Problems registering (IV) lately...

[phatass]

if you hit the veins in your feet it's easy to register because you have both hands free... it just a little longer to come-up

 

[phr]

Is it possible to be registered (in the vein) but not able to draw any blood back into the rig?

Yeah, it's possible. That typically means you're hittin' a vein that has poor flow due to the damage it has incurred.

 

[SonOF]

Yeah, it's possible. That typically means you're hittin' a vein that has poor flow due to the damage it has incurred.

Could it also be a vein that has poor flow because it's rather smallish? I've noticed this when trying to hit much less noticeable veins in my inner elbows and veins in my wrists, but these are not veins that I necessarily hit very much...

 

[SonOF]

It's easier to register with larger gauges. That's one of the reasons people prefer 27G's. You could also try bringing the veins up. You could use a tourniquet, take a hot shower, lift a little before the shot, lay flat on a bed and let your arm hang down the side, pre-flag etc. You get the point.

What does it mean to "pre-flag?" I have seen this term used maybe one other time on Bluelight, but I don't know what it means (and searching didn't help).

 

[svacheme3]

Pull back the plunger as soon as you go through the skin, that creates a vacuum so you automatically register as soon as you're in a vein. It seems every instruction set says to register when you think you're already in a vein, not sure why, but it's like night and day when I point this method out to people doing it the other way.

To answer another question, it's entirely possible to be correctly positioned in a vein and only get a small trickle of blood then nothing. It's a sign of a collapsed vein with very poor blood flow. I've recently discovered I can actually inject into these sites successfully, but being able to tell the difference between being in a collapsed vein and missing the shot is very hard, so only push a couple units and pay close attention for the burn or discomfort indicating a miss.

 

[the_ketaman]

I dont like pre-flagging because it can fool you into thinking your in but really youve gone straight through or come out of the vein, its easier IMO to just register normally, I usually register a few times each shit to make sure im in because sore arms due to missed shots suck. I have one of those nice bruises you speak of on my forearm at present from a slightly missed shot and I agree it bruises like no tomorrow, even if you dont miss, it still bruises really bad.

My advice is to go the top of your hand, i like the top left hand, that mig chunky vein that goes right down the middle. I always told myself if I ran out of veins in my arms id stop, so when I had to give my elbows/crook a rest I used the top of my hand and it works perfectly, you just gotta angle the needle much more horizontal and the prick hurts a little more.

I advise against using your wrists due to the veins being so small and close to arteries and nerves, the wrist is a place that really scared me because of the artery thing, im so paranoid about hitting an artery, its my worst nightmare. I also advise against using you feet due to higher chance of infection/abcess if something doesnt go 100% as planned.

If theres only 2 spots you used then it cant be that hard to find a vein, ive got about 3-4 spots on each crook plus a few on my hands and a few I dont use on my forearm(due to the painful bruising) if you cant find any or cant register maybe you need a break or bit more practise. Maybe try some new spots with water?

 

[xxl]

Thing is to hold the syringe like you would a knife to stab someone in the back, not like a syringe is held by nurses in movies. The plunger has a ridge. When pucturing the skin your thumb is *under* the plunger ridge. You edge the plunger up with your thumbnail ever so slightly while entering the skin. As soon as blood comes you reposition your thumb and push normally. Easy if you don't need to tie up. If you need to tie up it's easier said than done.

Note that if you plan to use hand and crook in the same session, you should use your hand, then your crook. This is because the veins in the hands somehow flow into the crook and you're supposed to inject downstream from previous shots. If the sesssions are small it may be better to stick to one site and alternate the sites between sessions.

 

[phr]

I dont like pre-flagging because it can fool you into thinking your in but really youve gone straight through or come out of the vein, its easier IMO to just register normally,

I completely agree. I think I even made a lengthy post about why I don't like pre-flagging in some other thread. But, some people swear by it. That's the only reason I mentioned it.


Not sure if you mentioned this earlier, but what gauge are you using?

 

[SonOF]

Not sure if you mentioned this earlier, but what gauge are you using?

Everything between 28 -30 depending on what they have at the pharmacy...I usually ask for 28, but they don't always have...or they have "short tips" which I don't have much luck with...

 

[SonOF]

My advice is to go the top of your hand, i like the top left hand, that mig chunky vein that goes right down the middle. I always told myself if I ran out of veins in my arms id stop, so when I had to give my elbows/crook a rest I used the top of my hand and it works perfectly, you just gotta angle the needle much more horizontal and the prick hurts a little more.

I actually like this spot on the hand as well..it hurts a bit going in, but usually successful...

 

[SonOF]

I . I have one of those nice bruises you speak of on my forearm at present from a slightly missed shot and I agree it bruises like no tomorrow, even if you dont miss, it still bruises really bad.

Another spot I have to avoid is the bicep...anything above the crook gives me a HUGE purple, noticeable bruise..no good

don't know if it's just me, but this area is super-sensitive..

 

[phr]

^
The bicep isn't a sensitive area for me. But, it certainly does bruise like a motherfucker. Especially after repeated injections. Still, it's the only spot I'd really hit, since it's covered up by even a t-shirt.

 

[LivingOnValium]

^i use my shoulders for the same reason.

 

[limestoneman]

I had this one spot that I used to always shoot into because I couldn't feel it at all. It's as if it was in between nerve endings or something, but the vein scarred. I was heartbroken.

 

[SonOF]

^i use my shoulders for the same reason.

which part of the shoulder?

 

[phr]

I had this one spot that I used to always shoot into because I couldn't feel it at all. It's as if it was in between nerve endings or something, but the vein scarred. I was heartbroken.

The only places I think really hurt are your feet and hands. Especially your feet. Any other spot doesn't really register pain for me.

 

[LivingOnValium]

which part of the shoulder?

As far away from where my chest starts, the height depends which vein i'm gonna shoot. I use both of my shoulders.

I got tons of good veins in my shoulders and chest. Iv'e sometimes shot in my chest in a front of a mirror when the times have been desperate.

 

[xxl]

...in a front of a mirror when the times have been desperate.

I suspect learning to shoot through a mirror is an underrated way of minimizing bruising and alternating sites. For instance there's one big vein running down the whole lower arm that seems always tantalizingly out of reach except using a mirror.

 

[the_ketaman]

^
The bicep isn't a sensitive area for me. But, it certainly does bruise like a motherfucker. Especially after repeated injections. Still, it's the only spot I'd really hit, since it's covered up by even a t-shirt.

Yep the bicep veins are 2 of my good spots on both arms simply because of the T shirt thing but the other day i noticed on my right lesser used bicep there was a pumple lumpy bruise. It went away within a day and didnt cause any noticeable pain but I didnt miss or anything, I dont know what it was from. I always seem to get a few tiny drops water on the needle and if im using meth or pills or something I usually end up with a bruise and a lump just from that little few drops of water, so I always give my rig a wash off before it goes poke.

 

[Harumscxarum]

After reading your post i decided to do some IV practice, getting some H today :D
I've had the exact same problem, I'm sure when you searched the site you found one of my posts from when i was new. Welcome to the world of IV heroin. Anyway when i was practicing i found a new spot, one i haven't used before. I have trouble seeing my veins too. Anyway It's on the left arm, about 3 o clock from the center of the crook of your arm. This vein is amazing, when i touch it i start laughing cause it must be a joke. this thing is huge.