Whether you are new to drugs and looking to experiment, or a long time user thinking of switching from your current ROA to IV in order to "save money," there are many reasons to reconsider this decision and I would like to address them here. I would also like to make a FAQ for people that are still going to make the switch despite the information on the dangers of doing so. Also, please refer to the IV Complications threads (version I, II, III) in Other Drugs, as well as the Case Studies thread so that you know the potential harm that comes with IV use.
Is switching to the IV ROA really worth it?
From a harm reduction standpoint, absolutely not. The dangers of IV drug use far outweigh the benefits. Drugs such as opiates are fairly safe when taken orally or even nasally (in known doses), and it is the complications from IV use that make them a lot more dangerous.
Will Switching to IV save me money?
Perhaps the most common reason why people switch to the IV ROA is because they are hoping to get higher off of less product, thus saving them money. While one may save money during the initial phase of the switch, it has been the experience of most users that they in fact end up spending more money on their DOC after a week or so of IVing, and their tolerance increases faster than with their previos ROA. The two most common factors that contribute to this are the shorter duration of the IV ROA, and IVing just to feel a rush.
The shorter duration of IVing causes the drug to wear of quicker compared to ROAs such as oral and intranasal. This causes the user to experience withdrawals sooner after their dose, which then makes them need to re-dose more frequently in order to prevent withdrawals. This means that although you are able to use fewer bags per dose at first, you will end up having to dose a lot more frequenly, making the total amount of drugs user per day soon equal and surpass the amount that was required to keep withdrawals away and/or achieve a high with you previous ROA. This is one of the reasons why you will not be saving money (for that long anyway) after switching to IV.
The other factor is the rush. When using a drug orally, intranasally, or even rectally, most people only dose once or perhaps twice a day in order to get high. Money is usually acquired in order to get this single dose for the day, and most will only use if they can achieve their high from that dose. With the rush however, a user may use any dose that will provide a rush, and they will often find themselves chasing the rush. When a small dose was usually avoided and saved for a single higher dose that would provide a good high, an IV user will use some of these smaller doses to get a rush. This results in more frequent IVing, which in turn increases tolerance and the amount user per day, which is yet another reason why IVing does not save the user money.
The only time that IVing may save the user money is if they do not use that frequently. The problem with this is that users that do not use that frequently are more likely to overdose with this pattern of use. The combination of unknown tolerance and unknown purity (considering the person is using "street drugs") results in many overdoses.
Information for those that are still going to IV
We realize that some people are going to IV no matter what people tell them. Since this is a harm reduction forum, we will address ways to minimize harm for those that are not going to abstain from IV use.
Dosage- The bioavailability of a particular drug plays a large role in the dosage needed when using different ROAs. You need to look up the BA of the drug you are using, and use it as a guideline to determine the dose you will use for IV. Oxymorphone for example has an oral BA of 10% and a nasal BA of 40% so a person that takes it orally and is planning on switching to IV would need to use 90% less. It is advised to use even less than the dose found by using proportions of doses and BA %, because you are getting the full dose at once, so you need less actually.
Testing Quality- When using street drugs, always test the quality first. It is advised to do this via an ROA other than IV, but if you do it by IVing it then do a very small test shot. There is a common saying on here "you can always do more, but you can't do less." It's pretty self explanatory. Once you push the plunger down, there is no taking back what you just put into your body.
Harm reduction info and supplies- Aleays use new IV equipments every time. Never re-use a needle, and never share any IV equipment. Micron filters are an essential piece of HR equipment. Here is evidence for using them, and here is the megathread on them.
Overdose
Never dose alone. If you are IVing then it is very unlikely that you will be able to call for help once you push the plunger down.
In the event that you are with someone that experiences an overdose you must call 911/999 and perform rescue breathing while waiting for the paramedics to arrive. Here is a thread about calling emergency medical services.
For opiate overdose refer to Managing Opioid Overdose including naloxone
This is a community project, work in progress. Any suggestions, additional helpful information, or resources are welcome, and I can edit them into this post if deemed appropriate.
Is switching to the IV ROA really worth it?
From a harm reduction standpoint, absolutely not. The dangers of IV drug use far outweigh the benefits. Drugs such as opiates are fairly safe when taken orally or even nasally (in known doses), and it is the complications from IV use that make them a lot more dangerous.
Will Switching to IV save me money?
Perhaps the most common reason why people switch to the IV ROA is because they are hoping to get higher off of less product, thus saving them money. While one may save money during the initial phase of the switch, it has been the experience of most users that they in fact end up spending more money on their DOC after a week or so of IVing, and their tolerance increases faster than with their previos ROA. The two most common factors that contribute to this are the shorter duration of the IV ROA, and IVing just to feel a rush.
The shorter duration of IVing causes the drug to wear of quicker compared to ROAs such as oral and intranasal. This causes the user to experience withdrawals sooner after their dose, which then makes them need to re-dose more frequently in order to prevent withdrawals. This means that although you are able to use fewer bags per dose at first, you will end up having to dose a lot more frequenly, making the total amount of drugs user per day soon equal and surpass the amount that was required to keep withdrawals away and/or achieve a high with you previous ROA. This is one of the reasons why you will not be saving money (for that long anyway) after switching to IV.
The other factor is the rush. When using a drug orally, intranasally, or even rectally, most people only dose once or perhaps twice a day in order to get high. Money is usually acquired in order to get this single dose for the day, and most will only use if they can achieve their high from that dose. With the rush however, a user may use any dose that will provide a rush, and they will often find themselves chasing the rush. When a small dose was usually avoided and saved for a single higher dose that would provide a good high, an IV user will use some of these smaller doses to get a rush. This results in more frequent IVing, which in turn increases tolerance and the amount user per day, which is yet another reason why IVing does not save the user money.
The only time that IVing may save the user money is if they do not use that frequently. The problem with this is that users that do not use that frequently are more likely to overdose with this pattern of use. The combination of unknown tolerance and unknown purity (considering the person is using "street drugs") results in many overdoses.
Information for those that are still going to IV
We realize that some people are going to IV no matter what people tell them. Since this is a harm reduction forum, we will address ways to minimize harm for those that are not going to abstain from IV use.
Dosage- The bioavailability of a particular drug plays a large role in the dosage needed when using different ROAs. You need to look up the BA of the drug you are using, and use it as a guideline to determine the dose you will use for IV. Oxymorphone for example has an oral BA of 10% and a nasal BA of 40% so a person that takes it orally and is planning on switching to IV would need to use 90% less. It is advised to use even less than the dose found by using proportions of doses and BA %, because you are getting the full dose at once, so you need less actually.
Testing Quality- When using street drugs, always test the quality first. It is advised to do this via an ROA other than IV, but if you do it by IVing it then do a very small test shot. There is a common saying on here "you can always do more, but you can't do less." It's pretty self explanatory. Once you push the plunger down, there is no taking back what you just put into your body.
Harm reduction info and supplies- Aleays use new IV equipments every time. Never re-use a needle, and never share any IV equipment. Micron filters are an essential piece of HR equipment. Here is evidence for using them, and here is the megathread on them.
Overdose
Never dose alone. If you are IVing then it is very unlikely that you will be able to call for help once you push the plunger down.
In the event that you are with someone that experiences an overdose you must call 911/999 and perform rescue breathing while waiting for the paramedics to arrive. Here is a thread about calling emergency medical services.
For opiate overdose refer to Managing Opioid Overdose including naloxone
This is a community project, work in progress. Any suggestions, additional helpful information, or resources are welcome, and I can edit them into this post if deemed appropriate.
