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Opioids Can't hit a vein for the life of me

PRUCH

PRUCH

Greenlighter
Joined
Nov 20, 2013
Messages
24
Literally every time I go to register, I pull up air. I haven't gotten blood ONCE, yet my buddy can do it for me in one try no problem? I've wasted so many good drugs and so much time because of this and look like a pincushion and it's starting to piss me off to the point of rage. My veins are CLEARLY visible and I've tried new needles, new sites, new angles, different speeds, everything to no avail. Is there something involved in proper technique I'm just missing? Help appreciated.
 
Are you hydrating yourself properly before trying to hit? I usually drink a glass of room temp water or two 15min before i try to hit. That can go a long way in bringing the veins out, and what gauge / length needles are you using?
 
29G / 12.7mm / 1cc

I'll try your suggestion.

Also, I don't want to waste the little Oxy I have left. Would it be safe to practice with water alone?
 
You're either not going in at the correct angle, slipping out, going to deep, not deep enough, etc. IV'ing takes practice and is a lot harder for some people. I've known people who picked it up immediately and others who just couldn't do it. It happens.

Check out the IV megathread in my signature. It has a lot of good info on proper technique.

Practicing with water is fine, so long as you're sterile with everything. You should have your friend show you specifically how he hits himself so you can follow that instruction.
 
I pulled up some water and was able to successfully register a vein a few times, so I guess I've figured it out. Thanks for the hydration suggestion m3trigun, that might have done it.

I'll check it out Mr.Scagnattie, thank you.
 
it takes some getting used to. I found I could shoot other people up much more confidently than I could myself at first... it's as much a coincidence thing as anything else... just getting over that first bump of confidently sticking something quite uncomfortable in your vein can take a minute.

good luck... and take care.
 
ohshea said:
Dude a 12,7 mm is huge, try using an 8mm.
Click to expand...

I was thinking that is a little long also...try the 8mm. The longer the needle is the more likely you are to go through the other side of the vein or poke a hole in it where you dont want it.
Also, try laying the syringe/needle flat against your arm as you enter the skin then angle it more down after you first get in the skin...angle can be the biggest issue sometimes. Definitely check out Mr. Scagnatties thread about it, it has a lot of helpful info there. And he is right, for some people it just takes a lot of practice. I have been doing it for over 20 years (as a nurse also) and I can still get frustrated sometimes with it. The biggest factor I have ever had problems with is if the needle is not brand new..you can be hitting the right spot everytime but if your needle is a little dull (as in you have tried to hit several times with it) it can screw you up everytime....switch to a new one if you have tried hitting several times with it.
 
Time for Methadone? When you can no longer hit a vein in a reasonable amount of time, or without wasting drugs and/or risking your life it's time to get on the Methadone. Suboxone won't do you. Stop shooting up.
 
ohshea said:
Dude a 12,7 mm is huge, try using an 8mm.
Click to expand...
lmao I was thinking the same thing I always use either the short tips or the 8mm tips I hate those long as fucking needles so hard to hold it in place and have to go in at a short angle
 
Best advice to be get a really skilled shooter to do the shot for you, and go for a place that's un reachable to you; the back of the forearms could be a good to start- I thought I had none left after years of shooting, but it turns out I have quite a few healthy veins in the place I mentioned.
 
^^

Yeah once you really know what you're doing, or if you don't, have someone look at you who does, you'd be surprised what good veins you can find if you know how to look.

As far as the long tips vs the short. I used the long ones for a while and they worked fine. Then my main veins started collapsing so I had to switch over to smaller veins in my hands and whatnot, so those long tips (and I was using 28G at the time) where just destroying me. So I switched to short tip 31G's and they worked great. Made hitting smaller veins much easier.
 
There are only 2 types of needle available at needle exchanges here: a 1 ml insulin syringe with a very fine, short needle, and a luer-lock 2 ml syringe, with a long and pretty damn thick needle-these come in different lengths.

Eventually, I just couldn't hit with the smaller ones after a while, and had to use the much thicker needles, probably doing quite a fair bit of damage in the process (nobody taught me how to shoot properly, so it's fair to say things got a bit messy back there).

If I had all my veins in pristine condition again and wanted to shoot, my mantra would be: Rotation, Rotation, Rotation. (And using as fine a pin as possible, never using them more than once).
 
^^

Yeah rotating sites is really the key. I mean, your general technique makes a big difference as well, that and using a fresh needle every time, but rotating sites is important. If you keep pounding at the same spot, over and over again, even with a smaller syringe, you're going to do damage and leave a nasty scar.
 
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