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Harm Reduction Insufflation Complications

Soulspark

Greenlighter
Joined
Dec 17, 2011
Messages
35
Location
The midwest, young and restless.
Hello everybody,

Recently I have changed my ROA for taking pills (no APAP in them) mostly from intranasal to oral. Anyway, I had been insufflating pills for a long time (about 1.5 to two years) and I had no trouble. Yes, I know how bad it is for you, hence why I've switched. About a couple months ago I started to really develop symptoms for the first time, mostly inability to smell and very stuffy nose (never got any bleeds, thank goodness). I've stopped intranasal ROA about a week or two ago, but I'm still having these symptoms and was wondering if anyone else has any experience with this. I know asking a medical professional would be the best and such, and I have plans to do it, but I was wondering if anyone has had problems with anosmia (inability to smell) due to recurring insufflation and how long did it take you to regain it. Was it ever 100% or at least close? I'm really trying to maintain my streak of not doing it and I think maybe hearing others' experience might give me more motivation for harm reduction. Thanks.
 
There's a guy who rails fat meth at my work, and i remember he would often say he wished he could smell 'whatever' better or say he was glad he couldn't really smell 'whoever', not too surprising that he nearly always had a ripe funk going on, said once when i asked him whether stopping helped he said a little but it's never been how it used to be. also doubt he's been sober more than six months in the past three years so.
 
I hope you get your sense of smell back. I don't know anyone that's regained their sense of smell after abusing their nose long-term. I know people who lost their sense of smell snorting opioids, cocaine, and of course crystal.

If you're taking oxycodone, there's really no reason to snort it, it's better taken orally in every regard.
 
It's not oxy, but it is one for which the water solubility is supposedly low, according to the literature. In my experience, however, snorting it has always given me better results than oral. Yes, I hope I gain it back too obviously. It was so sudden; not progressive at all. One day I just couldn't smell, and it hasn't really gotten better very much.
 
Most days I sniff subutex. Generic. Like snorting kryptonyte. Shit thrashes my nose. After a sniff, I will go through 4-5 hour period of my ability of smell going in and out. Its never permanent however it does at times render itself absent for quite a while.
 
Olfactory sencors have a limited grow back rate. Usually once the damage is done, it's done.

The nerve endings when damaged won't transmit the signals properly. Sometimes it's rewired and thinks like banana bread can smell like something else.

Same thing with smokers, I have only noticed a increase in bad smells. Like I can smell the stinch of cigs in someone's house or on their persons. I can also smell the fresh blossoms of roses stronger when I cut back.

But defiantly save your nose. The way we taste our food is by smell. We lose smell and 1/2 the pleasure is gone.
 
Yeah insufflation is just fucked up ROA, when I snorted too much meph for long time I couldn't smell for several weeks after, not talking about runny nose and blood from nose, fortunately it came back but who knows how much smell one loses forever, you might think its okay when you take a few weeks pause but you will never know what it was like to have 100% functioning smell.

Trying to snort 400mg meph from a CD cover only to find out its soaked in blood while being paranoid from not sleeping for few days and thinking all of my blood was kept in my head was very fun indeed.

When you have no smell at all, 99% of foods taste is gone obviously.

I'd now say even smoking a drug is less damaging long term, if one could stick to the same doses, unfortunately its that much more addictive than railing
 
It really depends. Insufflation over a long period of time can do some serious damage to your nose and sinuses. My father had been sniffing cocaine and crushed up Methylphenidate pills for a long time, and even two years after he "stopped", he would still blow out the most vile chunks of flesh, mucous and blood that I had ever seen. Finally, he went to a doctor and it turned out that not only was there a hole the size of a Nickle in his nose, but his sinuses had bece incredibly infected, and some were actually blocked up by built up scar tissue which created obstructed air passageways. He ended up having a pretty crazy surgery, and seems to be doing better but every night I hear him blowing his nose, hawking and spitting like a madman.

Anyway, the good news is that you've stopped sniffing pills, and I can GAURANTEE that you have saved yourself what would have been imminent damage to your nose and sinuses. Right now it's only been a little while since you switched ROA, so your nose is of course going to still feel uncomfortable. I imagine that this will dissipate within a month, BUT if your symptoms get worse, than you should soar definately seek medical help.
 
I hope everything goes back to normal for you. In my case, I have lost almost all of my sense of smell and a substantial amount of breathing problems have come with it. Add breaking my nose a few times, and now my nose is practically useless.
 
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