Heroin Shooting heroin: Basically losing/missing the vein after tourniquet removal

[cjb017]

Hi guys,

I was wondering if anyone had some insight or advice for me.

First and foremost I am good at finding/hitting a vein: when I get to the stage of putting the syringe in, flagging it to confirm that it is in, I then remove the tourniquet as gently I can so I don't knock everything around, then doing the shot slowly and again flagging the shot halfway through to confirm it is still in the vein and then finishing it.

My problem is that half of the time I am doing a shot it doesn't go as smoothly as what I wrote above... sometimes I have the tourniquet on and everything is ready to go and I put in the syringe and flag it and it draws blood with no problem, then I remove the tourniquet and it will no longer flag blood anymore, is this because the vein goes back deeper into your arm after the tourniquet is removed? the only logical thing i can think of is to give myself more of an angle after the tourniquet is removed with the needle that is already in my arm. I'm surprised that the needle would come out of the vein regardless though, like when it is in the vein and I remove the tourniquet, why wouldn't the needle move with the vein to wherever it was moved to when the tourniquet was taken off?

I know I could leave the tourniquet on during the shot and take it off after but I know this is not the proper way to do it since it can put a lot of pressure on the vein and spot you're injecting and could split the vein etc. so I'd prefer to continue to take off the tourniquet right when I hit and flag blood. But it is just annoying that I am so careful to hit my vein and then draw blood and am relieved and just to find out after I take the tourniquet off that it is not flagging anymore... augh, which would lead to a missed shot if i were to have not flagged again after tourniquet removal.

anyway, can anyone help me and let me know what's going on?

much appreciated!

cjb017

 

[livetheopiatedream]

I really try and make sure my needle is inserted so its not entering the vein making a t, hit so it runs along the vein.. Harder to slip when u take the tourniquet off

Also since u seem to think it's coz it goes deeper I'm assuming ur using veins above the mid forearm as they're deeper tere generally... So try the superficial ones close to skin... Then they won't go a lot deeper upon tourniquet removal....

I dunno but im watching this thread for good answers. Oh what I wouldn't give for a shot of dope right now. Fucking just dosed my sub to not piss away all my $ and Fml. Might go get some poppy seeds for tea....but I'm so sick n don't wanna go out

Ps- yay for being from Canada! Our dope is better anyway

 

[pharm_friendly]

Strangely enough I have only IV'd meth... and quality at that. In saying that though, I've never really enjoyed IV'ing it - and have never understood when people say how amazing it is. I have had a much better high off either smoking or snorting it, same batch. IV is something I have never been able to do myself and have had someone do it for me - sometimes with a tourniquet and sometimes just holding enough pressure to expose a vein. Not a wise move I suppose, and in a way I'm glad that I prefer my ROA to be either smoking, snorting, plugging, or bombing. Like I always say, different strokes for different folks

~pharm_friendly~

 

[Znegative]

I think tourniquets are more of a nuisance than anything. Unless you've blown out most of your veins, or have thick arms,mots really not necessairy to use one, and it's actually better for your veins as well.

 

[pharm_friendly]

Znegative the times I've experienced IV - maybe 10 times, I've only used a tourniquet probably twice. All other times I have just gripped my arm and have a great vein on one arm (which I really hate nurses telling me because needles still scare the crap out of me lol). But for some reason, with meth anyway, I don't understand the high people claim to get. Meh.

 

[Znegative]

Yeah, I can just pump my fist, or sit in the bathroom with a hot shower running, and I have no problem.

 

[livetheopiatedream]

Ye I have tiny veins that roll even before I started shooting they could never hit me in the hospital they blew out SO many. So I'm actually a good person to ask about technique I kno all the tricks cuz I've had issues even from at first even my crooks suck lol my right one is too deep the left is ok but now destroyed from sanfrancisco tar

 

[pharm_friendly]

I've let others I trust do it for me.... though there's no way I could do it myself without chickening out, especially when I haven't had a 'great' experience from IV. Guess everyone is different

 

[cjb017]

Ye I have tiny veins that roll even before I started shooting they could never hit me in the hospital they blew out SO many. So I'm actually a good person to ask about technique I kno all the tricks cuz I've had issues even from at first even my crooks suck lol my right one is too deep the left is ok but now destroyed from sanfrancisco tar

hey can you message me and tell me some suggestions and advice for technique you use

thanks

 

[livetheopiatedream]

busy now pm me the q so i remember. mmmm poppy tea. lots

edit- includewhere u think ur good veins r, which u usually try etc as much info on current technique as possible
edit2- pretty sure theres gotta b a megathread on iv technique so maybe peruse that as well if youre keen

 

[pyro2525]

What I do is I only slacken the tourniquet instead of removing it completely, but this depends on what kind of tourniquet you use. I've noticed that things can definitely shift and usually you need to go a little deeper after, but sometimes it just goes completely sideways.

I hate those rubber tourniquets and I use a pair of headphones that were from a sweater, they have fabric on them and basically resemble a flat shoe lace, that is tied to make one big loop. I take my loop and wrap it once around my arm and sit or lean against the hanging part of the loop, once I've registered I just loosen a little bit, register again and go. Many times I keep the tourniquet on the whole time and with .4 - .6cc I never noticed any pressure.. Only with ketamine where I used .8+ cc water and kept the tourniquet very tight the whole time did I notice pressure, but reducing speed alleviated this.

Does anyone know how dangerous it actually is to inject with the tourniquet on?

 

[livetheopiatedream]

Just more likely to damage n rupture ur vein u kno that broski.
Ps- I gave this guy a long play by play on how to avoid his problems so I fink it will go better for him next time. I just pm,d it maybe I'll post it too its a decent guide for rolly superficial lower arm veins

 

[livetheopiatedream]

Omg pyro finally one post to BL er status sheesh took long enuf lolz. Me Gettin dilli. Maybe. Yum

N e way onto op question I pmd this to him but just for general knowledge here goes

I usually use the vacuum method to register automaticalt and know whether I've overshot and gone thru...
lower forearmm/wrist/hand superficial veins- easy to see but roll like motherfuckers- always aim ALONG the vein, feel it out a lot w ur finger and line it up with the hole of the needle pointing up [sharpest point breaking skin first] shooting toward ur heart/\.... instead of taking aim and inserting in a slow searching motion, insert in almost a stab, quickly, on an angle along the chosen veinn [stretching ur arm or wrist to the point where ur skin becomes tightest [just the position of ur arm]helps sometimes cuz the vein is flattened and stretched and less rolly] putting the tourniquet 3-4 inches below crook very tight helps to bulk the veins up so the stabbing motion works beautifully for these [never shoot into the bottom of the V part of a Y intersection of veins cuz u can damage the valve that is there]. since the one u chose was superficial u can avoid the losing the register cuz it wont go deep into ur skin like u were worrying was ur problem. if u cant find it [vein] check with ur other hand which way the vein rolled with the needle still in so u r not stabbing randomly. if u still cant hit, search systematically ; up down side side, if youre close. dont use the same rig for more than 3-4 pokes [not including fishing for a vein [the systematic way at least if u MUST but really its better to just try again if it swells [often] hard to find it again switch spots]

 

[pyro2525]

Just more likely to damage n rupture ur vein u kno that broski.

I usually use the vacuum method to register automaticalt and know whether I've overshot and gone thru...

dont use the same rig for more than 3-4 pokes [not including fishing for a vein [the systematic way at least if u MUST but really its better to just try again if it swells [often] hard to find it again switch spots]

I never thought that it could actually rupture a vein, I always heard how to use the tourniquet but never understood why, especially considering the tiny volume, <1mL. But I have pretty large veins. I suppose having the tourniquet higher up would reduce the risk of damage since you would be expanding over a longer distance.

The vacuum method is great, almost just like the medical flashback method. I prefer to just feel for the two stages where first you penetrate the skin and then you penetrate the vein, but this isn't so easy unless you're very in-tuned with yourself.

I'm very hesitant to go past 1 - 3 pokes considering needles are bent after first use (if you haven't already bent it during cooking), if I miss I will typically go deeper a bit and see if I can get it, or pull out just before the tip is out of the skin and go in again. Or better yet just switch arms which is what I do when I feel like I did something wrong.

yay for BL lol definitely took long enough.. only my entire raving career

 

[blackjesus]

OP, this is the eternal struggle. In time you will develop the dexterity, patience, and exactness required.


edit:along with a hefty dose of foot,stomach,bowel, and muscle pain.

 

[livetheopiatedream]

I feel the vein too as distinct from other things when poking...
They blew my hand vein out in a hospital so definitely not too difficult to do

 

[SteeleyJ]

I don't untie until I finish my shot.

 

[livetheopiatedream]

U Should! It hurts to blow a vein!
The only thing is sometimes it makes me lose my register.... But it only detracts a lil deeper so I just push it in a bit and usually it's good to go again

 

[xburtonchic]

I used to do it your way, OP, and had the same problem. That's why I don't remove my tourniquet until I finish my shot. I remove it, like, IMMEDIATELY after though... like before I remove even the needle... since I know this can put a lot of pressure on your veins. But that's also why I tie off very high above the injection site, so there's less pressure. The type of tourniquet I use (shoelace) is nearly impossible to remove in time anyways... due to the way it's tied, as well as the way I have to remove it, by the time I've taken it off things have either been knocked around too much or I've lost the vein. But I haven't had any problems since starting it this way. The only time I notice any problems is when I tie off too close to the injection site, if it's a particularly small vein, or if I have to remove the needle first because letting it go would cause it to move in such a way that it might damage the vein. But even then, it's just a small bit of pain... a bit of a burning sensation, nothing too crazy. Like I said I've had no real problems and I've been doing it this way for a looong time now. Perhaps you could try it? You can always stop and remove the tourniquet if it doesn't suit you, and then just never do it that way again. But who knows, it might also solve your problem completely.

 

[livetheopiatedream]

Using proper tourniquets from the needle exchange help they easy to remove at the right time ; before u shoot ; cuz u can just fold a bit of one side under and pull a lil to release