im a bit confused on how slow to pull out the needle. if the site bleeds (not much, just a drop) is that bc im pulling out too fast? also that plaunger thing is tricky to get a smooth push on it. I always wind up doing it in small spurts. does it matter? also, it ITCHES. but i guess all small cuts itch and im being paranoid.
so whats the consensus on speed of needle pullout?
A drop of dark blood after injection is a good sign. It means you actually hit the vein and succesfully injected into it, and probably not because you are pulling out too fast (although I would think the slower one pulls, the better a chance the vein has to close before removing the needle - it's been highly variable for me, and so far I've IV'd probably about 15 times or so). The drop of blood coming out is because of the low blood pressure leading the blood back to the heart (veins transport oxygen-depleted blood - dark red - to the heart, while arteries transport light red blood (oxygen-rich) to the different limbs and parts of the body and the blood will have a lighter red color. So be happy about the drop of blood. just put a swab on it, and sterilize the penetration site a few minutes after injection.
And in terms of
avoiding sporadic plungers, get yourself
2ml Luer single-use syringes, real smooth plunging with a good amount of resistance and plenty of space for draw-back.
Since you're shooting opiates, itchiness is normal all over, so scratch somewhere other than the IV site... I personally love scratching my scrotum while on heroin... But don't touch your scrotum, and then the IV site... The itching
could also be your body reacting to the foreign substances, a histamine reaction for example, but it is normal for IV and tattoo sites and so on to be itchy right after needle penetration, and perhaps for some time afterwards also -
DO NOT SCRATCH because
A) you've got shit-tons of bacteria under your nails whether you like it or not, and
B) you're just going to prolong the healing process. If you are using cotton to filter, and cotton to dab, the itching may also be due to that, tiny strands of cotton could enter or irritate IV site. So if alcohol wipes and wheel filters are available, stick to those.
I use
Dettol (best anti-septic ever, can't get enough of that smell - smell reminds me of all my magic mushroom growing adventures, and spring cleaning of the apartment, IV'ing and veterinary clinics)
to clean my injection sites after injection, and
if I fuck up and get a bulge and skin rashing due to some solution missing the vein and going in the skin or under it,
I might eat some anti-histamines like acrivastin for example, 8 mg will do, and I will raise my arm to about shoulder position, to keep blood pressure low - hang back in the sofa style. For
post treatment of injection sites, I use a
panthenol containing cream which is meant for treatment of damaged or irritated skin and is recommended by all tattoo artists after you've gotten your ink done [and sold at a much higher price in the tat parlour, so to save cash. get it from the pharmacy] - panthenol is an alcohol analog of vitamin B5, and can be found in many ointments and creams - just get an ointment that contains as few unnecessary ingredients as possible - stay natural, stay sterile (
Pro-vitamin B5is essential for the skin to function normally , and it's actually
dexpanthenol that the ointments contain,
which is converted to Pro-vitamin B5 upon contact with skin due to oxidation processes and the evaporation of hydrated substances and phenoxyethanol inside the cream, or other alcohol derivatives and analogues).
So to sum up...
take it easy needle wise - slowly in, plunge with consistency (might require getting some better gear or better technique - practice makes perfect - go to your nearest needle exchange and stock up on everything, and get extra for the fuck ups, so you're not empty handed when you need it).
and then slowly out.
Any adverse reactions, be patient, and if no to slight pain upon application of slight to moderate pressure is felt, then
see how healing goes without touching site too much
during a 24-hour period - definitely no scratching. By then it should have worsened or gotten better, and then you'll know whether to worry or not.
If there is pain, and increasing pain, seek medical advice (this can be done via the internet, your doctor, your ORT clinic, friends with experience - hell send a pic to the Captain or something, just get out there and find reliable resources that will provide the right medical attention that you need - for amateur IV experience and veteran drug experience in terms of reaction to different substances, side effects and so on, feel free to PM me.
