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Heroin How to tell if track marks are fresh?

R

rthomas32

Greenlighter
Joined
Jun 15, 2014
Messages
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It was 3 and a half weeks ago that I found out my girlfriend relapsed on heroin. She was an addict before I met her so I'm not sure what to look for. She told me she has not shot up since the 3 and a half weeks ago. I feel like her arms might be fresh though, but I can't tell if they are marks from 3 and a half weeks ago or if they are from recently. There is a pink line and I can see like 2 pink/red dots. How long do the dots last after shooting up? I feel like that might give it away if she's done it with or couple days or even today? Can someone more experienced with this let me know how long those dots should last or if they're are any other signs I should look for regarding track marks and how recent they are?
 
I can't directly answer your question about telling fresh marks from old ones but one thing I can say from my extremely limited past experience with IV is that the marks reflect on vein care more than anything. If someone has really poor IV technique they can blow veins, leave nasty blood clots, get infections etc that can lead to really nasty long lasting scars, and for example missed shots, re-used needles, poorly filtered solutions etc usually leave marks that persist for weeks or sometimes even months or longer in severe cases while someone who properly rotates veins, filters well, re-uses a fresh needle throwing away a needle even if they don't get a vein on their first hit etc then often the marks are barely visible to begin with and fade in a couple of days, or even in some cases aren't visible at all from the moment they've injected.

Bearing that in mind and also the fact that some people bruise/scar easier than others and also how blood circulation and the different flow of blood in your different body parts can affect if there's a mark and how severe it is it's kind of hard to assume that the marks are fresh or that the marks are old just based on how they look.

One useful thing you could try if you want to find out if she's still using is simple really: Pay attention to where the marks are, and see if you notice any new ones.

Hope this helps :)
 
Red dots? Those aren't three weeks old most likely. Im looking at my arms-- Im two weeks clean and definetely pretty anemic so everything is healing slow and I have no red dots anymore. But, do not approach her all willy nilly about this. If you think she is using again, blow that once and she isnt going to tell you shit about it and probably cut you off. maybe talk to her about why she may be using... you know, idk man, this is walking on ice. but dont go screaming at some heroin addict off what we are saying online about tracks i havent even seen. those red dots could be scars or she could be itching for it so bad she has been picking at her tracks for these weeks so they havent healed. good luck but please do not scare her off and deeper into this.
 
^^^^ yea man we can't see the track marks so just sit down with her explain ho wyour concerned about her and talk it out instead of going behind her back on BL and asking if we think her track marks are fresh I mean we can't see it and as Jesus said above there are many variables when it comes to how visible track marks will be.
 
Pink/red dots don't sound 3 weeks old to me, they sound like a reasonably well done but very recent injection.
 
There would be no real sign after three and a half weeks. I mean there could be a darker scar that will eventually fade. But if it was three and a half weeks ago there would not be much if anything left.

Here is a good thread that may help you come up with a way of communicating with her about this.

Support For Those Affected by the Addiction of Others

Here are some threads to help you understand what addiction is.

Addiction Guide
The Brain and Addiction

The easiest way to tell if she is using is to look for to see if her pupils are pined or unusually small.
 
Parent of an addict needs guidance

Hi my son ago 30 is an heroine addict. He was clean 18 months and week ago started using again. I need guidance I'm scared to death of losing him. 18 months ago when I found out he accepted help he wanted to be clean. Now he lies to me about using but he did confide in his girlfriend who informed me of his using again. I really don't know what to do. I've prayed so much my knees are bruised. Any advice is much appreciated.
 
Niese423 said:
Hi my son ago 30 is an heroine addict. He was clean 18 months and week ago started using again. I need guidance I'm scared to death of losing him. 18 months ago when I found out he accepted help he wanted to be clean. Now he lies to me about using but he did confide in his girlfriend who informed me of his using again. I really don't know what to do. I've prayed so much my knees are bruised. Any advice is much appreciated.
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You need to make a new topic with this post. You will not get help reviving old dead threads like this as most will read the first post without reaching yours.
 
First off... Don't come at him sideways for using again. If he doesn't want to get clean for himself, he's not going to get or stay clean. Explain your concerns to him in the most compassionate way possible. The only chance you have of keeping an open dialog is not to get preachy or come down hard on him. Now, here's the kicker: you can't enable him either. I feel for you... I've been clean for 13 months and have no relationship with my mom because she didn't/won't take the time to try and understand that me using had become so much more complicated than a simple choice for me. I did have my "second mom" to go to, though. She was compassionate without enabling me. She wasn't going to give me money or let me live with her while I was getting high, but she always had a non-judgmental ear and I could always tell her anything without the fear of walking away feeling even worse about myself. Your son needs to want to get clean because he wants it... If he's doing it for anyone else or for any other reasons, he probably won't stay clean.
 
It's kind of hard to be able to tell from that long ago, though you can have a guess the addict will probably down play it while you have no proof
 
If she is using again, it will probably be obvious before long. Heroin's not a drug that's that easy to hide from somone you see every day, especially I.V., but some addicts are really good at hiding it. You know what they look like now anyway, so they should heal from there and no new ones should show up if she's clean right. I would try to be understanding and not push her away with accusations.
 
Niese423 said:
Hi my son ago 30 is an heroine addict. He was clean 18 months and week ago started using again. I need guidance I'm scared to death of losing him. 18 months ago when I found out he accepted help he wanted to be clean. Now he lies to me about using but he did confide in his girlfriend who informed me of his using again. I really don't know what to do. I've prayed so much my knees are bruised. Any advice is much appreciated.
Click to expand...


I'm sorry to hear this. What I would say is more important than anything is just to educate yourself about addiction and harm reduction, and make sure your son is educated as well. Are you or his girlfriend able to obtain some Naloxone (an antidote for opiate overdose)? If so, I would suggest you both do so. A heroin overdose can be easily reversed. Your son may not be ready to stop. If that's the case, there really isn't much that can be done; he will find a way to use. It's not because he's a bad person or that he doesn't care about the people close to him. I would bet he feels pretty awful about himself. So try not to fuel the cycle of shame, which just leads to deeper addiction and more drug use--and then more shame, and so on.

Most important is letting your son know that you love him no matter what and that you want to help him. Make sure he knows everything possible about heroin and harm reduction. If he's not ready to stop, the most important thing to focus on is keeping him alive until he is ready. Most people with substance abuse issues will stop eventually, but only if they're around long enough to reach that point. Look into all the safety measures that can be taken to ensure that your son makes it to see a life beyond addiction.
 
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