Harm Reduction Why don't IV users cannulate themselves and have access to shoot their DOC?

[EP158207]

So I was wondering why IV users of meth/coke/heroin/pills do not just cannulate themselves and use the access instead of trying to hit a vein all the time.

You can cannulate wherever, and hide it if you are out and about. Or if you don't work you could just have it in the crook of arm and wear long sleeves.

Its probably a lot safer than finding and poking into a vein every few hours.

Any ideas or thoughts on why needles exchanges do not offer full cannulation packs etc

 

[sekio]

Cannulae get infected/rejected frequently enough in a medical setting where they are cleaned and maintained properly, the average IV user may hardly have access to clean saline and certainly isn't going to be cleaning the site with antiseptics on a regular basis or having access to antibiotics to treat infections, resulting in permanent cannulae being a bad plan.

 

[EP158207]

Cannulae do tissue after a period of time, but surely its better HR than frequent IV injections resulting in higher chances of abcesses and collapsed veins etc
Agree re: no access to clean saline

 

[Chris42393]

I work in the medical field and i have a hard time starting IV's on my self (with a actual IV w/catheter), even though i do them all the time... but for some reason have no problem giving myself a simple IV injection with a regular 25g needle. But like stated earlier, infection is a big concern.

As for sterile 0.9% normal saline, anyone should be able to buy that online.

 

[Captain.Heroin]

So I was wondering why IV users of meth/coke/heroin/pills do not just cannulate themselves and use the access instead of trying to hit a vein all the time.

You can cannulate wherever, and hide it if you are out and about. Or if you don't work you could just have it in the crook of arm and wear long sleeves.

Its probably a lot safer than finding and poking into a vein every few hours.

Any ideas or thoughts on why needles exchanges do not offer full cannulation packs etc

When I was shooting meth I was also shooting bupe but still got by 8, 10 times per day just fine. My veins are great and I was using small veins.

Would have hated to have something always in there. As sekio said, greater chance of infection is less desirable than taking a bit more of a beating.

 

[LesFleursDuMal]

As someone who has a temporary PICC line in one of their arms, I would argue against having and using a port that is in there permanently. The risk of infection increases using these devices and without clean changes of dressing to keep it anchored in one place all the time it's bound to become exposed to bacteria.
It's a long shot you're going to have access to a proper device for this purpose let alone have those things as well to maintain it. Keeping everything sterile is difficult enough but add a line like that and it's going to be really important to keep it sterile 24/7 and everything that touches it that way also.

 

[phuckingnutz]

Cannulae get infected/rejected frequently enough in a medical setting where they are cleaned and maintained properly, the average IV user may hardly have access to clean saline and certainly isn't going to be cleaning the site with antiseptics on a regular basis or having access to antibiotics to treat infections, resulting in permanent cannulae being a bad plan.

Damn straight! Skin is on our body for a reason and having an open door 24/7 seems a little foolish.

 

[mostly-human]

That really doesn't sound like a good idea to me!

 

[Limpet_Chicken]

Rather than a permanent line, obviously a bad idea, even a temp cannula line can become infected fairly quick. I was once sent home from a hospital appt. for surgery, with a line still in. A (milder) infection set in by the second day, although for clarity I ought
to mention my immune system is not fantastic, and I do take infection of any bacterial kind more easily than most, but even using it for the remainder of the day, after dipping the rigs into isopropanol etc. to sterilize them for good and proper, still caught a bacterial infection (bacterial or fungal infection, rather than viral, seems to be my immune issue) after one day of using it before removing it after a last morning and redose shot (dipropionylmorphine)

 

[EP158207]

Well obviouslly you change that cannula; not have some nasty busted one in for weeks. But sure I get it now; just tossing out an idea. I am not an IV user of anything but have tried IV meth (too much for me to handle!) but I do deal with cannulas, hickmans, picc etc at work. So wandering. Even for patients that require long term IVAbx.

 

[SS373dOH]

This isn't very practical and as others have said, has risks on infection, however if you knew you were going to be banging all night at home, I can see it being useful for the evening.