Harm Reduction A Worst Case Injecting Scenerio

[DopeSound]

Hi guys. This post is for harm reduction to explain a very bad scenerio that comes from IV use that I personally experienced 3 separate times, with one of those times being possibly the scariest experience of my life. My drug of choice is opiates (heroin w fentanil specifically). The first time this happened was the worst and was the most terrifying. I had been using again multiple times a day for about two and a half years before this happened. The day before, I had used quite a bit and was feeling pretty good except for a light headache before I went to sleep. When I woke up the following day, I woke in an odd position and the first thing I did was try to move. I couldn't. I thought "Maybe this is residual sleep paralysis." So I waited 20 minutes and tried a few more times. Nothing. Absolutely ZERO body movement. Luckily for me I had just moved back into my parents house 3 days prior. I panicked and screamed for them. They rushed in and tried to help me move. I could not. 911 was called and I was rushed to the hospital. Xrays, CAT scan, and MRI were performed, and they found the cause. I had gotten 4 separate abscesses in my neck that had pushed on my spinal cord and turned me into a quadrapolegic. Had I been alone or waited a few more hours to get to the hospital, it would have stopped my heart and lungs and killed me. The infection I had contracted was called MSSA, a cousin to MRSA, both antibiotic resistant strains. I had to be put on a hardcore IV antibiotics and steroids 24 hours a day, for 17 weeks. I was not allowed to eat anything but ice chips for 10 days. Then I was told there was a very high chance that it could cause scar tissue on my spinal cord and i could stay like that for the rest of my life. After 17 weeks in the hospital with the medications, LOTS of EXTREMELY PAINFUL physical therapy, and a f*ckton of sheer willpower, I WALKED OUT UNASSISTED. The Drs were all baffled and called me a miracle. I still have permanent nerve damage, but I can do 95% of what I could do before this happened. The reason I'm telling you this story? This condition happens almost exclusively to IV drug users, anand every junkie I asked about it had NO IDEA THIS COULD HAPPEN!!! I was a very clean user and this still occured. Since then its happened TWO more times because of my continued IV use, but not as severe. The last two times happened in my low back (spine)instead of neck, different bacteria, and the pain is excruciating. I say IS because I am currently back in the hospital for this now, my third time. 9 more weeks of antibiotics and even more possible nerve damage. This is a warning to all who use IV drugs. There are worse things than death. I know, I've also died twice and was clinically dead for a total of 22 minutes. Its not worth it brothers and sisters. I will be doing everything in my power to get clean yet again and stay that way this time. Blessings to all.

MY NAME IS ADDICT AND MY PROBLEM IS JASON.

 

[jhjhsdi]

@DopeSound
Sounds very unpleasant. Hope you heal up quick.
So how did you get the abscesses? From misses? Or was/is there different causes? I've had one very small one on each arm (got antibiotics for the 1st one, let the 2nd one heal by itself), and now one on my hand thats currently still healing (was on IV antibiotics for 4 days and tablets for a week for a different reason about 2 days after i got it, im sure they helped - its loads worse than the 2 i got on my arms, i think i blew a vein doing too big of a hit(3ml in hand middle vein), the infection was all around the site and green under the skin, green has mostly gone but bad black scab still there and few scars there already).

I really want to stay away from that fucking needle. I really don't have many veins left anyway. The last time i got drugs i stood on and snapped the last clean syringe i had so i didnt use it and just sniffed.

Anyway, enjoy the hospital food. I was in for 4 days recently. The soup was the best thing. And the yogurts

 

[DopeSound]

@DopeSound
Sounds very unpleasant. Hope you heal up quick.
So how did you get the abscesses? From misses? Or was/is there different causes? I've had one very small one on each arm (got antibiotics for the 1st one, let the 2nd one heal by itself), and now one on my hand thats currently still healing (was on IV antibiotics for 4 days and tablets for a week for a different reason about 2 days after i got it, im sure they helped - its loads worse than the 2 i got on my arms, i think i blew a vein doing too big of a hit(3ml in hand middle vein), the infection was all around the site and green under the skin, green has mostly gone but bad black scab still there and few scars there already).

I really want to stay away from that fucking needle. I really don't have many veins left anyway. The last time i got drugs i stood on and snapped the last clean syringe i had so i didnt use it and just sniffed.

Anyway, enjoy the hospital food. I was in for 4 days recently. The soup was the best thing. And the yogurts

No, the abscesses are not from misses. That's what is so scary about it. You will not notice any symptoms until it is too late! Either you will become paralyzed to some degree, or feel extreme pain, depending on where in your spine it grows. It is not well understood how it gets inside there. What is understood is that it is very hard to get it out of your spine because it has very little blood flow so it takes forever for the antibiotics to reach and heal it.
They said it is a fairly common occurrence in IV users. One thing that CAN make you more susceptible is if you already have any kind of damage to your spine. IE- a fracture, herniated discs, sciatica, or the like. Which is also a reason it occurs more in IV users, especially opiate users since many of them are using to escape the pain of these types of injuries in the first place. Plus, once it has happened once, it causes some damage itself and makes it easier for it to reoccur.
Feel free to ask me your questions about any of this.

 

[jhjhsdi]

No, the abscesses are not from misses. That's what is so scary about it. You will not notice any symptoms until it is too late! Either you will become paralyzed to some degree, or feel extreme pain, depending on where in your spine it grows. It is not well understood how it gets inside there. What is understood is that it is very hard to get it out of your spine because it has very little blood flow so it takes forever for the antibiotics to reach and heal it.
They said it is a fairly common occurrence in IV users. One thing that CAN make you more susceptible is if you already have any kind of damage to your spine. IE- a fracture, herniated discs, sciatica, or the like. Which is also a reason it occurs more in IV users, especially opiate users since many of them are using to escape the pain of these types of injuries in the first place. Plus, once it has happened once, it causes some damage itself and makes it easier for it to reoccur.
Feel free to ask me your questions about any of this.

So are they just formed in the blood stream from (heavy) IV use? Pretty scary stuff man.
I bet it was scary in the hospital what they said about the scar tissue!
I get paranoid when i get an abscess that it will pop under my skin and leak into blood stream, maybe it could happen that way too?
I dont want to go to sleep now lol i still have a massive lump on my hand although almost all of the green coloring has gone now.
Hows the hospital visit treating you this time? I was in for a completely unrelated to drugs reason and they were really nice at the very start but as soon as they struggled to get an IV line in me and i told them i was an IV user and they saw the abscess on my hand I swear they started treating me real differently.
All the best buddy i mean that

 

[Deru]

Feel free to ask me your questions about any of this.

First, let me say that is truly scary and I'm so happy you we're able to get to a hospital.

I'd be curious to find out some more information.

I had gotten 4 separate abscesses in my neck that had pushed on my spinal cord and turned me into a quadrapolegic

If you weren't injecting into your neck, what was causing the abscesses? By the time it would reach your carotid arteries, anything injected into the venous system would have made it through pulmonary system capillaries. Was there some type of secondary cause, like venous insufficiency or something that allowed leakage?

There was no complications in your heart, heart valves, pericardium or lungs and only specifically in your neck with no injection into the neck?

I had to be put on a hardcore IV antibiotics and steroids 24 hours a day, for 17 weeks

What type of steroids? That sounds terrifying, as giving steroids to someone with an infection such as yours can lead to death, as it lowers your immune system. Why the need for concurrent antibiotics and steroids? I've never heard of cocnurrent intravenous steroid and antibiotics.

I still have permanent nerve damage

Are you receiving any treatment for neuorpthy?

 

[jhjhsdi]

I've never heard of cocnurrent intravenous steroid and antibiotics.

3 of the 4 days i was in hospital on IV antibiotics recently i was also given IV steroids. It was after surgery to have some teeth removed because i got an baaad infection some days after attending a private dentist for a drill+fill (yes im going to sue the cunts).
The antibiotics were Co-Amoxiclav.
The steroids I THINK were Dexamethasone.

Ive never heard of them being used together either.
Also didn't know it was dangerous or lowered your immune system. Cant have done the abscess in my hand much good then - maybe why its taking so long to go away?
Sure cleared up the infection in my jaw/face/neck though

 

[Deru]

Ive never heard of them being used together either.

I bet the nurse who had to hang and start your initial antibiotics and steroids IV together had to triple check that order

For real though, I'm glad you're still here.

 

[jhjhsdi]

I bet the nurse who had to hang and start your initial antibiotics and steroids IV together had to triple check that order

For real though, I'm glad you're still here.

Haha she seemed to just do it without questioning. The ABs were a 20ml shot, 5-10ml of saline either side (feels so nice having 30-40ml of cold shit in your arm, made me want to IV so badly lol) whereas the 'roids were on a steady drip that took about an hour at a time.
I was more concerned about when i was next allowed ny liquid morphine, what time food was coming, and when was she gons hurry up and get outta my room so i could sniff some more ket, lol.

Also, thanks pal. Likewise. Hope what we talked about in PM is going as well as it can!

 

[Deru]

Oh I know, everytime I taste the saline from an IV or see the blood register it's an instant flashback to my IV days.

Morphine IV? If so, I bet that made things much better. When I was in the hospital last, I had a doctor give me pain medication.... Fentanyl 50 micrograms IV ... what a waste. If I'm going to be forced to IV an opioid again, I damn well want to enjoy it lol.

 

[jhjhsdi]

Oh I know, everytime I taste the saline from an IV or see the blood register it's an instant flashback to my IV days.

Morphine IV? If so, I bet that made things much better. When I was in the hospital last, I had a doctor give me pain medication.... Fentanyl 50 micrograms IV ... what a waste. If I'm going to be forced to IV an opioid again, I damn well want to enjoy it lol.

I only had IV morphine once when i first got there, 10ml a few hours before my operation. I was flying mate, loved it lol. Actually i think i had it 2 or 3 more times in recovery too but i dunno how much though, i was mashed from going under (fent etc i guess?) and kept coming round in that massive haze and they were asking me pain out of 10, i said 10 2 or 3 times and they squirted more in me and id nod back out. It was great lol. I couldn't even see! I love going under, and waking back up in that haze, probably why i like anesthesing myself on IV ket so much lol.
After that it was just the liquid oral syrup stuff...

 

[master shredder]

First, let me say that is truly scary and I'm so happy you we're able to get to a hospital.

I'd be curious to find out some more information.



If you weren't injecting into your neck, what was causing the abscesses? By the time it would reach your carotid arteries, anything injected into the venous system would have made it through pulmonary system capillaries. Was there some type of secondary cause, like venous insufficiency or something that allowed leakage?

There was no complications in your heart, heart valves, pericardium or lungs and only specifically in your neck with no injection into the neck?



What type of steroids? That sounds terrifying, as giving steroids to someone with an infection such as yours can lead to death, as it lowers your immune system. Why the need for concurrent antibiotics and steroids? I've never heard of cocnurrent intravenous steroid and antibiotics.



Are you receiving any treatment for neuorpthy?

Where on earth did you get the information steroids compromise your immune system? Quite the contrary and in-line with all other reasons why they are used in the first place, they boost all major systems of the human body

 

[Deru]

How do you think it stops or lowers inflammation?

When taken in doses higher than the amount your body normally produces, steroids reduce redness and swelling (inflammation). This can help with inflammatory conditions such as asthma and eczema. Steroids also reduce the activity of the immune system, which is the body's natural defence against illness and infection.

Steroids - NHS

(Emphasis mine)

Intravenous steroids are almost guaranteed to lower immune system, that's why I asked which specific steroid.

 

[jhjhsdi]

I didnt even know you could use steroids IV lol.

 

[sekio]

MSSA [...] The antibiotics were Co-Amoxiclav.

this means you have regular staph aureus, not any sort of superbug... co-amoxiclav is not any sort of super specific antibiotic.

I didnt even know you could use steroids IV lol.

these sort of steroids are corticosteroids and not anabolic steoids fyi

I too am interested in how these abscesses formed, my knowledge is that they only form at the site of injections

to my knowledge it is not very common for such a thing to happen, simple overdose is a much more common cause of death

 

[raising_da_piggy]

I once injected the pin bit of an intravenous needle into my arm, I went to the hospital and they said; tuff shit ! I felt truly fucked that a spike would be in my blood system ready to course havoc, I would be interested to no what would of happened to it, maybe it sort of gets zapped as a foreign body? Or Does the oxygen in the blood erode it slowly?
I hate needles, one big problem not worth having!

 

[jhjhsdi]

@raising_da_piggy i think i remember you posting about that before!? Or was it someone else?
So whatever happened to the needle under your skin? Just disappeared?

 

[Deru]

I once injected the pin bit of an intravenous needle into my arm, I went to the hospital and they said; tuff shit ! I felt truly fucked that a spike would be in my blood system ready to course havoc, I would be interested to no what would of happened to it, maybe it sort of gets zapped as a foreign body? Or Does the oxygen in the blood erode it slowly?
I hate needles, one big problem not worth having!

A piece that big would be a large embolism and wouldn't make it past the venous valves in the extremity. The blood would break it down and absorb it back into your body.

I can imagine there are some rare cases a piece of it makes it past the venous valves and hits the tricuspid valve or pulmonary valve, maybe causing some tears or destruction, and then finally getting lodged somewhere in one of the pulmonary artery prior the pulmonary capillaries, where it can not pass through. Same concept when you inject into an artery in your arm and your hand swells, the capillaries are microscopic and nothing can pass through it that is too large, which is why the swelling happens. At that point, depending where it would get lodged, it would be considered a pulmonary embolism and however far it makes it would conceivably block blood flow and cause death to whatever that specific artery supplies in the specific portion of lung it gets stuck. Swelling in the lungs, shortness of breath. Maybe a blood infection or sepsis, or worse, depending upon how capable your body is at breaking it down.

That would be worst case scenario. Most large objects get trapped by the valves that run along the veins long before it reaches your heart - but definitely not something you'd want to bet your life on.

If it didn't break off into the vein, your body would just use your immune system's response like for any other foreigner objects and break it down and absorb it back into your tissues. Potentially abscesses, blood infection, sepsis, heart valve infections, again depending upon how capable your body is at dealing with it.

 

[OpiateKiller]

I’m not sure if you answered this but I didn’t read all posts - did you reuse needles? Did you clean them? How long did you reuse needles? And what was your water source? Did you filter your heroin with cotton?

I’ve been an IV drug user and IM steroid user for years, and I know I’m not immune but by the grace of God I’ve never had an infection or abscess. Would like to keep it that way. A few times I injected old blood and got a horrible fever, shakes, etc but was better in 12 hours

 

[jhjhsdi]

@OpiateKiller what do you consider 'old' blood?

 

[OpiateKiller]

@OpiateKiller what do you consider 'old' blood?

It was a used syringe with blood from 2 weeks ago with cocaine and a pullback mushroom of blood I didn’t push all but halfway cause I puked, the rest of that shot fucked me up good and not in a good way