Weird IV swelling

[sixpartseven]

I get get what you are saying. It just helps to put it on a missed shot. It helps anything that was missed to absorb into the skin.

Just because its red does not mean she has an infection. I have missed a few shots (and not missed a few shots where this same thing happened) where Ive gotten red lumps that caused pain and they were around for a week before they went away. It was just inflammation. In the case of the non-misses, I dont know what caused it, but it was there and went away after a week on its own.

So in my experience, yes they do. That does not mean they always will though, which leads me to what Im going to say next.

I want to correct something. I didnt see that it said this happened on monday. I assumed it happened today when the thread was posted. So if it has been 4 days, there is a good chance it is an infection, and in that case, yes, take her to ER. Id say mine was a rare case when it went away on its own.

Im sorry that I missed that. Everything I said was based on the idea that this all happened today. You are correct under the circumstances. If it happened today, then that would be the best time to apply a warm compress, but obviously it didnt.

 

[sonnyluv]

Hear that Grumpy Eel? You got two smart as hell bluelighters telling you to be a pal and get her treatment.
No more watching and waiting. Man Up!

 

[chinacat311]

Look at the other 100 IV-scare threads in the past couple of days

goddam man seriously. i really feel like there has been at least one of these threads a day for what seems like a few weeks. why cant people just search.

just because you registered doesnt mean you couldnt have missed, sometimes you will just poke the vein enough for some blood to come out, but are not in deep enough for the drug to all go into the vein (especially with larger gauge, > 28 ). or you could have poked through and pulled back into the vein, so there was a hole for the drug to "spill" out of even though you registerd blood. similar to the last possibility, if you were poking around a lot to hit a vein you culd have poked a hole or two in the vein so some of the shot again could have spilled out.

or you could have hit an artery.. when you registered, did the blood come back bright red and forceful, or was it slow-moving and dark? the latter is a vein, the former an artery and could explain the reaction.

all of these options rely on a less than experienced IV technique. do you have a lot of experience IVing yourself and/or others? has she had a lot of shots to compare this too? if you missed it would have stung as soon as the drug was missing the vein.

basically, as i say in all the other missed shot/abscess threads, a regular missed shot should start to get better after day two or so. if it keeps getting worse even after three days, then you need to seek medical help. one way to tell if its an abscess, is usually abscess will hurt a lot, either with slight pressure on the area or often they will hurt just when you try to move your arm. also most abscess will emanate heat from the region, so if the area is hotter than the rest of your body thats a sign your body is trying to fight the infection.

and as i also say in all of these threads, no one here can tell you what to do or what it is on your friends arm. it might be an abscess, in which case you NEED to seek medical help (ER, clinic, family doctor WHATEVER) as soon as possible so the infection doesnt spread and so they can keep their arm (not exaggerating, if it gets real bad they might have to pull some Requiem shit). if its not an abscess, it will start to get better after a day or two.. in that case you have nothing to worry about. i know it sucks to see a doctor, especially if parents might become involved, but it is worth it as abscess are no laughing matter. an infection under the skin can spread easily to the heart and lungs and when left untreated in many cases can be life threatening.

in either case it wont hurt to put a warm compress (or a towel with hot water) on the area and massage it gently. if it hurts too much to massage, its probably an abscess.. so see your doc.

good luck be careful man, this could potentially be some serious shit.

edit: yeah since this happened monday, if it is still getting worse at this point please please go see a doctor. has the swelling gone down at all since then? any updates?

 

[DexterMeth]

I have a question: Why would you shoot up your friend in the first place? Do you really want to be responsible for something like this?

I hope you didn't shoot her up because she didn't know how, as is, you introduced her to it.

I agree with you man, in "that general sense", but you gotta remember that with this being the internet, and how short his message was for such an extremely dire sounding problem, you, me, everyone on here has no idea wtf is truely going on in any one given of these situations that are talked about here on Bluelight. "At least" you're not flamming the guy doing no good. In fact you're the one speaking out the some of the strongest harm-reduction/safe&knowledgable drug use (since people are going to use drugs anyways, why obviouly not inform them and have them NOT die? 8) You know the score, I'm just saying...you know how it is) in this whole thread. Just "stay open" if you get my drift; as I explained up in the sentences above. Eh, I just felt like balancing out the true order and essense of what Bluelight is. ...Just like the U.S. Constitution: it's GREAT on paper, but in real life (this "current state" of this country vs. the dreams of our forfathers)
The right to Due Process is a great dream

 

[DexterMeth]

sixpartseven, I respect that you are moderator and thee service that you perform here but your advice is unsound and dangerous. I'm not saying anybody should freak out and call 911 but harm reduction doesn't mean wait until she's got a fever and HAS an abscess.
Heat will cause vasodilation- i.e. spread the bacteria wherever it may be in this girl's upper extremity.
And BTW, the use of warm compress with an abscess is not a given. It may limit the depth of purulent collection but depending on the location and source of infection can cause more damage.

About 6 months ago I was riding up a very steep hill on my new mountain bike. I was on my first real trek for this new bike I had gotten; so I was going "all out". Anyways, I was in a really high gear going down a very steep hill which curves, sending me up an equally very steep hill. I didn't start switching to the lower gears (like 1 and 2), until I was at the steepest area of the hill. When I did this, my bike essentially flew out from under my legs and threw me in the air; the extreme slant of the hill making the fall even harder.
Anyways, I fell very fucking hard on my tail bone. I thought I'd cracked it even. I was in so much pain at the time, I forgot to even check for any scraps or cuts. It ended up I fell so hard that i ripped the skin pretty hard and made a cut deep enough that turned a bruised tailbone into a full on fucking abcess that was about the size of 1/4th the average apple (not those huge ass red ones, lol), none the less, it was quite a large abcess. If my father was not a doctor I would of without a doubt ended up in the ER/ICU, inevitably. My father took me to his work place to drain the abcess, clean out the wound/sanitize/antibiotics, and daily clean dressings. Ugh....I had to have this special long ass string of antibiotic covered thin tape, almost a string ...that was over 3 feet long, shoved up into my "new asshole" (the abcess was so big that when they drained it, and teh location of it being the tailbone/tailbone area, I had like a whole new asshole..lol..not...it sucked shit...I had 3 feet of tape shoved up a very painful wound on my bruised fucking tailbone. Fun stuff, eh? The worst part of it all was having the abcess and the unbearable pain of the abcess. I was relieved to have it drained and taken care of by profressionals, to say the least. Despite all the pain afterwards, and the embarrsing situation of having my upper ass crack getting drained of the nastiest puss, fucking weird ass super ultra strong foul smelling gel/goo, in which a single drop of the shit could stink up a whole room a hundred times worse then a stick bomb...dear god....any of you that have had an abcess and got it drained knows what I mean about the smell...
Shit, I really wondered off tangent. My point (not to you man, but to the OP and anyone that has/gets/or knows someone that may/does have an abcess)...my point is to stress how very fucking serious and important it is to have abcesses not only taken care of...but by a doctor...in a doctor's clinic/the hospital. Don't go doing no "back alley abcession" LMFAO. If you just pop that shit with a needle or whatever..you run the very extremly high not just risk, but chance, and a very probable one at that...that you'll end up with an even worse infected wound then you started out with. Well, technically even if you pop it yourself, or you don't pop it and do nothing..you'll most likely end up with such a infection, it's not even funny. I'm talking amputations and serious and expensive ass surgury here people. So no, you don't got to be jumping to the phone calling 911, but you better get your ass to a doctor's office or walk-in clinic, etc., right the fuck away. .....Or..........just keep up the good work.

 

[phr]

Sounds like it hasn't healed in the normal amount of time it should have. I'd get it checked out. Especially if it's getting worse...

 

[HYDRO_CHRONIC]

chances are you missed just a tad,this is the reason i ha to switch IV spots ,all of a sudden a big area about 4" in diameter swelled up and turned red ,freaked me out ,but it went away after about a week ,and i did nothing but wipe the IV spots with alcohol

this happen on the top of my arm as well you know the big vein that runs from the top of you hand into your forearm? WELL I FOLLOWED IT UP into my forearm a bit but sztill on top of the forearm i registered and reregistered ,and when i pushed the plunger in it hurt like hell ,so i pulled back ,i got BLOOD alot of blood,dark blood so i pushed it in ,it still hurt like hell but i kept going and nothing swelled up ,after half the day went by it was red and swollen,really puffy and i found a little bb sizded not in there

and it wasnt an artery i was like almost 1/4in in the skin

chances are you missed a lil bit and the binders in the pill are cause'n it to swell ,but it should fade

 

[eon_blue]

I've missed probably 1/4 of all the shots I've ever taken since I started IV'ing (about a year ago), most of them within the first few months that I started (trying to get my technique down and all ).

Anyway, this was all with black tar, which as we all know isn't the cleanest of substances to be shooting. With every missed shot though, and even some that weren't missed, I ALWAYS ran straight to the bathroom and held the spot under near-unbearably hot water for a few minutes while rubbing the area, then I always applied Neosporin or some other topical antiboitic ointment to the area.

I dunno if it ever did anything to help or if I'm just a lucky bastard, but I've managed to never have any complications result from a missed shot. I suggest that those of you who shoot, especially those of you like me with shaky fucking hands, get your hands on some neosporin or something and make sure to tend to a missed shot right away rather than just waiting for it to go on it's own.

 

[chinacat311]

^ to hydro chronic, did you read my longer post above? its possible you poked through the other side of the vein and then pulled the needle back into the vein before registering, so you were in the vein but there was a hole on the other side that the dope could exit through. when this happens some of the shot stays in the vein and you get some rush but some also escapes and you get some of the classic missed shot symptoms, no matter how many times you register or how steady you are.

also if you have been poking around in the vein downstream it can leak out there too when you finally hit the shot. i have done that numerous times (the first one, not the latter.. remember: if you make multiple attempts in the same vein, always move DOWNSTREAM (towards heart) with your successive shots to avoid blood clots and the problem i just mentioned. and of course always use fresh pins.

all of this is more common with larger gauge like 28 or bigger, but ive had it happen with 30 or 31 i think.. usually in small/delicate veins.

Anyway, this was all with black tar, which as we all know isn't the cleanest of substances to be shooting. With every missed shot though, and even some that weren't missed, I ALWAYS ran straight to the bathroom and held the spot under near-unbearably hot water for a few minutes while rubbing the area, then I always applied Neosporin or some other topical antiboitic ointment to the area.

i would recommend investing in a electric heating pad man. i have missed my fair share of shots too (esp. in the beginning) and mostly with black tar as well (some of em were some big ass shots too so dark you could barely see through the solution) and it stings like hell! rubbing it afterward really fucking hurts but it does help your body absorb it- you are right.

but i really think having a heating pad for my whole IV career, and applying it immediately as soon as the bleeding stops, whenever i missed a shot (or partially missed) really saved me from them getting any worse (i.e. infected). its a pretty wise investment for any IV user, as you can use them before your shot to make the veins pop out a bit, and its really invaluable afterwards if you miss. nothing like a warm compress to open those capillaries and absorb that dark gooey goodness.

 

[chinacat311]

It ended up I fell so hard that i ripped the skin pretty hard and made a cut deep enough that turned a bruised tailbone into a full on fucking abcess

just curious, did you get painkillers for the pain after you lanced the 'cess?

i have always wondered if they give IV users opiates or any narcotic painkiller after they go to the ER for abscess drainage. i have always heard the pain is pretty much unbearable, and you cant take any anesthetic/painkillers before the operation because they thin your blood or something? i just cant imagine having an inch wide/deep hole in your skin with nothing to dull the pain.

btw i dont have an abscess and im not going to fake one to scam a doctor, i just am curious as to how they treat obvious heroin(/whatever) users who come in with complications from IV drug use especially in regard to narcotic painkillers. do they show any mercy? i have only heard bad things of docs (and ER in general) treatment of supposed "junkies".. luckily i have never personally had to deal with that.

 

[Missykins]

Hear that Grumpy Eel? You got two smart as hell bluelighters telling you to be a pal and get her treatment.
No more watching and waiting. Man Up!

Absolutely dude.

The antibiotic you have access to is a tetracycline relative and not the appropriate choice, not to mention using an antibiotic not rxd for someone other than yourself.

I doubt that you really hit the vein--you should see a marked flash of blood, not a small blurb.

One thing that I do to make sure that I'm in the vein is that I draw back and when I first see blood in the hub I then inject a minute amount of the drug and then draw back again to make sure I'm still in the vein. Remove the tourniquet at this point of course.

 

[Flexistentialist]

How long after injecting has this redness and pain started? If there's redness, pain and / or swelling that doesn't get better or continues to get worse 24 hours after a shot, it's more than likely an infection. If your friend's whole arms is red and painful, it could be cellulitis, and needs to be dealt with ASAP. The longer you leave these things, they become heaps more difficult to treat.

Leaving it a couple of days might mean IV antibiotics (and a hospital stay) instead of oral antibiotics.

 

[the_ketaman]

I have a red lump at present on my forearm similar to what your describing and I have no idea how It happened. Im quite sure I was in the vein, but maybe I slipped a little. Now its red and hot to the touch so ive put some medicated cream on it and it has helped significantly.

Awhile ago I missed a shot of meth and a shot of OC(2 things you dont wanna miss with) and my hand blew up and I got phlebitis and all, but just make sure if you ever miss a shot to go put hot pressure on it ASAP, I think that is the sole reason I havent ever had an abcess because ive never needed anti-biotics before, im really hoping Im not going to need them for this but since I put the cream on about an hour ago which is called hirudoid cream the redness and swelling has substantially gone down.

I put a warm compress on after every shot even if I havent missed any, Its just apart of my little ritual now. But I plan to never miss a shot ever again, NEVER!