Problem Veins

[MissAmyLynn]

I have been IVing heroin for a few months now but just yesterday started IVing myself. Before that my friend's boyfriend was doing it for me. I got tired of having to use three bags everytime I wanted to just do one. In order to get shot up I would always have to give him and her one and needless to say we had a big blowout and I got sick and tired of going through drugs like crazy, because everytime they would get anything I would not see a damn thing though because they didn't need me for anything. They would leave me sick after all the drugs I have given them. Some friends, I have to PAY to get IVed! So yesterday I started doing it myself, and it is hard for me because I have always had problem veins. Every time I even go to the hospital and have to have blood taken or an IV put in for surgery they have such a hard time doing it, usually between 6 to 8 pricks before they would finally find a vein, it sucked soo bad! My friend's boyfriend also has some difficulty as well, he says that I have small veins and they move and roll and I am starting to see the difficulty as well when I attempt it. Now the past couple times I have felt a vein, put the needle in and not registered blood but when I start to pull out blood will then come into the needle, so I will put the needle all the way back in my arm and push it in. Now I am worried that I am not getting it in the vein because the blood does not register into the needle until i start to pull the needle about half way out of my arm. Now when my friends boyfriend did it the blood would come right into the needle as soon as he put the needle in my arm. Also, when I push it in I do not get that same rush that I get when he did it, this last time I didn't. I do feel it but it takes more time then it should, it is not instant like when he use to do it. Can anyone tell me whether or not I am possibly getting it and if anyone has tips on an easier way or an easier spot to get myself. The only parts I use are the crooks of my arms, seems like the best to me but if there is easier let me know. I would like to find an easier spot where I would have control with both my hands, because for some reason it is also difficult for me to pull back and register by myself with one hand, even though he has showed me how time and time again. It is like my damn hand is stupid, haha. So any tips would be great! I don't want to have to find another person to pay to shoot me up, that's ridiculous!

 

[indicameds]

First off, that sucks your "friends" were doing you that way. But If this is the road you want to go down then you should learn to be self sufficent any way. There are tons of vein charts around the web, theres even one on here http://www.bluelight.ru/vb/threads/...p-FAQ-III-vs-I-Want-Blood?highlight=injection
A tip for gettin your veins to come up and show better is to take a hot shower and do a couple push ups after words. Once you get the hang of it you shouldnt have any problems. Hope everything works out for ya.

 

[effie]

^ good tips

I have terrible veins too. Warm water, exercise and making sure I am hydrated definitely helps.. always use a fresh needle (even if you've just stuck yourself a few times but not injected) as they go blunt very fast and make it harder to register as well as damaging your veins, rotate your sites if you can to keep them healthy and get practiced at feeling for veins. This is really important so you can ensure you aren't going for an artery, but also so you can identify veins that might not be hugly visible from the surface. Arteries have a pulse, veins do not - other signs are less reliable (arterial blood tends to be brighter, arterial flow is harder and can push the barrel of the syringe back or pulse while in the syringe, arterial injections tend to be more painful) so don't rely on those alone.

Whereabouts are you injecting at the moment?

A lot of it is technique. Make sure you're using a small gauge needle if you have small veins, go in at a shallow angle to minimise the chance of slipping out and you should always register before you inject otherwise you may well be missing or at least partially missing. If you didn't get your usual rush then it sounds like that shot was at least a partial miss - keep an eye on the site for any signs of infection (redness, pain, swelling, heat). It can take a while to learn, so try to be patient and minimise any damage to your veins while you're getting the hang of it.

Some people do just have terrible veins; bear in mind that if your veins are fragile and you have a limited choice then you are more likely to end up collapsing any viable ones if you aren't careful. If this starts to happen it would be a good idea to switch to plugging or smoking.

I would also definitely avoid people who charge you 2 bags to shoot you up..

 

[Princess_Poppy]

i didn't read through all the posts 100% so sorry if someone already answered. but it is very common to have to pull the needle back some to register. i'm not saying its a good thing that it happens, because it means you went straight through your vein, but when ever the blood comes in STOP and as carefully as possible inject. do not move the syringe once you see blood. if you move the tiniest bit you could come out of the vein. try to get more of an angle. do you not have any small marks from where he was injecting you? maybe use that as a guide. just use a good stretchy tourniquet and use your (clean) fingers and your eyes to find a vein. a friend of mine had veins like yours and if was always rough going. take care of your veins! do not reuse syringes or you will really be screwed.

how do you hold your syringe?