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  • BDD Moderators: Keif’ Richards

healing "wounds" from iving

sweetsurrender

sweetsurrender

Bluelighter
Joined
Aug 23, 2010
Messages
174
Location
burbs of detroit
after a recent heroin mini binge i have totally wrecked my arms, hands and feet. my injection sites are hard, raised and very red. i also have huge bruises and swelling along veins. i obviously underestimated the scarring of the sites that i use most often and i know that i got high and went into the zone where you try for a million years (even though it doesn't seem like it) to get a hit in and end up poking and prodding all over - including spots that don't work (even though you tell yourself that if you keep trying there, it will work).

anyways, the question i have is if there is anything i can do to bring down swelling, heal the bruises and reduce the redness?

am i the only idiot that can take a couple days of iving and make my body look like i was beaten with a baseball bat?
 
I would use a hot compress or just take hot shower/bath since its all over, which should get the blood flowing. Cover the stuff with neosporin and a moisturizer than contains vitamin e. Eat well take omega 3 and stuff, good for your cell membranes and such.
 
make sure to clean the areas good with rubbing alcohol or soap. I would also take some ibuprofen for the swelling aswell as alternating between hot and cold compress to figure out which works better for you, then just use whichever works best.
 
thanks, guys. i appreciate it. yeah, i usually put neosporin on but i just ran out. i took some ibuprofen and im trying to rehydrate - i keep sweating it all out. i have a history of anemia. i wonder if that's why im bruising so much. i haven't had that checked in a while.
 
I don't have experience with messed up veins from IVing, but I've found horse chestnut speeds up healing of bruises and has recommendations for use with varicose veins. Good nutrition helps any regeneration go a little faster. Vitamin C and bioflavinoids are credited with helping veins. I wouldn't go mega-dose on anything but if you have any of those 3 around you might give them a try.
 
kunmo said:
Also stop IVing....
Click to expand...

I know you mean well, but this post isn't gonna help.

also, I hear vitamin E is good for healing.

I too am rather anemic, but I think its because I'm currently have leukemia and goign through all that shit, so I'm constantly having to have blood transfusions and stuff. its funny, because I know when I need one when its hard for me to find a vein, its like I'll have no blood pressure so I can't get my veins to pop until I've had a transfusion. luckily, I haven't needed one in about 2 weeks.
 
Here are a few things I do to help veins feel better and heal faster...

- try to use a thin gauge; i use 29 and just tried 30 for the first time and it worked well (especially for the hands). This lessens the trauma to your veins and skin from the get-go.

- use fresh needles as often as possible. We all know that even though they look fine, after just a few pokes those tips get pretty rough pretty fast.

- Although people say to apply a hot compress if you miss a shot, i apply a hot compress after EVERY shot, no matter what. I find it helps get rid of "mosquito bites" and any other trauma associated with IV. Actually, i just stick my arm under the faucet and let hot water run over it, gently massaging the injection site (if you do miss a shot, this is a MUST; I find that it reduces the swelling almost immediately).

- Vitamin E is a good healing agent, but a cream called BIAFINE is even better. It's prescription only but I find that most dermatologists have tons of those little free sample tubes and seem willing to give them out to anyone. I haven't looked, but I'd bet you can bet it without a script online. It really makes skin heal a lot faster.
 
Honestly, that will happen, especially if you aren't used to IVing... when you are a "new" IVer or someone who has taken a break from IVing. For some reason, when i started using i would bruise uppp soo bad.especially if i tried to do it in my arm... I ended up being successful using my feel and hands but in the beginning i would get swollen hands and feet, but eventually after using for a while it stooped swelling and bruising . So to answer your question, you shouldn't worrry, you will heal, Depending on your rate of scaring and other variables... i had a bad spot on my hand and now it is totally fine and you cant even see it! good luck to you!
Peace
 
I hit the same spots on my lower arms and hands all the time and I only swell up or bruise if I miss a shot, so I'm not sure that saying bruising and swelling are a normal side effect of IV.

The fact is if you have visible injection points then you either need to rotate more spots or IV less often. Using proper injection techniques and being more careful not to miss will also help a lot - every time you poke yourself and fail to register is another mark that has to heal!

The tracks on my lower arms are creeping into the "too visible" category so I'm going to have to do something to give those areas more time to heal.

But the #1 thing I am doing first is to try my hardest to make sure every shot counts. I'm sure if most users were more stringent about registering on the first try, they would significantly cut down on the number of holes in their skin!
 
i was missing more this last time. i dont know what was up because i usually dont beat myself up so badly. currently i seem to be iving every week to week and a half. i know when im having trouble shooting and i get high, i tend to keep trying with the same couple needles on the same sites. i know that is a no-no. my skin seems a lot more sensitive lately. im not eating so much so my nutrition isnt good and im probably dehydrated because my veins are tiny, hard to hit and blow easily. i keep going for my antecubitals because they are the biggest and easiest to hit. however, ive beaten them up pretty badly. i found a good place on my ankle. im going to have to remember to rotate, reduce my pokes and have enough rigs on hand. im going to get some vitamin e caps - i know if you break them open and rub them into your skin, it will help.
 
tokkin- i hope you are feeling ok. ive needed blood transfusions for anemia and i struggle with hypotension and dehydration. im not in your shoes and i cant imagine what you are going through but i can sympathize on these things. i think all the feedback on this thread is helpful - we not only need to know iving techniques but also how to take care of ourselves and how to heal our bodies when using takes its toll.
 
I use Ice after every injection that I can... Immediately, and for at least a good 20 minutes. Heat soon after trauma actually increases swelling, so use cold for 24 hrs after, then warm, moist heat.

As far as healing up after a binge, both topical and sublingual Arnica (at the health food store) work wonders. They'll heal a bad sprain in a couple of days instead of a couple weeks, so you can imagine how effective they are with micro-trauma like injection sites...

Also, I read somewhere a while back that black beans have some phytonutrient that helps heal soreness and bruising, and I've found they do provide some surprising results. Make yourself some burritos.
Also stop IVing....
Click to expand...
Really?
Why did you feel this was necessary? I bet, since you spend time on this forum, chances are there are few things that I could tell you to stop doing, but you wouldn't, right?
 
yeah - "stop iving." thanks for that revelation. im posting this to making my roa as safe as possible. anyways, has anyone tried mederma? if i remeber that stuff is pretty expensive. also, why does this thread "make you giggle?" threads about people crushing up any and everything and snorting or iving it makes my jackass radar go up but i dont laugh at them.
 
You guys are right. Im sorry and was pretty messed up at the time but it gives me no excuse. I was trying to be funny but obviously it didnt help... so sorry again i mean well and always try to help.

After long football practices i would often times devlop. swelling and bruises. I used this fruit based cream and like some one else said Go Cold then HEat.

Sorry again
 
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