

 

[Jabberwocky]

^sorry, didnt think id asked for availability...meh

 

[ayjay]

Hi people

There used to be an IV post here but it's disappeared into the wastelands, so pardon this seperate post.

I had a question about injecting, tolerance and location of use. I know that location does have an effect on tolerance, but I wondered how far that efffect extended. Is it extremely specific (i.e. if I always injecting in one room of my house, tolerance will decrease if I next inject in another room), or does it just extend to the 'general location' (i.e. tolerance would be reduced in any room of my house, no matter if I only injecting in my bedroom)?

Good question! There is some research to suggest that you are more likely to overdose on heroin if you are using in unfamiliar surroundings and/or in stressful situations (haven't got a reference to hand - give me a few days to drag something out). So what you ask makes perfect sense in light of that. I would say that just changing rooms in your house wouldn't make much difference - the study I am thinking of was comparing use in own home to use in public space...

 

[SeveredPsyche]

Set & setting, as mentioned before, definitely make a difference. As you are using psychoactive drugs anything that effects your state of mind can also effect your response to the drugs.

e.g. 2 beers at midday can feel like much more than 2 beers at 9pm.

I'm not sure about rooms in the house, but I guess if you are used to just doing it on your bed or couch then perhaps sitting in a bath will give a different experience. (Much like sex)

Shooting up at work would be definitely give an alternative experience to a party. You may be inclined to do less at work to get a similar intensity. At a party or nightclub you might be doing a bit more than at home.

I've known a few people who'd just sit and wait for the drug to do its business without any thought as to what they'd like to feel. This can be nice sometimes but it's also good to plan things a bit. Where woud you like to be? What would you like to try doing?

Working on getting the most out of a hit can often bring good results. It can mean the difference between never quite getting to where you want (thus bagging the purity and dosage) and having a unique experience.

 

[Mr Blonde]

Thanks for the responses about getting a blood register, I got a good practice shot in this afternoon and I might be getting some speed tonight. Can only hope!

Anyway, is vodka useful at all for sterilizing injecting equipment? That is, my spoon and injecting site?

 

[MR Candyslut]

I guess anything with a strong alcoholic content would be as good as any, but can i ask, why don't you just use the gauze wipes that come with all sharps kits? They do the job nicely, and you won't have to worry about the pad that you are using being sterile as well.

 

[Splatt]

Just use boiling water to clean the spoon, obviously do not do it to the needle as it will be unopened and unused (i hope!), and use a cigarette filter (not one from inside a tailor-made, a rolly "ultra slim/fine" one. I don't like pre swabbing unless its a few minutes before hand, it pushes some of the isopropyl into your vein/skin and it stings, i just wash with ater before hand.

 

[who_can_say]

Good question! There is some research to suggest that you are more likely to overdose on heroin if you are using in unfamiliar surroundings and/or in stressful situations (haven't got a reference to hand - give me a few days to drag something out). So what you ask makes perfect sense in light of that. I would say that just changing rooms in your house wouldn't make much difference - the study I am thinking of was comparing use in own home to use in public space...

Thanks ayjay. I've read some of the lit on heroin OD and context, which is what got me thinking about it in the first place. I didn't think just changing a room would be sufficient enough, but it was a thought hehe.

Thanks to y'all who waded into the discussion.

 

[ayjay]

Just use boiling water to clean the spoon, .

Actually not a great idea. Hot water will clot any blood onto the spoon and make it harder to get off.

Best practice - use a new spoon every time. If you don't have to heat your drug mix, get a bag of plastic spoons. Many NSPs will provide you with a plastic spoon too. It's still worth giving the spoon a single wipe with an alcohol swab before use. Let it dry off before you add your mix - as Splatt said the isoprop stings if it gets into you.

If you are re-using a spoon, wash in tepid soapy water, rinse under running water, dry with a piece of paper towel.

Just repeating - do not use hot/boiling water to clean any injecting equipment.

 

[Splatt]

Ok well I normally just get a spoon from the drawer and thats it, but thinking about it cockroaches could be walking over that.. Never really gave it much thought

 

[Mr Blonde]

I guess anything with a strong alcoholic content would be as good as any, but can i ask, why don't you just use the gauze wipes that come with all sharps kits? They do the job nicely, and you won't have to worry about the pad that you are using being sterile as well.

Because I haven't got a sharps kit, my supply of needles comes from a diabetic friend. They are sterilized and come in a packet, I just don't have the other equipment. I am thinking of going to a needle place soon thoughh, to pick up a kit. I have just heard that they don't treat minors who go there that well.

 

[MR Candyslut]

Oh really? That sucks. I don't think you are in Brisbane, otherwise i could direct you to some places that used to be very cool - not judgmental at all.

If they are, well, all i can say is that legally that cannot ask you for any identifiable information (apart from your postcode), and all you have to do is walk in and out. It would surprise me that people so involved in such an initiative would be judgmental, but then i guess it takes all sorts.

There is always a chemist as well (where both IV users and diabetics can get kits for about $4.00).

 

[Splatt]

Goto a hospital and say you're worried about an older friend getting AIDS because he injects a lot and ask for ten fresh picks. They won't knock you back.

 

[who_can_say]

Go to an NSP. I've done some work in them, and all the people I've met have been really nice. Maybe even go to your states AIDS council or some place like that, they're big on harm reduction or they can point you to somewhere that is needle-friendly.

 

[ayjay]

Because I haven't got a sharps kit, my supply of needles comes from a diabetic friend. They are sterilized and come in a packet, I just don't have the other equipment. I am thinking of going to a needle place soon thoughh, to pick up a kit. I have just heard that they don't treat minors who go there that well.

Well - I've worked for 3 NSPs, and visited heaps more. There is no age requirement to access NSP. You will get treated well - guaranteed - if you go to the ones that employ people specifically to staff the NSP. You might get variable treatment from places that just hand out fits but have no expertise in harm reduction (like some hospital emergency departments).

A good starting point is to contact the drug user organisation in your state. You can track them down via the AIVL website ( www.aivl.org.au ). These groups are all pretty great. They sometimes even run their own NSPs.

If you're still having trouble finding a place to pick up freshies - PM me with the town your in - I should be able to track down a few suggestions no probs.

[EDIT:Insertion of information. Lil Angel15]

 

[Flexistentialist]

Because I haven't got a sharps kit, my supply of needles comes from a diabetic friend. They are sterilized and come in a packet, I just don't have the other equipment. I am thinking of going to a needle place soon thoughh, to pick up a kit. I have just heard that they don't treat minors who go there that well.

If you go to Biala on Roma St, they'll supply you with sharps and treat you very well. There's also QuIHN in the Valley (89-101 Gipps St) as well, and they're all great people working there too.

 

[ifonly]

IVing in australia

ok so im currently in brisbane, australia, and am curious about the whole IV thing.

i have all the resources to educate mysef on the correct, safe procedure, however i am a bit unsure as to aquiring the materials.

for a filter, is your standard cotton wool ball adequate?
where do you buy a proper saline solution? what do u ask for? (its saline solution u need to mix the drug with isnt it? if i remember correctly...)
how do u purchase needles, and what is the correct size? i read 29 gauge somewhere, but isnt there also a CC measurement? i need specifics so i know exactly what to say.

is there anything ive forgotten to include? also, when buying the saline and needles, what on earth should i say if they inquire as to their purpose? eg what is a legit condition that might require the use of such products?

any info is appreciated, BL is always such a good resource

peace out ppls!

[EDIT: Sorry but it's against guidelines to ask people to contact you & I've merged with this thread. Hope you get the answers you're after. hoptis ]

 

[DoctorShop]

ok so im currently in brisbane, australia, and am curious about the whole IV thing.

No worries. I should be able to help.

for a filter, is your standard cotton wool ball adequate?

What are you shooting up? Usually thats fine.

where do you buy a proper saline solution? what do u ask for? (its saline solution u need to mix the drug with isnt it? if i remember correctly...)

I'm not kidding, but when you buy your fits, just ask for some water with it, that simple.

how do u purchase needles, and what is the correct size? i read 29 gauge somewhere, but isnt there also a CC measurement? i need specifics so i know exactly what to say.

You dont need specifics. Depending on what pharmacy you go to and what kind of neighbourhood you live in, you should just ask for a 'fit pack'. If they don't sell them then just ask for how many needles you want.

eg: "sorry, we dont sell fitpacks" you: "ok, can I just have two please? With some swabs and a water?

when buying the saline and needles, what on earth should i say if they inquire as to their purpose? eg what is a legit condition that might require the use of such products?

They know what you're using it for and usually they dont care, you might get frowned at but you can handle that right? If they do ask what you're using it for - tell them - or walk out, whatever

Hope thats useful, PM me if you have anymore queries.