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Harm Reduction Injection; IV Complications and Info MEGATHREAD & FAQ III Vs I Want Blood

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FakeFlake said:
I think that it's better to hit in the bend of the arm. Always. I've done all my injects there , and the ones I didn't used to give me bruises and all that nasty shit..
Click to expand...

i use to use the one in the bend of my right arm. I had one slightly off the center of the fold that u could hit no problem. Alternated it with one by my elbow. Now it's just scar tissue. From there I found a nice little trail that went on the inside of my lower thigh almost by the knee. This spot I could literally hit in the dark. I missed it a year ago and I still has some hard tissue around it, plus the moment a needle touches even the surrounding area I get a pain hat is not worth it. Recently I found one going towards my forearm on my right starting in the bend and alternating with spot further down my forearm. While using a diluted solution I missed. ( this swelling did not occur until Much later) my left arm has never been lucky. You can see the veins, u can feel the veins, but when yo go to hit the vein the tissue is so soft it like going through butter and you get no register or you result in a blown vein. I wonder if it doesn't have anything to do with my scars.. .
 
My friend shot a small amount in 30 units water in the middle vein in the crook of her right elbow. 10 seconds later the right forearm became moderately numb rapidly. It's been 20 minutes and nothing has changed. The region around the injection site is warmer than the surrounding skin (which, again, is all equally numbed to the moderate but concerning extent).

Important to note: the second register didn't come up with blood and yet she still proceeded (I know, I know, bad move).

Anyone have any idea what this is and whether we should be concerned. / seek medical help? If not, is there some way we should be treating it / tending to it ourselves? And finally, aside from not injecting without seeing blood after both registers, is there anything else she can do to help avoid this next time?
 
I need some advice.

I just started IVing my Suboxone films about two weeks ago. I haven't had any problems with it up until now. I had been using the spot that most people typically use in the bend of my arm. I draw back get blood and go, there's no burning and I'd get a little bump that would soon go away. I had a hard spot where I had been shooting up into but was told this was scar tissue. yesterday I noticed it had swollen up about an inch above the regular skin and is a little bit red. It hurts in the spot where the bump is and when I move my arm around. I'm especially concerned because if I go to the ER my prescribing doctor will find out and I'll get cut off (I'm told that everything regarding medical treatments are linked VIA computers in this state I reside in). Is there anyway I can treat this at home? I've done hot wash cloths on it repeatedly. Someone please help!

p.s I'm sorry if I'm posting this in the wrong place. New member have not quite figured out how this site works
 
Thanks your post helps me

Thank you for your post I am dealing with the same issues but wasn't sure how to go about asking. I don't feel so dumb, Its good to know others have similar issues. Much Respect "D":) Again thank you so much I think something is really wrong, but I don't know what it is exactly.

Admittedly, after reading the IV complications guide thoroughly, I realize now that I've been doing a few things incorrectly. Like, I have been using the same injection sites for a long time. Both sites are on the same arm, about an inch away from each other(both in the crook of my right elbow). Those are the only two veins that show for me and the only ones I can ever manage to register in, so those are the ones I was using. However, I started having complications with registering on the second injection site, and so for a week or so now, I have been using the same injection site. It still registers, but it takes more work than it used to. The other thing I've been doing incorrectly is using blunt needles at times. I don't use them A TON, but I don't use a fresh needle every single time either. I don't have access to a needle exchange where I live, and I only get fresh needles maybe once every few weeks or so. I do try to use fresh needles as often as possible, but it doesn't always work out that way.

Now, my right arm is hurting, I mean REALLY hurting. I can't straighten it out completely because the pain becomes too much. It hurts around the site I've been using, but like it's spread out if that makes sense? Also both sites are REALLY hard, and it extends a little bit up the inside of my elbow. I don't know if it's the vein there or what... the track marks on the old site are almost gone completely, and the one on the site I use now doesn't look infected or anything minus a LITTLE bit of redness, but in my experience that's normal with cuts. Or is it?

Mostly what I'm concerned about is that about a week ago (it was when I was still using both sites) I started to get REALLY sick. I thought it was cotton fever at first, but then it hung on, so then I thought it was just a flu, but it's still hanging on and it's not behaving like any normal flu I've ever seen or had. My symptoms are: almost complete loss of appetite, getting really cold and beginning to shake extremely violently - this happens at the very least twice a day and lasts for about 15 minutes or so - even if I'm in the sun or somewhere warm, extreme lethargy and fatigue, the absolute worst migraine headaches I have ever experienced, as well as the worst neck pain I have ever experienced (the pain doesn't seem to be located in the muscle, it seems to be located on top of my spine?! At least that's where it hurts when I touch it), insomnia despite the fatigue and lethargy, slight nausea, respiratory distress (coughing, shortness of breath, etc.)... and the thing that scares me most, is that when I stand up from sitting, or even when I'm sitting and do the smallest thing that requires the tiniest amount of exertion, my heart begins beating superhard and fast, to the point where I can hear it in my ears. It's really scary.

Oh, I forgot to mention, I also have a fever that comes off and on. It can go from 103 to 98 to 100 to 97 all in one day. This has been going on for about a week now, and there is no sign of anything getting better. It's not getting worse (minus the neck pain and cough, maybe) but it's definitely not getting better. On average, I'd say it's stayed at about the same level since it first started.

So could these two things be related, the sickness and the issues with my arm?[/QUOTE]
 
Hey man, regardless of whether all that stuff is related to your arm or not.....sorry to state the obvious here, but you should really see a doctor. You could have some kind of infection that could have been contracted through IV use. Or something completely different.

The symptoms sound pretty nasty so you should definitely get a professional to check you out.

Also, if you are going to keep shooting, rotate your sites. Check out the vein map on one of the injection threads on here. I tried to find it but can't, I'll post it here if I have any luck searching,

Rotating injection sites will make things so much easier on your veins and will go a long way towards making sure you don't collapse veins, have nasty misses and brutal track marks etc etc.

Take care :-)
 
No one like you said:
i use to use the one in the bend of my right arm. I had one slightly off the center of the fold that u could hit no problem. Alternated it with one by my elbow. Now it's just scar tissue. From there I found a nice little trail that went on the inside of my lower thigh almost by the knee. This spot I could literally hit in the dark. I missed it a year ago and I still has some hard tissue around it, plus the moment a needle touches even the surrounding area I get a pain hat is not worth it. Recently I found one going towards my forearm on my right starting in the bend and alternating with spot further down my forearm. While using a diluted solution I missed. ( this swelling did not occur until Much later) my left arm has never been lucky. You can see the veins, u can feel the veins, but when yo go to hit the vein the tissue is so soft it like going through butter and you get no register or you result in a blown vein. I wonder if it doesn't have anything to do with my scars.. .
Click to expand...

Always shoot in the right arm ! The left arm is not good , the heart is closest to the left arm.. yes there in the bend or close to it imo the best / safest .
 
FakeFlake said:
Always shoot in the right arm ! The left arm is not good , the heart is closest to the left arm.. yes there in the bend or close to it imo the best / safest .
Click to expand...

That has absolutely nothing to do with it.. it is irrelevant how close you are to the heart.. it is no less dangerous to IV in the left arm then the right. Where on Earth did you hear that?
 
what's wrong with me?

Quick History:
I have been shooting up for about 2 years now, I have IV'd Heroin, roxycontin, dilaudid, Cocaine, subutex, and the first time I shot up was my first time doing meth.
I never been very sanitary in the past, I've reused needles (once over 15x) and cottons. I've done multiple washes from pill matter left in the spoon, I've missed shots, licked the spoon, accidentally shared needles with 3 people, please don't lecture me I already know..

Anyways after reading these past few posts it scares me how similar my problem is, I randomly started having problems registering and every time I try to hit a vein I get an intense sharp pain and horrible anxiety shortly after, making me so scared to shoot I have to waste my shot by "drinking it" and if I do get a shot to register I have to check it multiple times because I always seem to miss at least 10% or more everytime, and sometimes I get a crazy scary feeling kinda like the normal rush but with an insanely hard rapid heartbeat and horrible anxiety shortly after. I have a creepy crawling sensation in my vein all the up my arm and other random places all over my body, it feels kinda like bugs under my skin. I get horrible head aches fatigue insomnia. I also have respiratory problems including chest pains, shortness of breath, and at times it's extremely difficult to breath to the point where I almost pass out. My insomnia is pretty bad and the overall anxiety is horrible. I have the shakes as well.. really really bad shakes.

The worst of all my symptoms was when all of a sudden my artery, vein, or muscle got really tight in my right hip area. I was sitting down and I tried to stand up but It hurt so bad I couldn't. then randomly the pressure went away and I'd got a horrible huge rush, just like the random rushes when I would hit a shot, but 10x worse. the feeling went away after a long 6 hours

a few days later, I hit a shot like normal and had the same weird crawling feeling and got a faint purple bruise all around the area I hit, I got super cold and way to fucked up for the size of the shot, I went to the ER and left 15 minutes later diagnosed with cellulitis and a script of antibiotics. I got so mad and thought "what the fuck, this isn't an infection, it's only when I do a shot, it has to be the drug itself, heart problems or something" so I never got the antibiotics

These events and side effects have made my anxiety so bad I had to quit IVing. I didn't want to but I physically couldn't do it my hands shake to much, I quit for 3 weeks before I tried again. I got the same side effects but not nearly as intense. The same weird rush during and after the shot, and the same vein crawling feeling etc. I also forgot to mention that I changed from a 29g to a 30g needle all around the time these symptoms hurt I've never tried them but wanted to because I hit so much I had ALOT of marks and "smaller needle less mark". well these new pins seemed off, they clogged easy and made it super hard to hit without pushing through or pulling out of the vein I missed almost everytime. so try after try after try,.. (even a friend tried) I gave up and bought a new pack of 29g. I had one successful hit sofar but my anxiety has made the whole process slow and I no longer get excited/enjoy the process of loading the rig.. I'm way too cautious now and I follow just about every safe IV guideline to the T. I use brand new needle every time (unless I miss and I'm trying again) alcohol, clean spoon, cotton, smaller hits, registering multiple times to ensure no miss, cleaning site after and using a bandaid.

Yesterday I noticed that my left lymph node under my jaw is really swollen. I went back to the er and told the doctor about the cellulitis and lymph node and got a new antibiotic script and was told to take Motrin and Tylenol for the swollen node. again I left the er mad because I felt more tests were necessary.

I started taking the antibiotics yesterday and I'm kinda scared how they'll react with my drug use, so Iv decided to quit IVing until there all gone and just smoke. I'm scared I'm gonna die soon, never been so worried. If anybody knows anything about what's wrong with me please help me so I can tell the doctor because idk what else to do. Tips are also needed

I know I should quit and iv already been to the doctor so telling me to do these two thing won't help me

Thanks for taking the time to read this....:)
 
Ok, Im not sure if I should go to to the ER or not. I injected cocaine into my forearm yesterday and even though it registered, I noticed a little bump around the injection site afterwards. Five minutes later the area was raised and red. Today it's a much larger, splotchy, raised area that's very dark (it's worth pointing out I have a dark complexion to start with) and only hurts when touched. I'm wondering if it's a bruise but the fact that it's gotten worse worries me. Should I seek medical help?
 
numbess and redness in forearm 24 hours after elbow i.v of .4g of methamphetamine.

Ive never had this before,

honestly was pretty lazy about it this time around, and reused a syringe. powdered .4 g of methamphetamine, put in back of syringe pulled up 4 units of water shook syringe until it dissolved. i don't use tourniquets, got it in, pulled got a flash, started pushing slowly, eventually felt some pain, re flashed and finished. Did not miss because i got an insane rush, and were talking about a guy who usually wont fuck around with anything less than .6g of meth in a shot.

I usually do whole gram shots of 4-mec,:|:o8o=D=D=D=D it takes two syringes, and nothing smaller than a 29 guage needle. and really fucking good aim (by far the best euphoric clean rush i have ever had, better than powerballing dope and tar)

anygay

didn't notice till hours later that my arm was numb from elbow down, red not swollen. have heated with compress, soaked in Epsom solution, reheated with compress and cooled down with compress, taken ibuprofen, naproxen sodium, put neosporin and cortisone 10 cream on entire affected site. The tiny spot were i missed a smidgen is almost gone can hardly feel it , it is a tad bit tender, hardly noticeable, but the INSANE numbness down my forearm to my wrist is very noticeable and the redness. ive straight up MISSEd half a gram in my arm before and never had this issue, its been 24 hours and the most is the lump has gone away, just super super fucking numb.

did not hit an artery

Yes im aware of the thickness of the shot, the fat i didnt draw it up pre mixed, and the re-used syringe. I just read so many posts I cant reall ypeace it together. any suggestions before i stroll down to the er?


Im not worried, just confused.
 
I have been shooting dilaudid for the last few days. also done some perc 20s. i just started injecting last week. I have been using a really big needle because i can't use the small ones without missing. I have completely tore up my arms using the big needles (they're the same needles i use for my horses but new and clean). So, I know a lot of the bruising is from the needle size, but this morning i didn't take the turnicate off soon enough on my left arm and i think i blew out a vein or something. My arm is sore like I overused it. It is more tender above the injection site than it is where i actually injected it. Like it feels soft and tender.

Is the soreness just because of the huge ass needles i'm using? How can i use the diabetic needles without missing? I am just trying to do this as safe as possible. I love the feeling i get from the dilaudid, but these fucking bruises and now soreness on my left arm are getting annoying. Advice?

i've missed with the big needle too. I've tried the insulin needles in my breast veins (don't laugh they are huge) and that's the only place i can get them to work but they bruise because of the area. What's a good vein to hit that is easy to stay in with the insulin needles that is discreet? Thanks.
 
crossadd said:
I have been shooting dilaudid for the last few days. also done some perc 20s. i just started injecting last week. I have been using a really big needle because i can't use the small ones without missing. I have completely tore up my arms using the big needles (they're the same needles i use for my horses but new and clean). So, I know a lot of the bruising is from the needle size, but this morning i didn't take the turnicate off soon enough on my left arm and i think i blew out a vein or something. My arm is sore like I overused it. It is more tender above the injection site than it is where i actually injected it. Like it feels soft and tender.

Is the soreness just because of the huge ass needles i'm using? How can i use the diabetic needles without missing? I am just trying to do this as safe as possible. I love the feeling i get from the dilaudid, but these fucking bruises and now soreness on my left arm are getting annoying. Advice?

i've missed with the big needle too. I've tried the insulin needles in my breast veins (don't laugh they are huge) and that's the only place i can get them to work but they bruise because of the area. What's a good vein to hit that is easy to stay in with the insulin needles that is discreet? Thanks.
Click to expand...

Ok first of all how big it the needle, I gave blood allllong time ago and they used a 16g and holy mother of god did it hurt. I had scar tissue and didn't tell them, but I have super easy veins anyway so once they saw the massive one In the crook they owned it lol. But It only hurt when the needle was in it and was barly soar for a couple days after.

I wouldn't blame it on needle size because your not really supposed to use a tourniquet at all. One you have the needle in take it off. The building pressure from the injection can cause blown/leaky veins. And if you left it on after your doing even more damage just leaving the pressure in there.

I'm 90% sure your just experiencing leaky veins but if your seriously worried about the extra 10% see a doc! I know it may be embarrassing but it could save your life one day

Quit using horse needles!! It will ruin your veins and make them a nightmare later on private message me and I'll show you how to use an insulin syringe
 
Are you ok now?

xburtonchic said:
I think something is really wrong, but I don't know what it is exactly.

Admittedly, after reading the IV complications guide thoroughly, I realize now that I've been doing a few things incorrectly. Like, I have been using the same injection sites for a long time. Both sites are on the same arm, about an inch away from each other(both in the crook of my right elbow). Those are the only two veins that show for me and the only ones I can ever manage to register in, so those are the ones I was using. However, I started having complications with registering on the second injection site, and so for a week or so now, I have been using the same injection site. It still registers, but it takes more work than it used to. The other thing I've been doing incorrectly is using blunt needles at times. I don't use them A TON, but I don't use a fresh needle every single time either. I don't have access to a needle exchange where I live, and I only get fresh needles maybe once every few weeks or so. I do try to use fresh needles as often as possible, but it doesn't always work out that way.

Now, my right arm is hurting, I mean REALLY hurting. I can't straighten it out completely because the pain becomes too much. It hurts around the site I've been using, but like it's spread out if that makes sense? Also both sites are REALLY hard, and it extends a little bit up the inside of my elbow. I don't know if it's the vein there or what... the track marks on the old site are almost gone completely, and the one on the site I use now doesn't look infected or anything minus a LITTLE bit of redness, but in my experience that's normal with cuts. Or is it?

Mostly what I'm concerned about is that about a week ago (it was when I was still using both sites) I started to get REALLY sick. I thought it was cotton fever at first, but then it hung on, so then I thought it was just a flu, but it's still hanging on and it's not behaving like any normal flu I've ever seen or had. My symptoms are: almost complete loss of appetite, getting really cold and beginning to shake extremely violently - this happens at the very least twice a day and lasts for about 15 minutes or so - even if I'm in the sun or somewhere warm, extreme lethargy and fatigue, the absolute worst migraine headaches I have ever experienced, as well as the worst neck pain I have ever experienced (the pain doesn't seem to be located in the muscle, it seems to be located on top of my spine?! At least that's where it hurts when I touch it), insomnia despite the fatigue and lethargy, slight nausea, respiratory distress (coughing, shortness of breath, etc.)... and the thing that scares me most, is that when I stand up from sitting, or even when I'm sitting and do the smallest thing that requires the tiniest amount of exertion, my heart begins beating superhard and fast, to the point where I can hear it in my ears. It's really scary.

Oh, I forgot to mention, I also have a fever that comes off and on. It can go from 103 to 98 to 100 to 97 all in one day. This has been going on for about a week now, and there is no sign of anything getting better. It's not getting worse (minus the neck pain and cough, maybe) but it's definitely not getting better. On average, I'd say it's stayed at about the same level since it first started.

So could these two things be related, the sickness and the issues with my arm?
Click to expand...



I know that this was posted ages ago but you sound really messed up, are you all right now?
I don't shoot personally, I just snort and smoke (I'm kinda afraid from what most people say about IVing and how addicting it is)
But I really hope you at least reply to this, I wanna make sure your still alive and if your still using. If your still using I would suggest stop IVing but hey it's your life and I wouldn't want people telling me to stop feeling great ;). If you have stopped good for you!!! how do you feel now, have you felt like you feel run down or anything like that or better (hopefully you feel better)

I've done a few grams today and a few joints so i'm a little touchy but I still wanna know if your ok
please reply:)
 
InTheVein said:
Quick History:
I have been shooting up for about 2 years now, I have IV'd Heroin, roxycontin, dilaudid, Cocaine, subutex, and the first time I shot up was my first time doing meth.
I never been very sanitary in the past, I've reused needles (once over 15x) and cottons. I've done multiple washes from pill matter left in the spoon, I've missed shots, licked the spoon, accidentally shared needles with 3 people, please don't lecture me I already know..

Anyways after reading these past few posts it scares me how similar my problem is, I randomly started having problems registering and every time I try to hit a vein I get an intense sharp pain and horrible anxiety shortly after, making me so scared to shoot I have to waste my shot by "drinking it" and if I do get a shot to register I have to check it multiple times because I always seem to miss at least 10% or more everytime, and sometimes I get a crazy scary feeling kinda like the normal rush but with an insanely hard rapid heartbeat and horrible anxiety shortly after. I have a creepy crawling sensation in my vein all the up my arm and other random places all over my body, it feels kinda like bugs under my skin. I get horrible head aches fatigue insomnia. I also have respiratory problems including chest pains, shortness of breath, and at times it's extremely difficult to breath to the point where I almost pass out. My insomnia is pretty bad and the overall anxiety is horrible. I have the shakes as well.. really really bad shakes.

The worst of all my symptoms was when all of a sudden my artery, vein, or muscle got really tight in my right hip area. I was sitting down and I tried to stand up but It hurt so bad I couldn't. then randomly the pressure went away and I'd got a horrible huge rush, just like the random rushes when I would hit a shot, but 10x worse. the feeling went away after a long 6 hours

a few days later, I hit a shot like normal and had the same weird crawling feeling and got a faint purple bruise all around the area I hit, I got super cold and way to fucked up for the size of the shot, I went to the ER and left 15 minutes later diagnosed with cellulitis and a script of antibiotics. I got so mad and thought "what the fuck, this isn't an infection, it's only when I do a shot, it has to be the drug itself, heart problems or something" so I never got the antibiotics

These events and side effects have made my anxiety so bad I had to quit IVing. I didn't want to but I physically couldn't do it my hands shake to much, I quit for 3 weeks before I tried again. I got the same side effects but not nearly as intense. The same weird rush during and after the shot, and the same vein crawling feeling etc. I also forgot to mention that I changed from a 29g to a 30g needle all around the time these symptoms hurt I've never tried them but wanted to because I hit so much I had ALOT of marks and "smaller needle less mark". well these new pins seemed off, they clogged easy and made it super hard to hit without pushing through or pulling out of the vein I missed almost everytime. so try after try after try,.. (even a friend tried) I gave up and bought a new pack of 29g. I had one successful hit sofar but my anxiety has made the whole process slow and I no longer get excited/enjoy the process of loading the rig.. I'm way too cautious now and I follow just about every safe IV guideline to the T. I use brand new needle every time (unless I miss and I'm trying again) alcohol, clean spoon, cotton, smaller hits, registering multiple times to ensure no miss, cleaning site after and using a bandaid.

Yesterday I noticed that my left lymph node under my jaw is really swollen. I went back to the er and told the doctor about the cellulitis and lymph node and got a new antibiotic script and was told to take Motrin and Tylenol for the swollen node. again I left the er mad because I felt more tests were necessary.

I started taking the antibiotics yesterday and I'm kinda scared how they'll react with my drug use, so Iv decided to quit IVing until there all gone and just smoke. I'm scared I'm gonna die soon, never been so worried. If anybody knows anything about what's wrong with me please help me so I can tell the doctor because idk what else to do. Tips are also needed

I know I should quit and iv already been to the doctor so telling me to do these two thing won't help me

Thanks for taking the time to read this....:)
Click to expand...

I wanted to update this because of what happened yesterday.

I smoke like I normally would didn't IV at all I went to a friends house and took a huge rip(HUGE) of some really good weed from her bong. I started coughing and couldn't catch my breath like more I got an asthmatic reaction and that led to a horrible anxiety attack I was sure I was gonna did I felt like my heart would pump super hard at random times, like it was jumping out of my chest. I left my friends house and almost lost consciousness three times trying to get to the hospitol(I know I shouldn't have drove myself) I had a heart attack in the hospitol and I would be died if I was 5 minutes too late..

I don't know what I did a month ago but it did some serious damage to my heart and kidneys I'm lucky to be alive
 
I'm very reliefed to hear that you are alive. Hope your stay healthy and be clean would be a pretty awesome choice if I were you !!! And to you guys who dont believe that the right arm is better, I can't find any good resources on that. I try find that. :)
 
Mr.Scagnattie said:
It's because it isn't true, ha. It makes zero sense.
Click to expand...

Can you actually prove me wrong ? I take it back though , because I can't find any resources... But if you look at pictures from a harm reduction manual , there is marks at the RIGHT arm , and actually the left foot is the worst etc... I dont know because i'm not a doctor or whatever. I'm also left-handed :D , but I did read it somewhere ... I promise , but can't find it anymore... But however , I don't want to give advice if it's not true...
 
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