Heroin Filtering Heroin -- increased effects?

[tmuliosis]

I was introduced to IV heroin use by the only other person I know that uses via IV. Unfortunately, I've been learning more and more that this person is fairly reckless and not at all interested in harm reduction (my first hint was when they mocked me for swabbing the injection site with alcohol -- something that just seemed like a common sense thing to do). Since initially being introduced to it, I've had to go out and do heavy research on the internet and these forums in particular to learn the safest techniques for injecting. For the sake of information, I'm very close to NYC and suspect that is where the majority of my gear likely comes from (since what I'm wondering may be specific to type of heroin/region of the USA)

I've been an IV user for nearly 2 months now, and up until today had never successfully managed to filter my solution. It's something that I initially didn't deem important (because I had never heard it mentioned until researching here) and because my gear already seemed to mix up into a pretty clear/particle free solution (I realize now that that's no way to tell how safe something is). After about a month, I started getting some gear that mixed up into a very murky/muddy solution, obviously filled with things other than the drug I was looking to inject, and tried filtering several times with pieces of cotton and cigarette filters that were waaay too big and was never able to draw up any of the solution into the rig through these things, so pressing my luck, I injected it anyways. Luckily, I don't seem to have had any problems yet, but I still continued to research set on learning at least a basic filtering technique. This morning I did two shots -- the first unfiltered (fairly murky/cloudy, at times looked almost lumpy -- although that probably sounds way worse than it actually was). The second, I finally tried the very end of a q-tip -- a fairly tiny piece and was able to draw up the solution through it into the rig. It was very noticeably cleaner looking and translucent again.

The second, filtered shot seemed to have a stronger effect than the first shot, surprisingly (assumed I'd be losing some of the 'good stuff'). Is this in my head? Or could the unfiltered solution have been so bad that it had trouble circulating properly throughout my veins? I've searched and searched for discussion on this here and through google but been unable to find any information or discussion on this topic, but it might make sense that a filtered solution would be able to circulate through my body much quicker than the sludge I had injected prior.

Another question I had, but was able to find some information on -- are there any steps I can take to prevent cotton fever or to check for any fibers that may have accidentally been drawn up with the solution? I'd like to eventually purchase some micron .22 filters so I don't have to worry about it, but thought maybe someone would have some quick tips I may have overlooked in my own research.

Thanks in advance and thank god for this site and all the harm reduction information, or I suspect I may have seriously hurt myself by now!

-TM

 

[southeast]

http://www.bluelight.org/vb/threads...d-Info-MEGATHREAD-amp-FAQ-III-Vs-I-Want-Blood

And, heroin doesn't really give a rush as much as you feel better and get a high, plus pain relief. The cut gives you that rush so that makes sense. Also, cotton fever is the result of a naturally occurring bacteria in the cotton. There are some steps you can use to avoid it, but theoretically you could just get it whenever... Im not a harm reduction super star and use qtips and cig filters not micron filters so I know nothing about those. But, with the other, everyone I know got cotton fever from old or dirty cottons... ones we found in people's purses/ pockets/ left in spoons/ used cigs. Nasty stuff... we deserved it. Desperate times, desperate measures. It's awful but it didn't last that long. I got an abcess from missing a shot, like a whole damn shot. So do not keep pushing if you think it isn't in. Needles have broken off from using old, weak ones. That was awful. And you can die if it breaks off in your vein and flows to your heart. I'm lucky.
So, not being the perfect harm reduction type.. I mean, I have shot without wiping off the area into places covered in dirt, blood, water, mud. Oops. Not dead... yet.
Rules I go by:
-never share anything: not cottons, water, spoons, rigs, nothing
-always filter
-don't use old, weak needles (as much as possible-- I can be bad about this )
-use clean cottons
-clean out a rig you are using more than once with water after each use
-wipe spoons off and clean after and before use
-pull up water from under tap or in bottle, not by cupping in your hand

Good luck, hope this was useful... Its been years and years and years and I have had pretty minimal issues.

 

[tmuliosis]

Thanks for the link to the other thread. That makes me feel better re: cotton fever as I'd only be using new q-tips in a sealed box. I always try to use unopened bottled water, and (perhaps sadly) one of my favorite parts of the whole ritual is clearing the rig by drawing up clean water several more times and shooting it up my nose.

Thanks again.

 

[southeast]

Sure, your welcome. I've never heard of cleaning it out like that! Interesting.

 

[tmuliosis]

Back when I was just snorting, I used to absolutely *love* the drip / taste of the drip. I'd often do as little as possible over a long period of time just to keep the drip going (more so than actually getting high doing a full bag at once), but with injecting, there's usually at least enough (albeit tiny amount) left in the rig where clearing it by squirting up my nose a couple time gives me a little bit of that drip taste. On several occasions, when getting gear that had been very murky, it would leave behind a lot of brown residue in the bottle cap used to mix it, and after the shot could remix enough fresh water to draw up all the residue and squirt that for what is almost like doing a little extra bump. Now that I've figured out how to filter properly with cotton, I've noticed I can squeeze them in the cap with the plunger to get almost another shot (but would never inject the resulting solution -- but up the nose seems safe).

If there are any dangers inherint to the way I clear the rigs (up my nose), I'd be curious to know -- but it doesn't seem like it could be any less safe than just snorting a line of powder.

 

[Pill__Head]

http://www.bluelight.org/vb/threads...d-Info-MEGATHREAD-amp-FAQ-III-Vs-I-Want-Blood

And, heroin doesn't really give a rush as much as you feel better and get a high, plus pain relief. The cut gives you that rush so that makes sense.

What in the fucking hell are you talking about? The cut absolutely DOES NOT produce the rush in an IV heroin shot, its obviously the active ingredient, HEROIN... you think that lactose,caffeine,sugar, fuck who knows.... but whatever the cut IT sure as HELL does nothing other than make you spend more money on less PSYCHOACTIVE INGREDIENT...

 

[southeast]

@pillhead K. I've done amazing dope and its not like shooting dilaudid with that intense rush. And the more pure the dope I got the less of a rush, the more incredible the high. Everyone I know talks about this... I used to cut for people and you could take it in chunks and do it but after what they mixed it with something you felt more of a "rush". That's all I meant, and its not like I pretend to know everything. I've posted in multiple threads-- not a scientist, just a 10 year user. Ever heard someone who loves dope talk about how great opana is? And how the half life of heroin is longer than shit like dilaudid? That's what I'm talking about... I feel it, and its damn great when I shoot opana, but I wouldn't say there is some kind of incredible rush. It's just the shit. You get a rush and a taste in your mouth when they throw saline into your iv. You aren't left with the feeling of opiates after but... okay. I'm no no at all, friend.
Anyway, @tmuliosis I'm def going to try it. Makes sense. I've obsessively rung out stamp bags and cotton like that for an extra bump thinking-- fuck, this is gross. Ha, your idea seems better.

 

[Jesusgreen]

^ The cut does not produce the rush. IV Diamorphine (Heroin) and 6-Monoacetylmorphine (of which some is usually left over from synthesis) both produce the rush that you know and love. Most cutting ingredients are completely inactive and do nothing to alter the high, other than to make it weaker per amount of powder, since obviously if you have 50mg of just Diamorphine it's going to give better effects than if you have 25mg of Diamorphine + 25mg lactose or whatever your inactive cut is in that same 50mg.

Active cuts are a different thing. A lot of people around the world have cut Heroin with Fentanyl. Fentanyl is another opioid that is a lot stronger by weight than Heroin. Some people think the high from Fentanyl sucks and is nothing compared to that of Heroin itself, while there are others who love it, some of whom even prefer it. While you might be shooting 50-100mg or much more Diamorphine/Heroin in a single shot, a mere few milligrams of Fentanyl added to that could kill you it's that strong.

If you experienced stronger effects after cutting Heroin with some peoples "special cut" it probably contained Fentanyl, and it looks like you're one of the people that like it more than Heroin itself so you've come to associate Fentanyl-cut dope with having better effects. Most people though prefer Heroin itself, and the rush people get IS from Heroin not from the cut, that's a simple fact.

---

Anyway to get back on topic, well say your heroin cooks up into 50% goopy stuff that won't dissolve and 50% liquid, the heroin itself will all be in the liquid pretty much, so adding the goopy stuff just makes for more crap that's going into your veins but not doing anything for you. Filtering you'll just get the liquid and some smaller (not visible to the naked eye) particles, so you'll have a much smaller amount in the syringe but it'll be just as strong as if you had twice as much by adding in all that nasty insoluble stuff, and you get to know none of that stuff you filtered out is sitting under your skin/in your veins/blocking up your lungs and such as a result of injecting it.

On that note sometimes having that stuff in your syringe can clog it up a little or it can clump around the drug itself causing it to have to break apart in your blood before the full % of drug gets released, this results in a less intense rush/peak. So yeah filtering it can make the high more intense.

Sometimes with more liquid solutions filtering can actually lose you a tiny bit of the Heroin since obviously some stays in the cotton (if that's what you're using) - but it's worth it, better to lose that tiny fraction of a dose that you won't even feel than to keep clogging up your veins with crap and find they're all unusable in a couple years time

 

[southeast]

Thanks again, Jesusgreen. Was just my friends and I's thoughts on that part of the topic. We cut with baby laxative and for the most part I think I was explaining what I meant poorly-- sorry, OP. But, I promise you this I know shooting. Everything else I said was not bullshit.... and that was mostly just me going off without really explaining. Was talking more about heroin rush vs. more intense opiate rushes in other opiates with shorter half lives and did not think it through. My bad, man. Thanks guys.

 

[Jesusgreen]

Thanks again, Jesusgreen. Was just my friends and I's thoughts on that part of the topic. We cut with baby laxative and for the most part I think I was explaining what I meant poorly-- sorry, OP. But, I promise you this I know shooting. Everything else I said was not bullshit.... and that was mostly just me going off without really explaining. Was talking more about heroin rush vs. more intense opiate rushes in other opiates with shorter half lives and did not think it through. My bad, man. Thanks guys.

Yeah makes sense, definitely not the only one that things other opiates have a better rush than Heroin. Love me some Butyr-Fentanyl

 

[JackBurton89]

i doubt it