IV abscess problem

[Bubitron2]

Sorry if I've posted in the wrong place, I'm new here.
I had a missed hit of heroin and crack a few days/almost a week ago and now there's an abscess there. I've had this happen several times before and I've just done as I normally would and wait until it's really tight and hot, then pierce the middle with a sterile needle and drain. However this time only a little blood came out, none of the nasty gunky stuff.
Any ideas?

Thanks.

 

[Mafioso]

I don't have any experience with IV drugs personally, only what I know from my friends that would shoot. I would think it'd be a good idea to play it safe and go get checked out to make sure no infection happens, and also hopefully keep scarring to a minimum, but I can imagine that going to a doctor with those types of injuries is going to lead to other probably unwanted consequences.

Does it hurt a lot or look infected?

 

[Bubitron2]

I don't have any experience with IV drugs personally, only what I know from my friends that would shoot. I would think it'd be a good idea to play it safe and go get checked out to make sure no infection happens, and also hopefully keep scarring to a minimum, but I can imagine that going to a doctor with those types of injuries is going to lead to other probably unwanted consequences.

Does it hurt a lot or look infected?

It's red and hot to the touch, it's quite tender. I've had this happen about 5 times over 10 years and usually once drained it heals pretty quickly, I've had an infection from an iv abscess once before and I've got none of the symptoms I had then (fever, no appetite and very bad pain)
I know that seeing a doctor is the most obvious and sensible solution but due to past experience with medical professionals attitude towards drug users not being very good I'm reluctant to do so unless I absolutely have to.

 

[Mafioso]

How big of an area is it that's tender?

I get why you're reluctant, I once went a day with a dislocated jaw because I didn't want to go. Couldn't close my mouth for a day, and could barely chew for the day or so after. It was good that I went when I did because waiting much longer could have led to my jaw starting to seize in that position and could require surgery at that point. I'm usually surprised by the nurses hospitality when they find out I'm in there because of drugs(3x now..) Hopefully you can find a doctor that isn't going to treat you differently based on your disease of addiction. And more so, I really hope you don't let something like others casting judgement and shitty attitude prevent you from getting the health care you need.

 

[Oleander]

Sorry if I've posted in the wrong place, I'm new here.
I had a missed hit of heroin and crack a few days/almost a week ago and now there's an abscess there. I've had this happen several times before and I've just done as I normally would and wait until it's really tight and hot, then pierce the middle with a sterile needle and drain. However this time only a little blood came out, none of the nasty gunky stuff.
Any ideas?

Thanks.

Hi. I know this post is very old but I just wanted to let you know some things about abscesses. I have been using tar/coke for 5 years, shooting up for 1 year so far. I get a lot of abscesses because I’m not very good at hitting a vein and a lot of the time I’ll just get frustrated and shoot up whether it’s in a vein or not. I really suggest you make an appointment to see a MD, they will prescribe you antibiotics, which will clear up the abscess in a couple of weeks. Popping it on your own at home could lead to more infections and possibly lead to sepsis etc. The dr won’t judge you for using. They will just look at it and ask the symptoms and assess what to do from there. I know this was from months ago but maybe this will help for a situation in the future. Take care

 

[Oleander]

Sorry if I've posted in the wrong place, I'm new here.
I had a missed hit of heroin and crack a few days/almost a week ago and now there's an abscess there. I've had this happen several times before and I've just done as I normally would and wait until it's really tight and hot, then pierce the middle with a sterile needle and drain. However this time only a little blood came out, none of the nasty gunky stuff.
Any ideas?

Thanks.

I understand going to the doctors when you have track marks isn’t fun and people look at you and whatever, but abscesses are serious and you gotta just get over feeling uncomfortable and just go and get it over with. I went to rehab with this girl who had an abscess in her neck and one day out of nowhere it started swelling up and the right side of her face was like 3x the size of the left. I felt so horrible for her, she could barely talk. She went to the doctors as soon as she was able to and they said that when abscesses are untreated, the infection can go to the brain and kill you. Obviously that scenario is only if you have one in your mouth or on your face but they can get serious really quickly if left untreated or not treated correctly. Please go to the doctors

 

[Bubitron2]

Thanks everyone, I managed to drain and clean it eventually and it healed fine.
I know that the sensible thing to do is to see a doctor but I've had bad experiences with doctors in the past. The nurses and doctors in A and E tend to be more understanding and not so judgemental, however consultantsseem to be pretty shitty. I had septic arthritis years ago andthe consultantI had was awful; he made absolutely no effort to hide his contempt for me.I asked him how I'd managed to get a bone infection and he said really loud in front of the other patients on the ward
"Well I imagine the bacteria was on one of the needles you stuck in yourself"- I was absolutely mortified. He also used to ask me if I had used any heroin or crack cocaine since my admission in front of everyone very loudly. Looking back now I should have complained about his behaviour but I was 21 and too embarrassed and ashamed to draw any more attention to myself. He ended up getting taken off my case in the end because his treatment plan was to wait 4 more days on IV antibiotics THEN do an ultrasound to check how much fluid/infection was around my bone. I'd already been in hospital for 3 days at that point and I was literally crying from the pain it was horrendous ; even with morphine. The day he announced that he was going to wait 4 days with me on antibiotics and see what happens his student took me down for an ultrasound himself as soon as the consultant went home. They scanned me and booked me in for emergency surgery the same day. The consultant who did my scan kept saying he couldn't understand why I'd been left like this and not scanned, he obviously said something to someone because I never dealt with the shitty consultant again.
I'm certain that he left me to suffer because he had a problem with my addiction. I should have made a formal complaint however he made me feel so crap about myself that I felt like I somehow deserved to be treated like shit.
Therefore I'm a bit wary of hospitals and doctors and consultants etc... I've never had another doctor like the oneI just mentioned but I've had plenty whose bedside manner seems to completely switch as soon as they realise that you have a drug problem. Sometimes it's blatant rudeness and other times there's nothing in particularI can put my finger on, but you get a bad/judgy vibe. I only go to the doctors now if I'm in agony orI feel like it's urgent. I'm sure others here no exactly what I'm talking about!

 

[Shady's Fox]

Glad to hear. I just wanted to add some scissors real quick, sometimes it might be a dirty needle but also from heroin itself. Pure heroin with a sterile needle wouldn't any kind of mess. Anyway use a warm compress with oxygenated water and some antibiotics, a quick body cream and that's it.

 

[Deru]

I'm certain that he left me to suffer because he had a problem with my addiction. I should have made a formal complaint however he made me feel so crap about myself that I felt like I somehow deserved to be treated like shit.

This likely is correct. In the past 3 years, I've been hospitalized for close to 365 days, I've had 3 heart surgeries and a pacemaker put in, 18 weeks worth of IV antibiotics, and numerous other things due to infected abscesses from IV, blood infection, sepsis and endocarditis, also I lost my lower lobe in my right lung due to pulmonary emboli.

So, here's the thing: medical professionals are human beings. Some of them can't control their bias toward addiction. Going forward, the absolute best way to handle this, is just request a new doctor. Typically the nurse will be your best bet on how to achieve this, but if your nurse is biased about drugs (and you bet, there are some), then request someone in administration. I promise you, handle it civilly, intelligently and rationally, and you'll never be subjected to that again. Doctors and other medical professionals get away with it because they assume addicts won't know any better and will take it, prove their bias wrong. Trust me, it feels much better to win playing by the rules

This goes for outpatient care as well, I had to go through over 7 different pain management doctors, 5 different cardiologists and 3 different general practice doctors to find a doctor who understands addictions, has my best interest at heart and can then develop a great doctor/patient relationship with.

The only time this will backfire is with surgeons, those son's of bitches know they can't be replaced, and you (and the rest of humanity) will have to put up with their sometimes terrible bedside manner. But, one great thing, is if they take you on, you can be assured their own selfish ego will prevent them from harming you - they want their stats to have no complications.

Although I swear my third heart surgeon (who wasn't afraid to tell everyone he disliked me and didn't want to put in a new tricuspid valve - yes, he wanted to condemn me to a life with no tricuspid valve in my heart, the Chief of Cardiothoracic Surgery had to overrule him - purposefully cut my SA Node and forced me to have Total Heart Block and be reliant on a pacemaker for the rest of my life, he retired 37 days after my surgery so obviously didn't care about his stats)

Every day that disgusting prick of a human being would come in, in the ICU and start screaming at the nurses about why they would allow a junkie to be on a morphine pump. I hope he dies a slow, painful, miserable death.

I guess the moral of the story is to not use a surgeon who is going to retire any time soon.