paradoxcycle
Bluelight Crew
I think the discussion that my previous IV thread started was very productive and I would like to continue that with this as well. Please post your thoughts and feel free to add anything I have left out. I will edit my original post as we go along to include new information:
Intramuscular Injection:
Some drugs, including injectable steroids and hormones, must be injected into a muscle instead of a vein. The physical and psychoactive effects that result from an intramuscular injection of a drug come on much more slowly than those of an intravenous injection (half an hour to forty-five minutes versus almost immediately), although the overall, cumulative intensity of the effects and the experience are virtually identical.
Most if not all of the infection control and other safety precautions intravenous drug injectors should follow also apply to individuals who inject drugs intramuscularly. IM produces much less bleeding than intravenous injection, if any at all, but the risk of transmitting viruses and other blood-borne bacteria as a result of needle-sharing is as serious as it is with intravenous injection. In addition, people who IM run a higher risk for abscess formation, especially if what they inject has any particles in it whatsoever. When IMing, it is extremely important to inject only a solution that is as particle-free as possible.
Many of the substances that require intramuscular injection come pre-prepared in liquid form. To prevent contaminating your entire supply, be sure to use only a sterile needle and syringe when drawing the liquid up from the bottle in which it's stored.
Choosing an Injection Site
The buttocks, thighs, and upper arms are the three best sites, respectively, for intramuscular injection. The best is in the deltoid, the muscle on your upper, outer arm where your shoulder and your arm meet. If injecting into the butt, mentally divide each "cheek" into four equal sections and inject into the top right or top left outer section of each "cheek". You can also use the front surface of your thighs about six inches above your knee to about six inches below your hip, or the outer surfaces of your upper arms between your shoulder and your elbow. Always be careful to avoid nerves, blood vessels, or bones, and rotate injection sites to avoid bruising, abscess formation, etc. It is not uncommon for your muscle to be sore for a few days after an injection.
Be sure to carefully clean the injection site prior to injecting. Wipe in only one direction and not in a circular motion which will cause the dirt and germs to stay on your skin. DO NOT touch the injection site with your fingers after you've cleaned it. Routinely cleaning the skin prior to injection is one of the most important things you can do to reduce your risk of endocarditis, blood poisoning, and similar infections.
Try to relax the muscle prior to injection. This will result in a less painful injection and may prevent the soreness you usually feel the following day or two. When injecting into a muscle, insert the needle in one quick stab straight into the injection site at a 90° angle to the body. Nearly the entire needle should enter the muscle. You want to draw your plunger back slightly to make sure no blood comes into the syringe. If blood does appear, you've hit a blood vessel and need to pull out and try again. Inject your substance slowly.
Pull your needle out in the same direction and angle at which you inserted it. Because you injected into a muscle, there should be little if any bleeding. You might want to apply a Band-Aid in any case to prevent infection. Massaging the area lightly for a few minutes will help the drug absorb and reduce the pain.
Intramuscular Injection:
Some drugs, including injectable steroids and hormones, must be injected into a muscle instead of a vein. The physical and psychoactive effects that result from an intramuscular injection of a drug come on much more slowly than those of an intravenous injection (half an hour to forty-five minutes versus almost immediately), although the overall, cumulative intensity of the effects and the experience are virtually identical.
Most if not all of the infection control and other safety precautions intravenous drug injectors should follow also apply to individuals who inject drugs intramuscularly. IM produces much less bleeding than intravenous injection, if any at all, but the risk of transmitting viruses and other blood-borne bacteria as a result of needle-sharing is as serious as it is with intravenous injection. In addition, people who IM run a higher risk for abscess formation, especially if what they inject has any particles in it whatsoever. When IMing, it is extremely important to inject only a solution that is as particle-free as possible.
Many of the substances that require intramuscular injection come pre-prepared in liquid form. To prevent contaminating your entire supply, be sure to use only a sterile needle and syringe when drawing the liquid up from the bottle in which it's stored.
Choosing an Injection Site
The buttocks, thighs, and upper arms are the three best sites, respectively, for intramuscular injection. The best is in the deltoid, the muscle on your upper, outer arm where your shoulder and your arm meet. If injecting into the butt, mentally divide each "cheek" into four equal sections and inject into the top right or top left outer section of each "cheek". You can also use the front surface of your thighs about six inches above your knee to about six inches below your hip, or the outer surfaces of your upper arms between your shoulder and your elbow. Always be careful to avoid nerves, blood vessels, or bones, and rotate injection sites to avoid bruising, abscess formation, etc. It is not uncommon for your muscle to be sore for a few days after an injection.
Be sure to carefully clean the injection site prior to injecting. Wipe in only one direction and not in a circular motion which will cause the dirt and germs to stay on your skin. DO NOT touch the injection site with your fingers after you've cleaned it. Routinely cleaning the skin prior to injection is one of the most important things you can do to reduce your risk of endocarditis, blood poisoning, and similar infections.
Try to relax the muscle prior to injection. This will result in a less painful injection and may prevent the soreness you usually feel the following day or two. When injecting into a muscle, insert the needle in one quick stab straight into the injection site at a 90° angle to the body. Nearly the entire needle should enter the muscle. You want to draw your plunger back slightly to make sure no blood comes into the syringe. If blood does appear, you've hit a blood vessel and need to pull out and try again. Inject your substance slowly.
Pull your needle out in the same direction and angle at which you inserted it. Because you injected into a muscle, there should be little if any bleeding. You might want to apply a Band-Aid in any case to prevent infection. Massaging the area lightly for a few minutes will help the drug absorb and reduce the pain.
