Some Tips on Choosing the Correct IV Materials

[paradoxcycle]

There are a lot of materials needed to inject drugs. Ideally, the type of equipment someone uses to inject will be appropriately matched to the drug they're using, where they plan to inject it, the condition of their veins (if they're mainlining), and other factors. Unfortunately, drug injectors do not always have regular, legal access to the materials they need and are frequently forced to make do with what they can get. I'm going to discuss what materials are best for injecting drugs and how to use them safely; and offers suggestions for second-best options when the safest equipment is for some reason unavailable.

NEEDLES AND SYRINGES
The needle and syringe is arguably the most important piece of equipment needed to inject drugs. Due to legal restrictions on possession and over-the-counter sale, it can also be the most difficult piece of equipment to obtain.

Needles and syringes are not all the same. It is important to find a needle and syringe that you feel comfortable with, so if you have the opportunity, experiment with different types, sizes, and brands of injection equipment until you've found the one that works for you. Or you may find that you'll use different equipment at different times depending on what and where you're injecting. Among the things you should consider when choosing a needle and syringe are:

Needle Gauge: which refers to the size of the bore or hole in the needle. With needles it is important to remember that the higher the gauge, the thinner the needle (and the smaller the hole). A 28 gauge needle (abbreviated 28G) is therefore thinner than a 25 gauge needle, which is in turn thinner than an 18 gauge needle. Most intravenous injectors use either a standard insulin set which typically has a 27G or 28G needle (and an orange cap), or a standard tuberculin set with a 25G needle (frequently referred to as a bluetip because of its color).

The smaller gauge needle you use, the smaller the puncture wound, and therefore the less opportunity for infection to occur. Using a smaller gauge needle is also likely to result in less bleeding. Intramuscular injections must be given with larger gauge needles (frequently 21G or 23G), and certain substances such as injectable steroids and hormones can only be administered intramuscularly. Intravenous injectors typically use needles no larger than 25G, and whenever possible, needle gauge should be matched to the size of the vein into which you're injecting. If you're using small, delicate veins like those in the hands, for instance, a thinner needle such as a 28G is the safest choice.

Drugs that are cut with a lot of impurities, like white powder or tar heroin, may clog the point of the syringe. The higher the gauge (therefore the thinner the needle and the smaller the hole), the more likely it is that the point may get clogged. This is particularly true with brown tar heroin.

One-piece Sets Versus Two-piece, Detachable Sets: With some types of injection equipment, the needle detaches from the syringe, resulting in two separate pieces. Standard insulin injection equipment is typically one piece, while tuberculin needles and syringes are often detachable. Detachable, two-piece equipment often has a larger reservoir above the needle in which a lot of blood can collect. If you're using a two-piece set, make absolutely sure that the needle is securely fastened to the syringe so that it doesn't detach while you're injecting, causing you to lose your shot. Lastly, you might find that using a butterfly set--often used for drawing blood from hospital patients--is helpful when getting off in the hands or feet, but this type of set can be difficult to obtain. (Ask your local exchange if they have any.)

Syringe Size: Standard insulin and tuberculin syringes are typically 1cc in size and are calibrated by .10 cc's along the barrel of the syringe. Most drug injectors find this size ideal and would rarely need use of a larger syringe, although some drug injectors like to use 1Ž2 cc syringes. Syringes other than 1cc in size may be difficult to obtain.

COTTONS (FILTERS)
Most injectors draw their drug solution from a cooker or spoon into a syringe through some type of filter--most often a piece of cotton or other absorbent material. The filter acts to keep out particulate matter and other foreign objects you don't want in your shot, and enables you to get just about every drop of the drug solution into your syringe so that none of it is wasted.

* Clean, 100% cotton from a Q-Tip or cotton ball is the safest thing you can use to filter your drug solution. Filter paper or a small piece of tampon are safe alternatives.

* Rayon and other synthetic fibers often don't absorb liquid as well as cotton, and may prevent you from being able to adequately draw up all of your drug solution.

* Cigarette filters are not safe to use and if from a cigarette that has already been smoked, substances from the smoke that can be harmful if injected.

* Use a fresh cotton every time you shoot up, and as with needles, syringes, and cookers, never use someone else's cotton or let them use yours; infections, bacteria, and viruses can all be transmitted through sharing cottons.

* Make sure your fingers are as clean as possible before you tear off and roll up your cotton.

 

[Ghettotastic_bong]

Nice guide, it's good to have a guide for IV injecting, i'll be sure to keep the link handy if i consiter doing so myself.

Just a question though, aren't butterfly-type needles typically fitted with a larger needle? I have memories of having 23 ga butterfly needles shoved in my veins for blood tess.

 

[negrogesic]

The ONLY cotton that should be used when filtering is what is often referred to as "dental cotton", which is STERILE (if it doesnt say sterile on the package, it isnt), and comes in rolls.

And make sure the place your cooking up your dope is CLEAN. Clean everything with alcohol before hand, the table you use, alcohol up to at least your forearms, and get a small electric water boiler (they are like $15), and boil your spoon before hand for at least 4-5 minutes, as well as the stirring device you use (the back end of a syringe or plunger is not a great mixing too) is clean, i prefer using a stainless pointed dental cleaning device, and boil it each time for at least 5 minutes before using it (boil the spoon and stirring device SEPERATELY)........

Below is a method i used to describe how to prep mscontin shots, but the basic idea works for essentially any drug. This is the method i use when i inject heroin. I have copy and pasted it from the mscontin thread, I hope it is of use:

Anyways, if you are going to inject them, you should do it correctly (its hypocritical for me to say NOT to bang them, but this is harm reduction and people should learn from my mistakes). If you search, i have detailed a couple methods in a number of threads about injecting these types of pills specifically. You sound like you are using a decent message, and 5cc syringe is definately required for adequate filtering. So crush up your tablets after washing off the coating, then cook with your sterile water briefly while stirring (it should NEVER boil, you are not trying to kill bacteria here) untill it achieves a more uniform consistency. Unforunately, some heat is a necessary evil, as it yeilds more drug in the shot, but at the same time, it also allows more particulates to become temporarily liquified and suspended in the solution. Before cooking up the solution, get your 5cc rig ready, so removed the plunger, and put DRY sterile cotton lightly packed up to around 1cc mark, or a more time consuming way is to use stacked coffee filter paper , by cutting little circles the SLIGHTLY smaller than the diameter of the syringes barrel and enough of these (it takes quite abit of these paper circles) up to around the .5cc mark (you can use the coffee filters up to .5cc mark then add loosely packed cotton ontop up to the 1cc mark for optimal filtration). Then once you have your morphine tablet solution consistent and still warm, add just enough cotton to soak up the solution. Add this wet morphine soaked cotton into the BACK (the plunger is still out) of the pre-prepared 5cc rig for filtration (again, stuffed with either dry cotton, stacked coffee filters or both), and there will probably be remaining gunk on the spoon, and wipe up the rest with more cotton (using some sterilized tool, i use a metal pointed dental pick and tweezers, but if you are using you fingers, make sure they are pre-cleaned with anti-bacterial soap and alcohol), and add it into the back of the 5cc rig with the other wet cotton. Then, get a fresh sterilized spoon, put the neede of the 5cc rig above the spoon, and insert the plunger, and press down, forcing the wet cottons through the dry cotton/and or coffee filters into the spoon. The resulting solution should be free of floating particulates and transparent, but it will not be clear like water. Take your syringe that is going to be used for injecting and draw up this solution (if it has no floating particulates, which it shouldnt) into the injecting rig. If you are using a 2 or 5cc rig to IV with, it is better than a 1cc rig (especially if your banging numerous tablets), so the IV rig wont be full. Remove the plunger from the filtrating syringe and add more sterile water, mix it around with the tool, and put the plunger back in and slowly force more solution into the clean spoon, and draw it up with injecting rig. Keep on adding more water and forcing it through the filtering rig untill your injecting rig is full, but of course leave sufficient room for pulling back. The bigger the capacity of the injecting syringe, the more water you can pass through the injecting rig, and the higher yeild you will obtain. This is a "safer" method to filter mcontin for IV usage without micron filtration.

Again, i dont condone IV sustain morphine tablet usage, but again, since ive done it SO many times myself, i cannot tell you not to, and if you are going to, do it the right way. The way I described is a better, more efficient and safer way to IV mscontin than just sucking the solution out of the cotton with the needle tip. So becarefull, the tablets you have ARE like our mscontin, and you must prepare it likewise. Proceed with caution, and if you can find immediate release tablets, please switch. Good luck!

 

[paradoxcycle]

Originally posted by negrogesic
The ONLY cotton that should be used when filtering is what is often referred to as "dental cotton", which is STERILE (if it doesnt say sterile on the package, it isnt), and comes in rolls.

You're right of course but I assumed not everyone has access to it and will default to other things out of desperation.

 

[negrogesic]

Sterile dental cotton that comes in rolls can be found in almost ANY pharmacy, anywhere. I certainly dont expect most people to use micron filtration at this point in time, but if you are going to use cotton (which you probably will), use the cotton that comes on rolls, and it will say on the box that it is STERILE, and as I mentioned, there is NO availability issues. Its not alot, but sterile cotton rolls are one thing that makes its slightly less dangerous to commence in a dangerous procedure...

Also, regarding the actual solvent you use to dissolve your compound, use BACTERIOSTATIC water (it comes in plastic or glass rubber-stopper topped bottles for syringe use), designed for injection purposes. It is available without a script in MOST states, and available OTC in every other country, but you will have to ask for it. In my state, CA, you are REQUIRED to have scripts for fucking bacteriostatic WATER, but it is still available at needle exchanges, and can be purchased cheap in bulk at inummerable places on the internet.

So, with FRESH rigs, sterile cotton rolls, bacteriostatic water, a spoon and stirring device that have been boiled, clean preperation area (get 90% isopropyl instead of 70%, and get individualy sealed alcohol wipes), clean hands and body, and an prep technique like i described, your chances of encountering problems when IVing are, to a degree, reduced. So once you have these things, it really comes down to how clean your actual drugs are, and what you are shooting, and or not not shooting (insolubles like talc, magensium steriate, silicon dioxide "aka sand", found in tablets such as mscontin and other pills similar to it, which really has no hope to be injected, unless only in recklessly unsafe manner). Be safe, have fun!

 

[CreativeRandom]

paradoxycle,you made alot of mention of IVing with 25g to 28g for IV use. God damn man, I can't even stand 28g! I would hate to imagine a 28g, and refuse to think about 25g in even my largest vein. They hurt, they are a bitch and require quite a bit of effort to push through, nasty wound left behind. Perfect injection style with a 28g on my largest arm vein left a fucking scar! Needles to say, it's very small.

However, one benefit to the larger gauges is that they don't wear as easily as the 30's. You could reuse a 28g quite a few times. After once, a 30g provides alot of resistance, and after thrice its like sticking a paperclip into your vein. However I found that a 28g still slipped in after five uses, though was kinda sore due to its size. Basically, larger gauge needles do not get as dull as easily.

I personally prefer 30g. I don't know if everyone agrees, but I find a world of difference and comfort in one gauge. 30g is way smaller than 29g.

The 1/2 CC insulin needles ARE detachable, and I was and still am suprised to hear or meet of people who do not know this. The 1cc insulin needles by BD are not removable, but their 1/2cc's are. You just have to twist them off with pliers the first time you remove them. Make sure to TWIST first, than pull up. After that you can pretty much use your fingers to pull it off and put on. I like to draw up with no needle as it takes forever, especially since 1/2cc's do not draw with as much pressure as 1's.

And you said people COOK their cottons? As in add heat? I always just took a batch of cottons, put in some water, smashed them up, and then drew up. This is the right way to do it, no? By the way, I store my cottons immediately after in an airtight vial.

 

[fastandbulbous]

Another way of sterilizing non-flammable equipment like spoons etc, is to dip it in some alcohol, then ignite the residue after removing it from the alcohol. That's the method used for some equipment in microbiology labs (obviously you can't do it with things like filters). Generally referred to as flaming

If you have cotton filters left over that you want to extract drugs from, the best and safest thing to do is after soaking them and squeezing the last traces from them, use the resultant soln rectally - do not inject it. This way, any fungi or other micro-organisms present don't get a chance to get into your bloodstream, so no 'cotton fever'

 

[defaultused]

^I'm not sure if flaming is safe for IV injection.

Would the burning of alcohol in air leave a residue behind on the tool?

If so, it might be toxic/unsanitary to have unknown combustion by-product in or around a syringe intended for humans IV use.

 

[fastandbulbous]

Pure alcohol, and only on metal/ceramic impliments

 

[CreativeRandom]

Pure alcohol? What kind, isopropyl or ethanol?

What about, say, 91% isopropyl solution?

I inject my cotton solution. How do I do this safer than the mentioned way though? I already said I keep them airtight and sterile.

 

[Flexistentialist]

All very useful info, but one point I'd like to clarify regarding filters. There's never been any glass fibre used in cig filters. There's been a range of urban myths around for a long time suggesting that they do contain fibre glass, but this isn't the case.

Where I work, all needle packs come with a few cig filters for people to filter their mix with. These are made of cellulose acetate from wood pulp. We've not had any problems with these types of filters, although theoretically, small fibres from any filter could potentially get into the mix if you're not careful.

 

[Ghettotastic_bong]

CreativeRandom, the difference is because sterility and air tight are two seperate things, and once you've injected with a cotton, bacteria and fungal spores will land on the surface of it. These microorganisms will grow and produce toxic chemicals which are hazardous to inject.

 

[fastandbulbous]

^ If anything, anaerobic bacteria (ones that grow without the need for oxygen) tend to be more likely to be pathogenic - things like Bacillus and Clostridium species

CR - any simple alcohol will do the trick - most commonly encountered are ethanol and isopropanol - as long as it burns with a blue/clear flame when ignited

 

[defaultused]

At the time I didn't realize but flaming makes a fair bit of sense since absolute alcohol is a so-called "clean burning" fuel. Isopropyl on the other hand I'm not sure about. But admittedly I think it unneccessary to flame for all intravenous purposes. Wouldn't it work just as well (albeit abit slower) to swipe tools down and allow the alcohol to evaporate?

 

[CreativeRandom]

Usually if I use isopropyl to clean my tools i it dip it, than wipe with a clean towel or paper towel.

Could you do this flaming with needles tips?

Ah, didn't think about anaerobic bacteria. Well, I use my cottons anyways. Can someone fill in the harm reduction steps for correctly using cottons? (oxymoron perhaps...)

 

[fastandbulbous]

Clostridium and Bacillus bacteria produce spores that can survive a quick dip in alcohol (those species are responsible for nasty things like anthrax, tetanus and gas gangerene), but unless you work with soil or animals, you're not too likely to come across them

Flaming needle tips is not really feasable, as they useually have some plastic associated with them. For people with a lot of money, you could always get an ultrasonic sterilizer for your cottons (uses high freq sound waves to rupture bacterial cells), but they're not cheap

 

[negrogesic]

All very useful info, but one point I'd like to clarify regarding filters. There's never been any glass fibre used in cig filters.

^^This is entirely correct, thank you for stopping the propogation of that myth. I would never use a cigarette filter to filter my drugs, as sterile cotton is a better alternative, but no, it does not contain glass is very common used, especially with "old-timers" skag-head....

Can someone fill in the harm reduction steps for correctly using cottons?

Once again, BUY STERILE COTTON. I detailed one of the safest methods to IV with cotton, though it requires at least a 3.5cc rig for filtration purposes only (if you cant buy them OTC, they can be found everywhere online). If for some reason you still choose to use that old, inefficient, yet most common method of sticking a needle tip into a soaked cotton and drawing back your solution (a dangerous method as it often draws up cotton fibres). The mscontin method i briefly detailed is applicable to most any drug when preparing to IV and one that i use when preparing my fat shots of heroin, and is a FAR more efficient (instead of drawing it up with needle stuck into the cotton, and "safer" way to IV with cotton (STERILE please).

And keep in mind the very commonly so-called "cotton fever" has NOTHING to do with any bacteria or organism in your cotton, it is your immune system attacking a particulate, cotton fibers in the solution which your body PERCIEVES as a microorganism and responds in kind with a usually intense but short-lived reaction (fever, fine tremor, terrifying migrane, temporarily blindness/light sensitivity etc).

I really dont understand the issue is here regarding clean cotton. STERILE cotton is readily available at every pharmacy, cheap. Why bother boiling, "flaming" or cooking it with ultrasound waves when you can just buy sealed, STERILE cotton at a very low cost (no it doesnt come in cotton balls, it comes in a roll, but what does that matter?). Its under 3 dollars for a new box of a LONG roll of sterile cotton, enough for thousands upon thousands of injections. Yes, once its opened it obviously looses some of the sterility, but i used to store it in a plastic weak vaccuum container, which doesnt accomplish much, not sure why i did that. Personally, I buy a new roll of sterile cotton for EACH injection, so i can be virtually guaranteed of having sterile cotton. Then again because of my obscene tolerance from overusing opiods, i have to use 1000mg of good heroin for just a single injection to get wasted, so each shot is costing me $160 of just heroin, so buying a new roll of STERILE cotton for each shot for $3 is not really that impractical. There is a device called a "sterilefit" which is worth looking into, which is a syringe meant for filtering, with a micron filter (its not the best quality or smallest micron filter, but its a hell of alot better with cotton. But given the expense of my heroin due to excessive tolerance, i use STERILE cotton with heroin, attached onto it.

And my FAVORITE syringe needle is definately a 28g, as it is NOT too big for IV use when used correctly. It is far stiffer and reliable than flimsy 30, 31 gauge syringes (prone to bending, clogging even with blood, breaking etc.), and is more of a sure shot. I even used to use a 25g syringe, which i do admit is definately "one toke over the line" in terms of being simply TOO large for injections, especially with chronic use (it was the smallest detachable leuer lock i could obtain at that time). And yes, a 28g needle wont get dull as fast, but i dont nor condone re-using ANY syringe, period (though i understand that some of you unfortunately simply cannot either afford or obtain new syringes for each injecton, i have been in the situation before, as syringes requires prescriptions in my state). But if you can, use a new syringe each time injecting and even when filtering, sterile cotton rolls, and clean with alcohol then boil to hell (i dont expect an autoclave, but these small inexpensive electic water-boilers are VERY usefull) your spoon and stirring device, and maintain a very clean and alcohol soaked prep area (after letting the alcohol evaporate)....

Becarefull......

 

[CreativeRandom]

I'm sorry, I accidentally poorly wrote my question. Of course I understand cottons now, being on this site so much as well as being an experienced injector.

What I meant was "Can someone fill me in on the harm reduction steps to correctly RE-USE my used cottons?"

I am asking how can I, as safe as possible, get the "juice" out of old cottons I used as filters for previous injections that I saved in an airtight container.

31g is way too flimsy for me. 30g I find is perfect. It is not too flimsy, it slips in so easily, with no resistance, that bending is not an issue unless you got a damn shaky hand. 31g does bend while your holding it, and due to it being so small itll just go right through the vein without notice. 30g does not get clogged by blood or solution either for me.

The only reason it will get clogged is if you draw back to pull up blood, and let it clot. You must keep the solution "moving" before it clots in there. It's not like your trying to watch a cool blood-cloud show or something. As soon as the cloud appears, push. I used to have blood clogs but I've learned not to just stare at the blood. I don't use that much solution when I inject anymore either compared to before, so that also probably helped. If you have alot of solution, some of the blood will settle to the back and perhaps, before it gets to the needle, its clotted.

 

[aunty establishment]

SWABS
I notice there's nothing in here about the use of swabs. I understand that most people don't have access to swabs most of the time, but if you do have access, they're great for preventing bacterial infection at the injection site.

I've seen a lot of people swabbing the wrong way - they wipe their injection site like they're trying to get KFC grease off with a moist towelette All this does is push the bacteria around. If you're going to swab, do the following:
1. Wash and thoroughly dry your hands first
2. Open the swab package and hold it by the edges
3. Firmly wipe the injection site ONCE with the swab in a single direction, and discard.

As I've said, I realise this is time-consuming and beyond the means of many IDUs but I thought it'd be nice to have "best practice" information here anyway.

 

[Kandy K]

How tightly do I pack the cotton filter?