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Harm Reduction Injection Complications FAQ and Mega Thread

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after a while,You can sorta tell if you're in without registering,at least I can.(you should still check to be sure though)
 
What brand of syringe do you use? I find that BD syringes are tougher to register with than other brands such as terumo.

The "auto-register" technique does wonders.

Before i put the needle in i actually position my hand on the syringe so that i can register and then i just push down on the finger rest things to find the vein.

Thats really hard to explain but eventually your technique will get better, just try to reduce missed shots in the meantime.

The most dangerous time for IVing i believe is when you're learning to, this is when a lot of people inject into arteries and such.

Edit: 100 posts!! You big posters can suck it.%)
 
My brand of choice is BD by far. The 28g 100unit 1cc with as you guys are refering to it, "The vacuum trick" always works for me. I just wish that I didn't suboxone sometimes. I take the pill and what happens? A friend shows up with fat kick down of black (I'm in CA).
 
My brand of choice is BD by far. The 28g 100unit 1cc with as you guys are refering to it, "The vacuum trick" always works for me. I just wish that I didn't suboxone sometimes. I take the pill and what happens? A friend shows up with fat kick down of black (I'm in CA).

Ha same situation..today was the first day I woke up without heroin..an hour or two ago I panicked and took 3mg bupe.

Now I'm on my way to my dude..I guess I'll just save the bags for tomorrow.

Edit: looks like your question was answered I use the vacuum technique myself on the occasion I miss going directly into the vein. Most people I've seen that have IVed for any amount of time use it. Its definitely the easiest way to register especially when just starting to IV.
 
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i always have just enough air space in the syringe, at the way top where it meets the actual needle, where when im in the blood can jus flow in. its just a small lil air pocket.

theres not really a mushroom ploom type register but it just enters the syringe and u know u in.
 
i always have just enough air space in the syringe, at the way top where it meets the actual needle, where when im in the blood can jus flow in. its just a small lil air pocket.

theres not really a mushroom ploom type register but it just enters the syringe and u know u in.

I used to use this method. However, it can lead to a lot of missed shots. Just nicking or poking through a vein will cause the bubble of air to fill with blood- tricking you into thinking you're in and not just 'near' a vein.

Same thing with the vacuum- it's always good to pull back a little after the vacuum/airbubble fill with blood, to make sure you are actually in.

I've seen people not even need a tourniquet, stick it in and first try know they're in without registering. I've always had easily accessible veins, and I'd still fuck up.
 
I used to use this method. However, it can lead to a lot of missed shots. Just nicking or poking through a vein will cause the bubble of air to fill with blood- tricking you into thinking you're in and not just 'near' a vein.

Same thing with the vacuum- it's always good to pull back a little after the vacuum/airbubble fill with blood, to make sure you are actually in.

I've seen people not even need a tourniquet, stick it in and first try know they're in without registering. I've always had easily accessible veins, and I'd still fuck up.
I never use a tourniqate
 
I used to use this method. However, it can lead to a lot of missed shots. Just nicking or poking through a vein will cause the bubble of air to fill with blood- tricking you into thinking you're in and not just 'near' a vein.

Same thing with the vacuum- it's always good to pull back a little after the vacuum/airbubble fill with blood, to make sure you are actually in.

I've seen people not even need a tourniquet, stick it in and first try know they're in without registering. I've always had easily accessible veins, and I'd still fuck up.

This is actually what I do if I use the vacuum method. When blood enters the barrel I pull back slighty, register a little more blood, then depress the plunger.

Ugh, shooting without registering just seems so dicey to me. Especially if I'm sick I'll check to make sure I'm still in the vein halfway through the shot.
 
yeah shooting without registering can be pretty dicey, ive missed partial shots from being over confident thinking i was in. normally i don't have the need to register but always do for obvious reasons.

im gonna shift this into the IV thread
 
Hey guys. I shoot in either my arms or hands rotating to let spots heal. This means I normally only have one hand free. Looking to see if anyone has any tips when it comes tip to pull the p;lunger back to see if blood registers so you know you hit the vein? I fond it hard to hold the needle ion place with my hand while trying to find a way to pull back the plunger a bit with My finger and I don't want to be twisting the needled around inside of my vein. I'm fine with blind shooting into my arms but the smaller ones in the hand I like to check and make sure by registering. ideas?

Get an extra pair of hands (ie; a friend). It's the only way to do this effectively.

Personally, I always register because where's the fun in not registering? ;)
 
haha i love the plush as well:D

I have an idea.

This stems from my own experience as well as what others have said.

Before I was an IV user, and was addicted to heroin, and 99% of the time snorted it (I smoked powder heroin before, but it really isn't all that useful to smoke because the rush is instant, but so short lived it's nearly not worth it) I noticed a phenomenon I'm going to try to describe here.

Whenever I would run out, then be on the way to get more, I would be in WD. I would have shakes, chills, goosebumps, etc. However, as soon as dude answered the phone and as soon as I was behind the wheel of my car, the WD symptoms were diminished. Still there, but diminished.

The second I scored and had the bags in my possession, I wouldn't feel WD symptoms anymore. I mean, yeah I might not feel high, but I'm not sweating it, not anxious, not having chills/goosebumps.

I think this is attributable to the fact that your brain expects how the drug is going to effect you, and the mere presence of the drug removes most of the malaise of withdrawal. This can be correlated to IV drug use. When the user registers and sees the plume of blood, an anticipatory adrenaline rush occurs shortly before the high by a few seconds. I think the pairing of the adrenaline rush in excitement before the actual effects of the drug conditions the individual into feeling euphoria as soon as the register is made, since the user expects to get high (and they do).

Did this make sense?
 
blind injection

I don't know if this is the appropriate place for this question, but it seemed better than starting a new thread over something relatively minor:

I have *extremely* hard-to-find veins even though I only starting IV drug use recently. It has often taken nurses 3-4 tries to get blood from the crook of my arm, even as a child. I'm not fat or anything either - just a average-sized white guy.

The most prominent veins I have are in the hands and wrist (cephalic) after exercise. I know all the tricks with both cardio and weight-bearing exercise, hot shower/compress, lowering your arm below your heart, tourniquet, etc., but the best I can see in the crook in my arm is *maybe* (could be imagining) a hint of blueness somewhere between midline and the medial aspect.

My question is this: What should I be feeling for if I'm going to try injecting "blind" in the crook of my arm. I always seen nurses gently pushing with their fingertips to *feel* the vein... Is it just a bit of squishiness basically? Are they feeling for a pulse? Any advice you have for how to distinguish the vein by touch would be helpful.

Also, I know this is nasty, but when you have to "dig" to find a vein, what is the safe way of doing it? Obviously being gentle, but do you pull back slightly, change the angle and then reinsert?

I know it's just a matter of experience because *some* nurses hit me on the first try in that location *every* time.
 
You should *never* just shoot without checking/registering first.

There is absolutley NO benefits from this practice (harm prevention or otherwise).

Just pulling back and checking your in takes like, less than a second - and stops nasty complications and your $$$ (missed hit = waste of money in my books).

My idea of a truely "blind" (rather than lazy) shot is when your shooting under those bluelights (they use in public toilets and such). Yeah you can "hit" but you can't check the colur of blood. I've hit (and shot into) femoral artery this way. It really sucks.

But yeah, always register.
 
I have such a hard time shooting up these days my veins on my arms just wont work right. I shot up in the same spots for years and it just seems like theres too much scar tissue. It takes me 10 minutes to find a spot and register sometimes. I feel like a fucking pin cushion. I think Im just gonna quit shooting drugs all together , I dont wanna have start destroying veins elsewhere on my body just to get high.

Drugs can really suck sometimes , ehh
 
^ Well stop using your arms.

An added bonus of this, is that people won't clock you as a smackhead within *seconds* of meeting you.

I would rather use my feet than arms ANYDAY.

How is it any different to you? You're still sticking a pin full of shit into your body.
 
I don't know if this is the appropriate place for this question, but it seemed better than starting a new thread over something relatively minor:

I have *extremely* hard-to-find veins even though I only starting IV drug use recently. It has often taken nurses 3-4 tries to get blood from the crook of my arm, even as a child. I'm not fat or anything either - just a average-sized white guy.

The most prominent veins I have are in the hands and wrist (cephalic) after exercise. I know all the tricks with both cardio and weight-bearing exercise, hot shower/compress, lowering your arm below your heart, tourniquet, etc., but the best I can see in the crook in my arm is *maybe* (could be imagining) a hint of blueness somewhere between midline and the medial aspect.

My question is this: What should I be feeling for if I'm going to try injecting "blind" in the crook of my arm. I always seen nurses gently pushing with their fingertips to *feel* the vein... Is it just a bit of squishiness basically? Are they feeling for a pulse? Any advice you have for how to distinguish the vein by touch would be helpful.
They're feeling for the vein itself. It does not have a pulse. They will feel like a bone in your hand would, however not as hard. If it has a pulse, do not use it as it is an artery.

Also, I know this is nasty, but when you have to "dig" to find a vein, what is the safe way of doing it? Obviously being gentle, but do you pull back slightly, change the angle and then reinsert?
I would just advise entering a bit further, and if it's clearly not it, I would just pull it out. If a lot of blood comes out, the needle might be clogged. If no blood comes out, you weren't close to the vein and need to try a new spot.

I don't advise "digging" for veins, this isn't good for your body's tissue. And, if you have a long enough needle, you may dig deep enough to hit an artery (which will present pink/light red blood, compared to a vein which registers deep, dark red blood.)

I know it's just a matter of experience because *some* nurses hit me on the first try in that location *every* time.
You have to envision where the vein is, and angle the needle in. It's best to run it in at an angle most suited for the vein. Some work best when you aim straight on top of them at a shallow angle, whereas some work better when you come in one one side or the other.

You should *never* just shoot without checking/registering first.

There is absolutley NO benefits from this practice (harm prevention or otherwise).

Just pulling back and checking your in takes like, less than a second - and stops nasty complications and your $$$ (missed hit = waste of money in my books).

My idea of a truely "blind" (rather than lazy) shot is when your shooting under those bluelights (they use in public toilets and such). Yeah you can "hit" but you can't check the colur of blood. I've hit (and shot into) femoral artery this way. It really sucks.

But yeah, always register.

I concur. It's actually fun to register so I don't see why someone wouldn't.

I have such a hard time shooting up these days my veins on my arms just wont work right. I shot up in the same spots for years and it just seems like theres too much scar tissue. It takes me 10 minutes to find a spot and register sometimes. I feel like a fucking pin cushion. I think Im just gonna quit shooting drugs all together , I dont wanna have start destroying veins elsewhere on my body just to get high.

Drugs can really suck sometimes , ehh

I feel you man. That's why I sometimes just give it a break for a while. I actually preferred snorting heroin when I was using due to the longer peak.
 
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^ Well stop using your arms.

An added bonus of this, is that people won't clock you as a smackhead within *seconds* of meeting you.

I would rather use my feet than arms ANYDAY.

How is it any different to you? You're still sticking a pin full of shit into your body.

Ive shot in my feet a few times and it always hurt like a mofo. I'll probably start doing it more in the future but I'm kind of weary of it right now. As far as hiding tracks go I never really cared. If someone is going judge me because I shoot drugs I really don't even wanna know them. All of my true friends could care less that I do dope. I'm pretty responsible with it most of the time.
 
What is your guys' schedule for rotating spots?

Do you inject once and switch? I've been taking my basilic? vein on my bicep and doing 4-5 shots going up from the elbow and then i switch to another.

How many spots do you rotate? I have probably 10+ spots on my arms so i don't hit the same spot for about a week.
 
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