Opioids WARNING: Keep your needles sterile, OSTEOMYELITIS (BONE INFECTION) from myself's re-used needles.

[Speedhack2]

Hey mates, irst of all sorry for my not-so-good english as I'm not from an English-speaking country.

I want to tell and warn you IV drug users by telling my experience, I'm 23 years old, I've been released just today from almost 1 month hospital, 24 days exactly, because I caught a nasty infection of the bone, called acute hematogenous osteomyelitis, in the right tibia metaphysis because of a heavy depression that I was passing and made me that I didn't go outside my house and I reused over and over my syringes shooting methadone and sometimes heroin and coke. I began to feel pain in my legs, went to the ER and they gave me antiinflamatorys, idiotic of myself I waited two days and didn't remitted only got worse, developing a cellulitis and unbearable pain, almost couldn't walk, so I went again to the ER and they gave me oral antibiotic (amoxicilline) and sodium diclofenac but the next day I couldn't walk so my family drove me into the hospital and stayed there for almost a month, like I previously said.

I was on heavy antibiotics, first one or two days IV amoxicilline each 6 or 8 hours I don't remember bcause I was very sick and tired because of the infection but then they switched because I was unresponsive to amoxicilline, so they started cloxacillin IV every 4 hours that fucking burned all my little peripheric arms and hand veins that I have left because it's very aggresive antibiotic, and ceftriaxone IV every 24h. They even after 4 days needed to start a subclavian central venous line for my treatment. I received 2 weeks of cloxacillin IV every 4 hours and 3 weeks of ceftriaxone IV every 24h. After they stopped the cloxacillin they started 600mg linezolid oral every 12h and after they stopped the ceftriaxone and retired my CVL they started 750mg oral ciprofloxacine every 12h aswell.

Now as I said, I was released from the hospital today and need to continue my regime of oral linezolid & ciprofloxacin every 12h for 1 month.

I smoked like 1 package of tobacco daily and stopped I now smoke 1-5 cigarrettes only and use a vaper. Currently I'm on 40mg of methadone HCl liquid daily. In the hospital used pills.

I HOPE and PRAY that my acute osteomyelitis heal good (I responded well to antibiotics since first day that they started cloxacillin and ceftriaxone IV) and doesn't evolve into chronic osteomyelitis, I hope not because I don't want to be hospitallized every time for years or need to amputate or something like that.

My doctor said that the infection was mild because only ''touched'' the bone, but already touched the bone so that is the problem.

Will suplementate with testosterone gel for better tissue regeneration as methadone lowered my natural test and multivitamin (specially calcium and vitamin D) apart from the antibiotics as doctor said.

I have a blood analysis in one month and a new visit with the Dr. They will do a magnetic resonance again in some time to see if the infection was cured and the bone is regenerated.

In the hospital they've done to me a Doppler Ecography, a radiography, blood cultives and analysis and a RM (Magnetic Resonance), with the latter they diagnosed me.

The blood cultives (two) were negative. The PCR in the first two analysis was altered but lowering and the last blood analysis was normal, I don't know the leucocites first time bcause I don't remember what the Dr. said at that time but second time leucocites were normal. Biopsy was not needed because it wasn't a heavy infection. The only problem is that they don't know the pathogen bcause both cultives were negative.

So guys, don't reuse needles, even if they're re-used only by yourself, you can catch nasty shit... Fuckin' bacteria !!!

Will keep you informed guys, I cross my fingers that everything will be good!

The thing that I fear most is the chronification, I hope not.

Best regards!!!

 

[KS78]

Thanks for the warning. We sometimes do the same mistakes even knowing that it's a very unhealthy practice. Good reminder of potential problems. Good luck with your infection.

 

[DrGonzo899]

Glad you're alright. I've had similar problems though not as severe through a ten yr battle with the needle. Had multiple staph abcesses and currently dealing with 2 holes along my spinal fusion scar(19yr old surgery performed when I was 12) that continually secrete large amounts off puss and have not closed or healed once in the 2 years while I was homeless. Finally getting this dealt with.
I'll have more details soon but over these 2 years treated for 3 major staph abcesses with IV and oral antibiotics every time so it's super resilient. Dr says it's due to the lack of circulation to the hardware from surgery. Well find out! Super interesting...

 

[Sertürner]

Almost got osteomyelitis myself. Scary dude. I had a missed shot of a Heroin/DPH (unisom) mix. It abscessed, but never came to a head. After 2 weeks or so of walking around on it and oral antibiotics not responding, my foot was the size of a football (American). I passed out in pain one day, was rushed to the ER and had the massive abscess drained. My bone was very visible because there is not much fatty tissue on the ankle. The doctor sent for x-rays to check for osteomyelitis, and told me that the foot would be removed if the infection was present. I was terrified. Luckily it had not penetrated the bone.

I wholeheartedly feel for you OP. Glad you are alive buddy.

*Edit, I forgot my main point. I had been using the same needle for the last few days or so. I must've used it over 15-20x, it was so dull that it was visibly fishhooked and the needed was bent in to 'z' shape that I kept having to straighten out. It was disgusting. Always use clean needles guys! If you HAVE to reuse, then follow these steps that Jeff Ott of the band Fifteen has written just for these situations. Who doesnt love learning with music?

 

[Speedhack2]

Hey guys, when in home I was reading over the net and scared myself because if I have endocarditis so probably in a week will talk with my psychiatrist to ease the obssession and if she can talk with the Dr. because he it's on vacation. I hope not because if I have that I've thinking of suicide I don't wanna die with pain with 23-year old. It's my fault but I hope it is reversible and I didn't catch an endocarditis... Regards.