Misc Promethazine 25mg/mL vial. How to IV properly?

[headlie]

I recently acquired some vials of liquid Promethazine. The vials say Promethazine Hydrochloride Injection, USP 25mg/mL. "FOR DEEP IM OR IV USE".

I have a few questions regarding this stuff.

1st off, how much promethazine would a safe dose be? Are each of these vials for one single dosage?

My 2nd question is. Do I need to dilute the promethazine with water for IV use?

I have been given IM shots of this stuff before, and it did burn a little. So I'm not sure how this will feel IV.

If anyone has any knowledge on this drug please share your info with me.

In about an hour, I plan on giving myself an IM shot of it. Should I use the whole vial for one shot?

I would also like to try this IV, but am not sure how to prepare the shot. Do I just IV straight promethazine? Or do I need to dilute it first?

And please spare me & don't try talking me out of doing this. I know what this stuff is, and what it is used for. So please keep your comments to "Harm Reduction". I'm really just wanting information on how to be as safe and effective as possible.

Or how about plugging promethazine? Anyone know if this is an effective way of taking it?

Thanks,

Headlie.

 

[jamesBrown]

I think you need to clarify what exactly you are trying to gain by using promethazine in the first place. Are you trying to get some sort of buzz? Are you trying to use it to help you sleep? Maybe your trying to potentiate an opiate? I think if you clarify that, we will be able to answer your question more accurately.

 

[Tommyboy]

You do know that it is an anti-histamine right?

Are you using it for sleep?

 

[Swerlz]

IV administration: Dilute with 0.9% NaCl or D5W. CONCENTRATION: Doses should not exceed a concentration of 25 mg/ml. Administer through a large-bore vein through a running IV line into the most distal port. Slight yellow color does not alter potency. Do not administer if precipitate is present. RATE: Administer each 25 mg slowly, over at least 10-15min. Rapid administration may produce a transient fall in blood pressure. Serious complications including those listed above have resulted from improper parenteral administration, including those requiring surgical intervention and amputation.

From wiki

Honestly it's better to IM. Though it'll hurt for a couple minutes afterwards.

 

[headlie]

I think you need to clarify what exactly you are trying to gain by using promethazine in the first place. Are you trying to get some sort of buzz? Are you trying to use it to help you sleep? I think if you clarify that, we will be able to answer your question more accurately.

Well, for several reasons, but for tonight, sleep is my most concern.

Tonight I am using it to help me sleep. I am trying to quit doing heroin. I haven't done a hit in almost 24 hours and feel like shit. I know there is no way I will be able to sleep tonight, so I need all the help I can get.

 

[headlie]

From wiki
IV administration: Dilute with 0.9% NaCl or D5W. CONCENTRATION

Honestly it's better to IM. Though it'll hurt for a couple minutes afterwards.

Unfortunately I have no idea what NaCl or D5W is, or where to obtain it. So it sounds like I should just IM the shot instead of IV.

How much of a dose do you think would be good for sleep?

 

[jamesBrown]

Well, for several reasons, but for tonight, sleep is my most concern.Tonight I am using it to help me sleep. I am trying to quit doing heroin. I haven't done a hit in almost 24 hours and feel like shit. I know there is no way I will be able to sleep tonight, so I need all the help I can get.

what are the other several reasons you are going to be using it for? or are you basically just using it in general to help with heroin withdrawals?

 

[headlie]

what are the other several reasons you are going to be using it for? or are you basically just using it in general to help with heroin withdrawals?

The other reasons include using it to potentiate heroin/opiates in the future if I dont quit doing them.

But for tonight, I just need it for sleep, and to help with the nausea I have from the WD.

 

[jamesBrown]

I would dose only one of those vials. And then after about an hour, depending on how you feel, you may be able to dose some more depending on how you felt from the first dose.
It would be a good idea to dillute the solution with NaCl but its not absolutely neccesary. I think the highest concentration of promethazine reccommended per mL is 25mg's so you probably will be ok as long as when you inject it, you do it very very slowly. I dont reccommend IM because that can cause a whole other list of problems that can occur. I would stick with IV use.
And if you dont know right now how to properly IV a solution using the right techniques and supplies then it is probably best that you do not IV this at all. Maybe do some research first. But if all you needed to know was if it was ok to IV those promethazine vials, then yes, it is ok....but dillution is best, but if not, inject very slowly into a large vein using sterile needles etc...

 

[headlie]

I would dose only one of those vials. And then after about an hour, depending on how you feel, you may be able to dose some more depending on how you felt from the first dose.
It would be a good idea to dillute the solution with NaCl but its not absolutely neccesary. I think the highest concentration of promethazine reccommended per mL is 25mg's so you probably will be ok as long as when you inject it, you do it very very slowly. I dont reccommend IM because that can cause a whole other list of problems that can occur. I would stick with IV use.
And if you dont know right now how to properly IV a solution using the right techniques and supplies then it is probably best that you do not IV this at all. Maybe do some research first. But if all you needed to know was if it was ok to IV those promethazine vials, then yes, it is ok....but dillution is best, but if not, inject very slowly into a large vein using sterile needles etc...

What is NaCl? I probably don't have any of that lieing around the house.

And you recommend that i IV it? and not IM it? Just by googling the drug a little bit, all I keep seeing is NOT to IV it because it's too hard on the veins.

I think i'm just going to stick to IM'ing this shot. I will be using the whole vial.

And BTW....I received an IM shot of this exact same stuff (from the same exact vials) in a hospital before. I watched the nurse just draw up the solution without diluting it for IM use. Then she gave the shot to me in the hip.

I think I'm just going to try the solution straight, and via IM.

Thanks for all the comments

 

[jamesBrown]

What is NaCl? I probably don't have any of that lieing around the house.

And you recommend that i IV it? and not IM it? Just by googling the drug a little bit, all I keep seeing is NOT to IV it because it's too hard on the veins.

I think i'm just going to stick to IM'ing this shot. I will be using the whole vial.

And BTW....I received an IM shot of this exact same stuff (from the same exact vials) in a hospital before. I watched the nurse just draw up the solution without diluting it for IM use. Then she gave the shot to me in the hip.

I think I'm just going to try the solution straight, and via IM.

Thanks for all the comments

Well.....NaCl is sodium chloride.

Also.....I didnt reccommend IM'ing the shot because that can very easily cause an abscess which could possibly result in you losing a limb or necrosis, etc...etc...

And the nurse you said who didnt dilute the solution in the hospital....that could very well be because the solution was allready diluted in the vial. You have no way of knowing the concentration of promethazine that was in that vial...it could have been diluted to only 10mg's/mL....who knows. Just be careful.
Its generally a good idea not to do an IM injection unless your being supervised by a medical proffessional(or actually have the docotr do it himself and not you). Allthough, many people do IM shots every day, so its your choice. Its just that you are putting yourself at more risk doing an IM shot than an IV shot in my opinion. That is, of course, as long as you actually know how to IV a shot in the first place.

*allthough....i was talking about diluting it for IV injection because it is directly put into your blood.....when you IM a shot, it is slowly absorbed into your bloodstream so diluting it probably isnt necessary. but I still think the risk of an abscess is way to high for this to be worth it. I mean, maybe if you were gonna get a high off of it or something, but its not gonna do that for sure. I would take it orally or possibly another ROA thats much less risky. I highly doubt it would be any less effective taking it another ROA.

 

[headlie]

Well.....NaCl is sodium chloride.

Also.....I didnt reccommend IM'ing the shot because that can very easily cause an abscess which could possibly result in you losing a limb or necrosis, etc...etc...

And the nurse you said who didnt dilute the solution in the hospital....that could very well be because the solution was allready diluted in the vial. You have no way of knowing the concentration of promethazine that was in that vial...it could have been diluted to only 10mg's/mL....who knows. Just be careful.
Its generally a good idea not to do an IM injection unless your being supervised by a medical proffessional(or actually have the docotr do it himself and not you). Allthough, many people do IM shots every day, so its your choice. Its just that you are putting yourself at more risk doing an IM shot than an IV shot in my opinion. That is, of course, as long as you actually know how to IV a shot in the first place.

*allthough....i was talking about diluting it for IV injection because it is directly put into your blood.....when you IM a shot, it is slowly absorbed into your bloodstream so diluting it probably isnt necessary. but I still think the risk of an abscess is way to high for this to be worth it. I mean, maybe if you were gonna get a high off of it or something, but its not gonna do that for sure. I would take it orally or possibly another ROA thats much less risky. I highly doubt it would be any less effective taking it another ROA.

I'm sure that the solution wasnt already diluted in the vial before she gave it to me. I have the exact same vials that she used. I watched her take off the the platic cap off the vial before she drew up the solution.

About the NaCl/sodium chloride.... Is this something I can obtain OTC from walgreens or a drugstore?

 

[jamesBrown]

yes it is....but like I said...i woudlnt worry about diluting it.

also, its more complicated than i made it out to be....you couldnt just use pure NaCl to dilute it, you would need to use a "solution" of sodium chloride to dilute your promethazine with. the actual amount of NaCl in the sodium chloride soltuion would be like 1 part per 100

 

[headlie]

Oh, and yes, I do know how to give a IV shot.....Well, atleast I believe I do. I've been IVing heroin for some time now

 

[jamesBrown]

yea, I guess there really isnt much more for me to say anymore. I still say you simply inject the vials the way they came, just do it very very slowly as to not drop your blood pressure too low too quickly and cause all sorts of problems. You should be fine IV'ing it nice and easy. But I would honestly not use more than one vial if your tryin to sleep.

I actually think this whole concept of injecting or IM'ing promethazine is rediculous and there are so many better options for you that you dont seem to be considering. But thats not my business so you do what you want. Good luck to you.

 

[headlie]

yea, I guess there really isnt much more for me to say anymore. I still say you simply inject the vials the way they came, just do it very very slowly as to not drop your blood pressure too low too quickly and cause all sorts of problems. You should be fine IV'ing it nice and easy. But I would honestly not use more than one vial if your tryin to sleep.

I actually think this whole concept of injecting or IM'ing promethazine is rediculous and there are so many better options for you that you dont seem to be considering. But thats not my business so you do what you want. Good luck to you.

Well, If I dont need to dilute it, maybe I will try to IV it instead....I was just concerned that it would burn. Because it burns a little when given IM

 

[Tommyboy]

@JamesBrown

Since it is in a vial, do you think that the risk of an abscess is far less than if it were a solution that he prepped himself?

I know that IM shots of pills or heroin have a very high risk of abscess, but I thought that vials that have not been tampered with are safer.

I don't know though.

 

[Cane2theLeft]

^I was thinking the same thing, I don't see why abscess would be a big concern if he has sterile medical vials.

 

[Tommyboy]

^Considering that and the difficult method of IVing this drug and potential dangerous side effects from doing so, I would say that IMing would be the safer of the two.

 

[Tiu]

Yes, from experience with patients IM is safer than IV. The risk you run with IV is the drug extravasating into the subcutaneous tissue and causing tissue necrosis. I have seen ulcers from promethazine extravasation firsthand, and even if you are confident in your IV skills, promethazine is such a severe vescicant, the smallest amout of missed fluid can cause ulcers and tissue necrosis.
Just make sure you inject it into deep muscle tissue...