Heroin Missed Shot: hit a nerve or an artery?

[zorkmids]

Heyo. SWIM took a few "stabs in the dark" last night, and tonight (about 24 hours later) has a slightly painful tingling feeling in hand as well as inability to type/use fingers without shaking. Tried a warm compress, tried massaging it, didn't help. The injection site is clearly bruised and there's a somewhat solid lump next to the veins--kind of feels like scar tissue, squishy, moves around a little when you massage it. Also--there is a swelling-type pressure in the hand. Kind of like the feeling when you tie a rubber band around your hand and cut off the circulation for too long. Someone said this has happened to them before, is most likely a nerve, and will resolve itself within a day or two. SWIM does recall an almost electric feeling sting when the missed shot occurred. SWIM has a pretty good medical background, it's not an abscess, there's no numbness in fingers or anything, just the shaking and pressure feeling. Pictures below--does this sound familiar?

 

[anythingbutsober]

please explain what you mean by "stabs in the dark"?

i maybe am being overdramatic here, as i have literally no experience with IVing, but it sounds to me like you need to see a doctor right away. better to be safe than sorry. you don't want to lose your hand.

 

['medicine cabinet']

For some reason the pics wont load in my screen but just going on what i read sounds like you may have hit a soft spot or nerve and left a bruise. There are so many things to hit under the skin if your not careful. I never liked to shoot to my inner arm crook, would usually do outer bc it seemed like less stuff to hit.

Unless you are a current iv user and have scar tissue thats a diff story, in which case avoid that spot all together bc u wont draw anything and its painful to hit scarred tissue.

If it doesnt clear up or become less painful in a day or two id get it checked out. Also read the faq on safe injection technique.

 

[Mr.Scagnattie]

Did it burn when you were injecting? Did your hand swell up?

Also, we do not use SWIM here. Read the BLUA.

Also, check out the IV Complications thread in my signature.

 

[.:Holy::Toast:.]

Well from stories I've heard of people who have had nerves hit or had swelling around a nerve from a missed shot, this sounds very similar.
Is there any swelling or tenderness like would happen after an IM shot?

 

[dankJ]

im sorry, but i feel compelled to comment as i see another SWIM post.....

why do people insist in doing this? They aren't fooling ANYONE. its ok to admit that you are talking about yourself and not 'a friend'.

i just dont get it.....

 

[zorkmids]

Yeah, no burning with injection. After checking the IV complications thread I'm thinking collapsed vein? I say this because I remember pulling back quite a bit on the plunger to check if I was in, and a collapsed vein would cause decreased circulation which would cause all my symptoms. There's nothing you can do for a collapsed vein though? Should I bother to see a doc?

 

[dankJ]

where exactly did you shoot? As for the bruising around the IV site....i wouldn't worry about that, same thing happens to me sometimes. As for the other symptoms though...i can't speak on that as I would only be guessing. swelling isn't very uncommon either if you missed the shot, but that should go away within a day (at least for me it does...and usually not even that long)

 

[zorkmids]

Sorry, injection was in my arm, not sure what it's called... the brachial vein? Almost all the symptoms have passed except for slight tingling sensation and shaking fingers. As far as the "swelling" it was only a sensation, there was never any heat or actual swelling of my hand. Hopefully I just nicked a nerve, the only other thing it could be is a collapsed vein. =/

 

['medicine cabinet']

Collapsed or blown out veins happen after repeatedly shooting into the same vein and it practically destroys the vein. It looks like i a long thin faint pencil line going up your arm. Also if you can an artery its pretty easy to tell bc the blood will be a lot brighter and sometimes can be alm.ost foamy lookin, when in the vein the drawback flash should almost look black and will come rushing in to the barell with force. The more you pull the plunger it should instantly fill up more. Sounds gross but to this day i still love thaat huge dark flash of blood, its like holding it a second before you slam the plunger you think ok here we go, this is it....then a few seconds later BANG you feel it wash over you. Also its during this point as you are recapping your spike that if you shot too much you can tell.. its and uh oh feeling, from pleasure to pain and shit....i did too much. Anyone else ever get that feeling? When the rush makes your entire body hot and burning?