Stimulants IV - Hand Swells, not an artery hit?

[FriskyFun]

Curious if others have experienced this or have some insight. Meth injection to the crook of the arm - very shallow clear vein. Registered no problem. Start my slow steady push. I'm feeling the effects but then get an odd sting sensation in my bicep. I stop to evaluate the feeling and then get the feeling of cold in my ring finger and pinkie. I abort the shot and can tell my fingers and in turn hand is starting to swell.

Treat it and injection site with ice. This isn't the big clown hand that I've seen pics of, just a kinda fat hand -- mostly noticeable if you're focusing on the webbing between fingers. Next day it's pretty much the same, after two maybe a touch better.

Attempt a hit (mind you this is now two days later) in the opposite arm. Except for the bicep sting, exact same story.

This same batch of stuff I've used previous to these two times with no issues, so I don't believe it's the product.

Just tried the first arm again, different vein. You guessed it, same result.

I'm puzzled. I'm in the vein, I start to get the effects (granted, when the hand things happens that has a sobering effect for sure.) No real pain or crazy burning thatpeople describe with an artery hit.

Thoughts ?

 

[Fug]

If you'd hit an artery I think the syringe would've shot back / filled with blood - i.e. you'd really notice it. It sounds more like once you've registered you may have slipped out of the vein? Or it's a dodgy batch, can't tell you for sure.

If you're really worried I suggest going to A&E - maybe try plugging your meth until you've gotten your swelling looked at.

 

[d0wN]

Maybe youre having an allergic reaction to something in the cut or in the dope itself. You might have purchased a mixed batch, just because something's in the same bag doesn't mean it came from the same place. It seems like the quality of the shit I get can vary quite a bit. If you're crushing rock are you doing it on a somewhat sterile surface? I'm just riffing here, but I would consider everything before hitting that shit again.

 

[FriskyFun]

Thanks for the thoughts. I'm not really concerned -- if you do a google image search for "drug injection swollen hand" mine is no where close to any of those, thankfully.

If I had registered and slipped out of the vein, I'd have expected a miss lump in the area only got a tiny bump that you'd expect from pulling out a non-empty syringe. Since I iced both my hand and the injection site that bump was gone in probably 5 minutes.

I feel my prep is quite sterile and I even use the single use sterile water tubes. They are technically for inhalation (not saline), but in researching the subject it is what supervised injection sites in the UK use.

You both feel that it may be my supply, so I can't ignore that. I'll restock and see how things go with a different batch.

I'm not the most knowledgeable about the workings of the body. If it is a quality/cut issue, since the veins travel towards the heart having the reaction in my hand which is the other direction of the flow and past the injection site isn't what I'd have thought would happen ... but maybe that's normal?

 

[IceDancer]

I have kinda the same problem. I'll use and when i feel something unfamiliar my anexity sky rockets. I get all paranoid and freak a little. Well yesterday i did something wrong and poked something that wasn't supposed to be. Been having pain at the injection site. I'm fixen quit that roa tbh

 

[Keif' Richards]

This is tough man. It could be a variety of different things causing your hand to swell. An artery hit is possible. If you register into an artery, so to speak, then yea, often, the pressure of the oxygenated blood will be so great that it will shoot up into your syringe, but if you simply "nick" (irritate, graze whatever) the artery this might not happen. One of the hallmarks of coming into contact with an artery is, unfortunately, severe pain.

I'd say it could be a nerve issue, but in my very limited knowledge of medicine, damaging a nerve probably wouldn't in any way account for the swelling of the hand. Hopefully someone more knowledgable can comment.

OP, do you still have feeling in the area? What's your pain level like now? If it doesn't get any better, I'd say go to the hospital or doctor just to be sure.

 

[Speed King]

I agree with Keif' if that problem persists, go to the ER and have that checked out.

 

[SS373dOH]

If the swelling doesnt go down after 24 hours, seek medical attention.

If you're getting this reaction everytime you lift, STOP shooting it! That's literally the definition of insanity lol..
Try a different ROA, like plugging or smoking, at least with the rest of this batch..


- Hopeless Soul

 

[FriskyFun]

Thanks for the replies. Feeling in the hand was normal-ish, with a small layer of swelling it did make sensations kinda dull. There was never any *pain* -- just and odd feeling of skin stretching which I guess it was.

My hands are back to normal size, but the base knuckles have a slightly reddish tint still. If this had not happened, I don't think I'd notice the tint since it's about the same as clenching a fist and releasing.

Life's been too busy for me to try again with a new batch. IV is much more of a time commitment than a quick puff-puff.

Other than a bad batch, I read two other things that seemed possible, so putting that here for anyone searching in the future with the same issue:

1. A partial miss - if you visualize the vein, and the needle with the cut side up, it's possible to be in enough to register without being all the way in. When you push, most goes in the vein, but that little bit at the end of the needle cut doesn't. Kinda iffy since I didn't get the normal miss bump, but certainly possible.

2. Poor circulation to begin with, and the constriction of the veins from meth has upset the balance and more is coming in than can get back out. This makes sense and applies to me for sure -- my circulation in the hands and feet has always been bad and in winter will be painfully cold. Winter where I am is nothing (52F in November) and I'm cold.