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OD Moderators: Keif’ Richards | negrogesic
Misc Is anyone else IVing because it's the healthiest option?
- Thread starter BlueIV
- Start date
bluephoenix
Bluelighter
IVing drugs is always the least healthy option. It is purely an issue of need as far a actual medication goes. When you have a drug where the best option is IV it is because it will be destroyed in the gut. IVing recreational drugs is done for the greater bioavailability of the drug. It is still very risky no matter why you IV.
The least healthy option would be to not treat my condition.
Do you have to self-administer as part of your treatment?
Or is the injection administered by a nurse/phlebotomist/health practitioner of some sort?
Sorry, I don't have anything to add as I am not being treated for any health conditions or injecting drugs anymore, but I am simply curious.
I hope this (new, by the sounds of it?) treatment is going alright for you, blue.
Or is the injection administered by a nurse/phlebotomist/health practitioner of some sort?
Sorry, I don't have anything to add as I am not being treated for any health conditions or injecting drugs anymore, but I am simply curious.
I hope this (new, by the sounds of it?) treatment is going alright for you, blue.
Thanks Spacejunk. I don't have to self-administer, but it's recommended. People with my condition have died because they choose not to IV themselves, and were too far away from a hospital. Gatting the med ASAP at the first sign of an attack leads to the best outcome. I bring supplies with me pretty much everywhere I go.
I've been on treatment for a few months. I'm still having a nurse help train me because I suck at it. If it's an attack though, I use my arm and not my hands so that's easier. My husband is also better at it than me.
I've been on treatment for a few months. I'm still having a nurse help train me because I suck at it. If it's an attack though, I use my arm and not my hands so that's easier. My husband is also better at it than me.
I must admit I'm curious about your condition, but don't want to ask you to disclose anything you're not comfortable with.
It sounds frightening, regardless - and I hope with some good advice on technique and safety you should be able to get more proficient at self-administration.
I used to inject drugs for "recreational" purposes, and found that tricks such as staying well hydrated, and of course doing some exercise/flexing before trying to administer a dose helped a lot in finding (and staying in) a vein.
Your situation is much different to my (misspent) youthful misadventures, but the same basic principles apply. I don't envy you, but hope it is improving your quality of life.
Do you have to inject your medication every day?
It sounds frightening, regardless - and I hope with some good advice on technique and safety you should be able to get more proficient at self-administration.
I used to inject drugs for "recreational" purposes, and found that tricks such as staying well hydrated, and of course doing some exercise/flexing before trying to administer a dose helped a lot in finding (and staying in) a vein.
Your situation is much different to my (misspent) youthful misadventures, but the same basic principles apply. I don't envy you, but hope it is improving your quality of life.
Do you have to inject your medication every day?
Spacejunk, no it's usually just 2/week to prevent symptoms. More if I have any symptomes.
Trainspotter, I should have worded my question differently. I'm just wondering if anyone is IVing because a doctor recommended it for a medical condition, and not for recreational use, addictions, or to get better pain relief when doctors recommend against it.
Trainspotter, I should have worded my question differently. I'm just wondering if anyone is IVing because a doctor recommended it for a medical condition, and not for recreational use, addictions, or to get better pain relief when doctors recommend against it.
IVing is the least healthy option if you are doing it dirty. There are so many harm reduction sites and videos giving healthy tips on how to iv healthy and clean. You breath in a lot of terrible shit (and waste a lot of good drugs) with the tin foil.
Its kinda hard to say without knowing what your injecting. But if your getting sterile equipment from a medical setting and your meds from doctors that are meant to be injected then I see no problem in getting your drugs via an IV.
When I read this it reminded me of one of my best friends who went to his doctor about his gram a day heroin habit which he smoked off of tinfoil and did it no other way he didn't snort or IV (he didn't know how to IV) . He was shocked when his doctor didn't really have much to say except that he will never be able to get pain meds prescribed now and that he is an idiot to smoke off of tinfoil and he should do it the healthier way and IV the stuff. When he told me this and that he wanted to learn how to IV because his doctor told him he could get Leukoencephalopathy.
I thought that was crap since I know first hand IV drug use isn't healthier than smoking but it really shocked me a doctor would reccomed to an addict to go buy a needle and shoot up heroin instead if helping them. The doc may be on to something but if a person doesn't know what they are doing and start ramming a needle in their arm and trying to break down a solid down into a liquid improperly then bad things can happen and are likely too I mean you hear of more complications from IV use than from chasing the dragon.Leukoencephalopathy is really rare but all the time you hear of hep C from sharing needles and people just straight fucking up their circulatory system.
When I read this it reminded me of one of my best friends who went to his doctor about his gram a day heroin habit which he smoked off of tinfoil and did it no other way he didn't snort or IV (he didn't know how to IV) . He was shocked when his doctor didn't really have much to say except that he will never be able to get pain meds prescribed now and that he is an idiot to smoke off of tinfoil and he should do it the healthier way and IV the stuff. When he told me this and that he wanted to learn how to IV because his doctor told him he could get Leukoencephalopathy.
I thought that was crap since I know first hand IV drug use isn't healthier than smoking but it really shocked me a doctor would reccomed to an addict to go buy a needle and shoot up heroin instead if helping them. The doc may be on to something but if a person doesn't know what they are doing and start ramming a needle in their arm and trying to break down a solid down into a liquid improperly then bad things can happen and are likely too I mean you hear of more complications from IV use than from chasing the dragon.Leukoencephalopathy is really rare but all the time you hear of hep C from sharing needles and people just straight fucking up their circulatory system.
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Yea but have you ever been living on the streets and its 2 in the morning your dope sick as shit you just found a friend with a point to spare you to get you well but you don't have any rigs left only your buddy has the rigs which are all used and the needle exchange doesn't open till 9am. What are most addicts gonna do????
Its not as simple as that man I mean it seems like it but its not.
Its not as simple as that man I mean it seems like it but its not.
tricomb
Bluelight Crew
Considering the fact that we have no clue what your condition is, let alone how in any way shape or form the intravenous route is ever HEALTHIER, no matter what obscure drug you're injecting for whatever undisclosed condition you're treating, because you have to inject it in no way means that you are being healthier, you are still at all risks of IV drug use, since you are using intravenous drugs, it really doesn't matter what the drug is whether it even gets you high or whether it's interferon, the IV ROA is never the healthiest option, and I've never heard of any condition that fits the criteria you have given so far warranting IV-only use. It may be the way it's prescribed to you but in no way does that mean it's healthier for you.. If there are alternatives, you should seriously be using them. A drug you can't even administer yourself yet competently, I don't even know how anyone would think it's safe while you're still learning the basics of intravenous administration, and prolonged extended use of this ROA especially when performed incorrectly, will RAPIDLY lead to your inability to find an IV site when you really need one, and you do NOT want to live with a IV catheter or PICC line....
And fuck using any materials during INTRAVENOUS DRUG INJECTION that I didn't open from a trusted sterile place, I've never used a needle that wasn't my own, never shared solvent rarely ever shared solute and have gone to extreme lengths to use the IV ROA strictly by the medical textbook, and EVEN STILL, I assure you, in the long term, this is not possible, let alone healthy... let alone healthier than alternatives.
And fuck using any materials during INTRAVENOUS DRUG INJECTION that I didn't open from a trusted sterile place, I've never used a needle that wasn't my own, never shared solvent rarely ever shared solute and have gone to extreme lengths to use the IV ROA strictly by the medical textbook, and EVEN STILL, I assure you, in the long term, this is not possible, let alone healthy... let alone healthier than alternatives.
I don't understand the judgement here. I'm just looking to see if there are others in a similar situation.
Is IV the safest ROA for drugs? No.
It can be the healthiest option though. The risks of the ROA aren't the only factor to consider, getting the effect from a drug quickly, or to a particular area can be very important factors too. I've been treated with tranexamic acid before. It has multiple ROAs, and I have received it various ways because different options are the better choice for situation. Ditto for antibiotics, some can be taken orally but are given by IV instead for some situations because it has the optimal outcome.
Is IV the safest ROA for drugs? No.
It can be the healthiest option though. The risks of the ROA aren't the only factor to consider, getting the effect from a drug quickly, or to a particular area can be very important factors too. I've been treated with tranexamic acid before. It has multiple ROAs, and I have received it various ways because different options are the better choice for situation. Ditto for antibiotics, some can be taken orally but are given by IV instead for some situations because it has the optimal outcome.
Just because IV is quick it doesn't make it the healthiest option. You can IM some drugs - you can plug even more.
If the drug in question is only effective through IV (low BA with other ROA's) then obviously getting into your system is the healthiest option and IV is the only means possible.
If you can IM/plug it there's no use for IV unless it's an emergency and delaying the time it gets to your blood will result in damage to your body/mind.
Most diabetics have to prick themselves often, maybe you'll have better luck on a diabetes forum.
If the drug in question is only effective through IV (low BA with other ROA's) then obviously getting into your system is the healthiest option and IV is the only means possible.
If you can IM/plug it there's no use for IV unless it's an emergency and delaying the time it gets to your blood will result in damage to your body/mind.
Most diabetics have to prick themselves often, maybe you'll have better luck on a diabetes forum.
People don't always read posts before commenting, it would seem.
OP is talking about medically prescribed, advised and supervised self administration of IV meds because that is what the condition and treatment requires.
She is wondering if other people are in similar situations.
She has no prior history of IV drug use.
It's nice that people have "best practice" at heart - but if you read what the OP has written - rather than just react to the thread title - you will see how counter-productive it is to offer advice not to administer anything intravenously.
I hope you are going ok, blue
OP is talking about medically prescribed, advised and supervised self administration of IV meds because that is what the condition and treatment requires.
She is wondering if other people are in similar situations.
She has no prior history of IV drug use.
It's nice that people have "best practice" at heart - but if you read what the OP has written - rather than just react to the thread title - you will see how counter-productive it is to offer advice not to administer anything intravenously.
I hope you are going ok, blue
@trainspotter10102 yea I get that and I have been in desperate situations just not that bad I guess- I've gotten cotton fever before and I'm tracked out from not rotating veins or whatever but I'm lucky I've never been homeless and our needle laws aren't stringent you can walk in a pharmacy and get them. I'm fortunate I see that.
Thanks Spacejunk.
I'm just surprised by some of the responses. Asking this was a shot in the dark, but there are others here for medical issues other than addiction so I thought I would put it out there.
If anyone is/will be doing this, you're welcome to PM me.
I had a month between knowing I was going to be doing my own IVs and my first appointment and had very little information. I was very anxious and would have loved to have someone who could have given me any information back then.
I'm just surprised by some of the responses. Asking this was a shot in the dark, but there are others here for medical issues other than addiction so I thought I would put it out there.
If anyone is/will be doing this, you're welcome to PM me.
I had a month between knowing I was going to be doing my own IVs and my first appointment and had very little information. I was very anxious and would have loved to have someone who could have given me any information back then.