• 💊 OTHER DRUGS 💊 Welcome Guest
    Posting Rules Bluelight Rules
    Notable Threads 1 Notable Threads 2
    Dangerous Combos Addiction Support
    Emergency Services Benzo Guide v.1
    Addiction Stories Scary Case Studies
    Biology, Pharmacology & Drugs 101
  • Select Your Topic Then Scroll Down
    Alcohol Bupe Benzos
    Cocaine Heroin Opioids
    RCs Stimulants Misc
    Harm Reduction All Topics Gabapentinoids
    Tired of your habit? Struggling to cope?
    Want to regain control or get sober?
    Visit our Recovery Support Forums

Harm Reduction Injection Complications FAQ and Mega Thread

Status
Not open for further replies.
don't shoot in your hand, especially when you don't know what you're doing as it can be very dangerous...
 
This is probably not what you want to hear but I'll say it anyway.

It would really, REALLY be for the best if you give up now and keep using it like you were before. As soon as you finally get in the vein and take your first shot, there's no going back from that because you won't ever take it any other way again. Please stop for a minute and reconsider, otherwise you will find yourself in a whole new world of pain, and for the rest of your life you'll be wishing you had never gone there.

There's a lot of people who wish they were where you are now, with the opportunity to turn back. Please trust me on this.
 
The lady in the needle exchange told me which veins I should try to hit. There is one in my arm as well which might be better. I have two main problems, my veins aren't showing up well at the moment, and when I do stick the needle in the plunger is stiff causing the needle to jump when I try to pull back to see if I've registered.

I can go to a dealers house and he will do it for me. I don't know if he is very good, but I imagine he knows what he is doing. I will bring all my own stuff, but I still don't think its a goo idea. Thoughts???

What should I do about my hand? Its after getting very red. Its not sore. I only shot a very small amount into it.
 
elucidate said:
This is probably not what you want to hear but I'll say it anyway.

It would really, REALLY be for the best if you give up now and keep using it like you were before. As soon as you finally get in the vein and take your first shot, there's no going back from that because you won't ever take it any other way again. Please stop for a minute and reconsider, otherwise you will find yourself in a whole new world of pain, and for the rest of your life you'll be wishing you had never gone there.

There's a lot of people who wish they were where you are now, with the opportunity to turn back. Please trust me on this.
Click to expand...

I keep thinking this every time I waste another shot. Maybe there is a reason I'm not getting it in. I am waiting to be put on suboxone (around 2 weeks). I know I have to get off it, but I really want to try IV before I give it up. Maybe I'm just being stupid.

Any thoughts about my hand?
 
stop shooting in your hand. I could go on and on about how you shouldn't even be messing around with a needle, but I have a feeling that you're not going to listen, so it would be better to give you HR (Harm reduction) advice.... Bring all your stuff to somebody's house that knows how to safely inject , and have them show you how. It is really hard to explain how to IV correctly and safely over the internet using only words....
 
I too would advise against IV use in the first place, as I'm pretty sure it will ruin all other ROA's for you, like chasing or insufflation, not to mention it could potentially change your life forever(not in a good way). If you are set on doing it, there is a MegaThread on injection and common complications and what not. You might find some helpful tips there.
 
I will stop shooting in my hand. The swelling seems to be going away now, but I won't chance it again. I shouldn't be messing around with a needle, you're right, I haven't a clue what I'm doing.

I can do that now, bring all my stuff over. I guess I'm the only one who can make the decision. I hate choices like this.
 
Try the veins in your arm. It doesn't have to be at the elbow. There are others that raise easy enough. You have to keep the syringe and needle steady as you are pulling and pushing on the plunger. I remember that during my first couple times, the needle would slip out while I was distracted with the plunger. Slightly press the syringe against your arm to steady it.

The following is my tip for hitting a vein. As soon as the needle pierces the skin, pull back on the plunger very slightly, which should create very small vacuum air bubbles in the syringe. Then, continue to insert the rest of the needle extremely slow. That slight negative pressure in the syringe will cause the syringe to fill up with a plume of dark blood when you've hit the vein. Once you see the blood pouring into the syringe, STOP ANY MOVEMENT. Wait for the blood to stop pouring in and slowly push on the syringe while keeping everything else still; by now, you already know what a miss feels like, so watch for it. This is an easier way to find a vein because you have less of a risk of piercing through the other side of a vein, and also, you won't be disappointed with the lack of blood in the syringe when you think the needle's in.

Also, many first time users have a problem of inserting the needle too shallow. Especially when you raise your veins, it looks like your vein is right under the skin and you can hit it without a problem. They're actually a little deeper than they look, so make sure you have the proper angle.
 
first, might i suggest that you practice using saline/bacteriostatic water before you go wasting anymore heroin and cause yourself an abscess? alternatively you could always try plugging your heroin, which is nearly on par with IV.

heroin mega thread
safer injecting

The following is my tip for hitting a vein. As soon as the needle pierces the skin, pull back on the plunger very slightly, which should create very small vacuum air bubbles in the syringe. Then, continue to insert the rest of the needle extremely slow. That slight negative pressure in the syringe will cause the syringe to fill up with a plume of dark blood when you've hit the vein. Once you see the blood pouring into the syringe, STOP ANY MOVEMENT. Wait for the blood to stop pouring in and slowly push on the syringe while keeping everything else still; by now, you already know what a miss feels like, so watch for it. This is an easier way to find a vein because you have less of a risk of piercing through the other side of a vein, and also, you won't be disappointed with the lack of blood in the syringe when you think the needle's in.

Also, many first time users have a problem of inserting the needle too shallow. Especially when you raise your veins, it looks like your vein is right under the skin and you can hit it without a problem. They're actually a little deeper than they look, so make sure you have the proper angle.
Click to expand...

good advice there. ive seen a few noobies go in too shallow on their first attempts because they think the vein is right there under the skin when in reality its still a little further under.

if you're having problems getting your veins to show then hop in a hot shower for 5 mins or so and theyll come up no worries. try doing a few pushups or lift a few weights, bicep curls. a tourniquet would be advisable as well.

im going to merge this into the IV complications and FAQ thread now. have a look around elsewhere for injecting guides too, there are plenty out there.
 
will i be labeled "drug addict" if i go to the hospital with an abcess????

i think i have an abcess in my right arm and according to the injection complication thread on BL it says i need immediate medical attention! it was just a rather large red section of raised and tender skin but today i noticed the redness went away and im left with what looks like a knot under my skin. i imagine its really alot less serious than im thinking but i wanna be sure.. my real question is... do u think the hospital will label me a IV drug user if i present this dilema to them? also would this make it more difficult to be prescribed pain meds????? please respond if you have experience with this kind of thing....
 
I had one, diddled around waiting to get treatment, and it worsened. I ended up going to a doctor in town, she lanced it, gave me antibiotics and painkillers, and not a bit of hassle.

You must get it treated, as they can worsen and kill you. If you get an asshole for a doc, they might question you, but unless you confess to shooting drugs (or its obvious), no one can prove its cause. Still, even if they record it was caused by a botched IV injection, that is nothing. The alternative might be losing your arm, or your life!
 
Maybe so, but being labeled an addict is a hell of a lot better than being labeled a corpse.
 
yes unfortunately hospitals will have that on record, i had to go one time before from a miss on my wrist from cocaine, i did not want to go i really didnt but i didnt want to loose my hand either, so you have to ask yourself what is more important sorry but it is my experience the hospitals remember me now, unless you go and pay cash and dont use your insurance that might help i dont know for sure about that, maybe like KnowBudz you can go to a private doctor
 
I have been to get my arm lanced before with no problems.. They never even asked what it was from.. I supose that all depends on the doctor though..
 
It's better than being labeled an 'amputee' for the rest of your life.

The_Chef said:
Maybe so, but being labeled an addict is a hell of a lot better than being labeled a corpse.
Click to expand...

that too.

You knew the risks when you picked up the needle, time to pay the piper.
 
Last edited:
You very well may labled an addict by the people who treat you and at that particular hospital. But unless you do something stupid like tell them who your primary care doc is, the records stay at the hospital. I mean they might not rx you pain killers THEN, but what do you care, go buy some heroin. It is not like Seinfeld, if you are smart medical records do not follow you around. And as a bonus your arm won't be amputated. Soooo I think it's a pretty easy decision.
 
Yeah the only place that will ever have this on record is the hospital, unless you use your insurance.

[snip - we dont give advice like that here - leftwing]
 
Last edited by a moderator:
wow thnx for all the advice you guys!!! so no insurance?? cause im not loaded on cash and i hear hospital bills are usually jacked for people who pay in cash as opposed to people who use insurance.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top