chase_in_56ace
Ex-Bluelighter
WARNING: Long and pretty detailed story about my consequences of using IV oxycodone filtered with cotton.
- Detailed account of being hospitalized with a condition that almost took my life. I'm not going to write this out all poetically as if for a novel...
- This is for you. The IV pill user, that doesn't believe it could happen to you. Because trust me. It was never gonna happen to me
Diagnosis: Osteomyelitis of the Cervical Spine + Reactive Septic Arthritis
I was a heavy user of IV oxycodone from around September 2011 through January of 2013.
I did it for a relatively short time compared to other junkies I hung around with. I come from a medical background (am not an MD, nuff said) and was always very careful about sterilizing the injection site, keeping up with my hygiene, and not crossing certain lines.. even within my reckless endeavor of injecting oxycodone. It should be noted that I didn't use micron filters but always used sterile cotton of the highest quality I could obtain at the time. Towards the begining to mid 2012, my tolerance and addiction skyrocketed. My sterile technique and consistent hygiene practices steady declined.
I remember my first bouts of cotton fever. I knew after a few of these in a two month time that something was not right. I had never gotten cotton fever in the past and had always been extremely careful to not even reuse needles. I began to be a little more careful and rotated sites more frequently.. but I remember that last summer ('12) I had a lot of cotton fever. I lost weight. I went from a decently healthy 160lbs to a not-so-healthy 150ish. At some point I remember a two week period of chills and low-grade fevers. I swore to myself that if it didn't go away I'd go get checked out, despite some apparent tracks from the IV. It went away within that week. I never got checked out. Here's an obviously tragic turn.... because I'd put my money on this being the time when a horrible bacteria called "Serratia" entered my bloodstream and started to cause signs of bacteraemia. I wish I would have gotten checked out within July or Aug of last year. The signs were extremely subtle. It was largely a feeling of just knowing something wasn't right. By September, I had some SERIOUS cervical spine issues. My neck began to really do some funky stuff - I was having major pains that would come and go and randomly gaining and losing range of motion. The problem is I would gain the range of motion back, and the pain would eventually go away, just long enough to where I'd forget about the problem. Remember, I'm deep within the throws of addiction here.. I was really hoping this would go away. In my head, it seemed to have at least subsided enough for the time being. I just wanted to get high... and then All hell then breaks loose.
I know now that the Serratia was reaping total havoc in my body, as I woke up basically paralyzed in gunshot-like 11/10 pain coming out of my left SI joint. The Sacroiliatic joint is basically the joint that allows your legs to move side to side. Like an idiot with a massive IV oxycodone regimen I killed most of the pain and wasted away in bed living a meager existence until I had the balls to ask for help in the condition I was in. I was rushed to the hospital via ambulance/paramedics. Once I got there, an MRI of my lumbar spine and lower body revealed significant fluid build up of the SI joint. It was also massively inflammed. To this day this is the most pain I've ever felt in my 22 years on Earth. I'd take being stabbed with a butcher's knife to the hip without thinking twice before the pain of the SI problem I had.
Here's the first problem that really screwed me over...
After being admitted to the hospital and put on 4mg/IV Dilaudid every 3 hours and 1mg/IV Ativan every 6hrs, my SI joint was aspirated. The fluid was roughly 1CC of bloody, clear viscous substance that tested NEGATIVE for ANYTHING. Serratia did not grow when it was cultured. My blood was also free of any pathogens. They ruled out infection and for the next two weeks I was in the hospital, they looked and looked but didn't find any conclusive answer to why I had "Sacroilitis"... in slightly more laymans terms, I had a sudden inflammation of the left Sacroiliatic joint. "Reactive Arthritis." I kept asking them, "Reactive to what?" They had no answer. I left the hospital after 14 days with Indomethacin (strong NSAID usually prescribed to lessen inflammation and pain in arthritis and bursitis patients) that allowed me to WALK for the first time in over a month and a half. My leg muscles were weak, but in three days I was walking with significant pain. Nonetheless, in three days I was walking.
The medication almost gave me an ulcer. I left the hospital and resumed my downward slope within 3 weeks. My neck pain, significantly overshadowed by my SI problems, was definitely ever-increasing.
Although I had mentioned the pain in my neck to several doctors at the hospital, they were all extremely focused on figuring out my hip.None of them could feel the changes I'm sure were happening in my cervical spine every day. The pain was on the rise, and I swore I could feel something seriously depressing going on when I ran my hand along the backside of my neck. All of my doctors concluded they'd keep on an eye on what was essentially "nothing" at the time.
Meanwhile, the cessation of my Indomethacin meant my inflammation was back on the rise. More and more and more pain. Some days it felt like it was doubling. I was back to using a cane around Christmas and could barely walk with a cane by mid January. I was 140lbs. My ever increasing pain caused me to go see my Pain doctor to up my script of Roxy. Around this time, people began to notice that the back of my neck had either a boil or a large resin-like protrusion. It was very concerning. Doctors touched my neck and they thought it might just be a boil. I was sure it was my spine, but none of them could agree with me. A cervical spine MRI was ordered.
Worst day of my life.
Diskitis in my C5 and C6.
Gasps from the Radiologists.
My old infectious disease team from my last hospitalization ran to greet me: "Hey buddy. Another two weeks and we don't stop this diskitis.. you'll probably be a paraplegic."
After aspirating some fluid around the suffering bodies of my Vertebrae that had been eaten alive by the Serratia, blood cultures confirmed I had Osteomyelitis. My spine was infected with this horrible bacteria. Because I had infection of the bone, I needed 12 weeks of antibiotics to clear it up. Because of my past history with IV drugs, they wouldn't let me leave the hospital with a PICC. I had to stay for the full 84 days. Today is day 80 as I'm writing this from the hospital.
I just felt a need to share my story and what I'm going through specifically with the OD section of BL because of how many IV tablet users there are in here. Many of us see the IV complication thread and... if you're like me... think "Thank God my technique includes this, this, and this. Thank God I am safe." No, you are not safe. IV is by far the most dangerous route of drug administration by far. The chance to die from it is very real. I was 120lbs my first hospitalization, and today I thank God I am completely healthy and 175lbs. But my fight is just beginning.
I will have a Cervical Spinal Fusion in 3 weeks.
I am on 200mcg of Fentanyl and 3mg/3hrs Dilaudid IV just to be able to sit up and eat breakfast. I also take 30mg of Roxy every 4 hours and Ativan for the muscle spasms. For me, this is way past nodding out and having fun. I can barely function on these many meds but the pain is absolutely ridiculous.
Thanks to the members that have sent me support through my PMs after my original thread (http://www.bluelight.ru/vb/threads/665235-Tapering-Cutting-down-Lorazepam-in-the-Hospital) was posted. Sorry I haven't had a chance to respond, but I've been fighting rigorously for my life and am finally at the point where I can say I have a grasp on my health.
Anyone that has any questions related to contracting organic pathogens during IV use can safely ask them here. I am still in the hospital and if need-be can get many questions answered. I hope some of you learned something from my story, even if a lot of you are going to say "just use a micron filter." The point is - there is no guarantee. And when someone asks me.... short of death.... I believe I paid a HEAVY price for shooting blues.
- Peace, love
- Detailed account of being hospitalized with a condition that almost took my life. I'm not going to write this out all poetically as if for a novel...
- This is for you. The IV pill user, that doesn't believe it could happen to you. Because trust me. It was never gonna happen to me
Diagnosis: Osteomyelitis of the Cervical Spine + Reactive Septic Arthritis
I was a heavy user of IV oxycodone from around September 2011 through January of 2013.
I did it for a relatively short time compared to other junkies I hung around with. I come from a medical background (am not an MD, nuff said) and was always very careful about sterilizing the injection site, keeping up with my hygiene, and not crossing certain lines.. even within my reckless endeavor of injecting oxycodone. It should be noted that I didn't use micron filters but always used sterile cotton of the highest quality I could obtain at the time. Towards the begining to mid 2012, my tolerance and addiction skyrocketed. My sterile technique and consistent hygiene practices steady declined.
I remember my first bouts of cotton fever. I knew after a few of these in a two month time that something was not right. I had never gotten cotton fever in the past and had always been extremely careful to not even reuse needles. I began to be a little more careful and rotated sites more frequently.. but I remember that last summer ('12) I had a lot of cotton fever. I lost weight. I went from a decently healthy 160lbs to a not-so-healthy 150ish. At some point I remember a two week period of chills and low-grade fevers. I swore to myself that if it didn't go away I'd go get checked out, despite some apparent tracks from the IV. It went away within that week. I never got checked out. Here's an obviously tragic turn.... because I'd put my money on this being the time when a horrible bacteria called "Serratia" entered my bloodstream and started to cause signs of bacteraemia. I wish I would have gotten checked out within July or Aug of last year. The signs were extremely subtle. It was largely a feeling of just knowing something wasn't right. By September, I had some SERIOUS cervical spine issues. My neck began to really do some funky stuff - I was having major pains that would come and go and randomly gaining and losing range of motion. The problem is I would gain the range of motion back, and the pain would eventually go away, just long enough to where I'd forget about the problem. Remember, I'm deep within the throws of addiction here.. I was really hoping this would go away. In my head, it seemed to have at least subsided enough for the time being. I just wanted to get high... and then All hell then breaks loose.
I know now that the Serratia was reaping total havoc in my body, as I woke up basically paralyzed in gunshot-like 11/10 pain coming out of my left SI joint. The Sacroiliatic joint is basically the joint that allows your legs to move side to side. Like an idiot with a massive IV oxycodone regimen I killed most of the pain and wasted away in bed living a meager existence until I had the balls to ask for help in the condition I was in. I was rushed to the hospital via ambulance/paramedics. Once I got there, an MRI of my lumbar spine and lower body revealed significant fluid build up of the SI joint. It was also massively inflammed. To this day this is the most pain I've ever felt in my 22 years on Earth. I'd take being stabbed with a butcher's knife to the hip without thinking twice before the pain of the SI problem I had.
Here's the first problem that really screwed me over...
After being admitted to the hospital and put on 4mg/IV Dilaudid every 3 hours and 1mg/IV Ativan every 6hrs, my SI joint was aspirated. The fluid was roughly 1CC of bloody, clear viscous substance that tested NEGATIVE for ANYTHING. Serratia did not grow when it was cultured. My blood was also free of any pathogens. They ruled out infection and for the next two weeks I was in the hospital, they looked and looked but didn't find any conclusive answer to why I had "Sacroilitis"... in slightly more laymans terms, I had a sudden inflammation of the left Sacroiliatic joint. "Reactive Arthritis." I kept asking them, "Reactive to what?" They had no answer. I left the hospital after 14 days with Indomethacin (strong NSAID usually prescribed to lessen inflammation and pain in arthritis and bursitis patients) that allowed me to WALK for the first time in over a month and a half. My leg muscles were weak, but in three days I was walking with significant pain. Nonetheless, in three days I was walking.
The medication almost gave me an ulcer. I left the hospital and resumed my downward slope within 3 weeks. My neck pain, significantly overshadowed by my SI problems, was definitely ever-increasing.
Although I had mentioned the pain in my neck to several doctors at the hospital, they were all extremely focused on figuring out my hip.None of them could feel the changes I'm sure were happening in my cervical spine every day. The pain was on the rise, and I swore I could feel something seriously depressing going on when I ran my hand along the backside of my neck. All of my doctors concluded they'd keep on an eye on what was essentially "nothing" at the time.
Meanwhile, the cessation of my Indomethacin meant my inflammation was back on the rise. More and more and more pain. Some days it felt like it was doubling. I was back to using a cane around Christmas and could barely walk with a cane by mid January. I was 140lbs. My ever increasing pain caused me to go see my Pain doctor to up my script of Roxy. Around this time, people began to notice that the back of my neck had either a boil or a large resin-like protrusion. It was very concerning. Doctors touched my neck and they thought it might just be a boil. I was sure it was my spine, but none of them could agree with me. A cervical spine MRI was ordered.
Worst day of my life.
Diskitis in my C5 and C6.
Gasps from the Radiologists.
My old infectious disease team from my last hospitalization ran to greet me: "Hey buddy. Another two weeks and we don't stop this diskitis.. you'll probably be a paraplegic."
After aspirating some fluid around the suffering bodies of my Vertebrae that had been eaten alive by the Serratia, blood cultures confirmed I had Osteomyelitis. My spine was infected with this horrible bacteria. Because I had infection of the bone, I needed 12 weeks of antibiotics to clear it up. Because of my past history with IV drugs, they wouldn't let me leave the hospital with a PICC. I had to stay for the full 84 days. Today is day 80 as I'm writing this from the hospital.
I just felt a need to share my story and what I'm going through specifically with the OD section of BL because of how many IV tablet users there are in here. Many of us see the IV complication thread and... if you're like me... think "Thank God my technique includes this, this, and this. Thank God I am safe." No, you are not safe. IV is by far the most dangerous route of drug administration by far. The chance to die from it is very real. I was 120lbs my first hospitalization, and today I thank God I am completely healthy and 175lbs. But my fight is just beginning.
I will have a Cervical Spinal Fusion in 3 weeks.
I am on 200mcg of Fentanyl and 3mg/3hrs Dilaudid IV just to be able to sit up and eat breakfast. I also take 30mg of Roxy every 4 hours and Ativan for the muscle spasms. For me, this is way past nodding out and having fun. I can barely function on these many meds but the pain is absolutely ridiculous.
Thanks to the members that have sent me support through my PMs after my original thread (http://www.bluelight.ru/vb/threads/665235-Tapering-Cutting-down-Lorazepam-in-the-Hospital) was posted. Sorry I haven't had a chance to respond, but I've been fighting rigorously for my life and am finally at the point where I can say I have a grasp on my health.
Anyone that has any questions related to contracting organic pathogens during IV use can safely ask them here. I am still in the hospital and if need-be can get many questions answered. I hope some of you learned something from my story, even if a lot of you are going to say "just use a micron filter." The point is - there is no guarantee. And when someone asks me.... short of death.... I believe I paid a HEAVY price for shooting blues.
- Peace, love
That's the plan. I would love to take some questions though I'm seriously chalk full of medical/ IV drug-related infection knowledge.
