Heroin Missed shot yesterday but not sure why

[vintageloveee]

Hi, everyone! This is my first post here (other than in New Member Intro's.) I began using heroin when I was 18 years old, and I used daily (IV) for about a year. I quit by age 19, and went onto methadone maintenance. I'm 26 now and I hadn't used any drugs or alcohol in almost seven years.. up until 6 weeks a go. I relapsed at the beginning of last month, and immediately began using daily. I am still on methadone 55mg. With the methadone it takes much more to get high than it used to... I need about .5 grams to achieve the high I desire. As you can imagine, it has became costly! I don't plan on keeping up with this forever, but for now I'm having trouble stopping.

Anyway, last night I set up my shot the way I usually would. I didn't have as much as I'd like, but enough to get me a bit high. I tied off and began searching for a usable vein. Prior to this relapse, my veins were fine. In a matter of six weeks, almost all the veins that were easy to hit are now impossible. It's like I'm constantly searching for a new vein to use. I have delicate, invisible veins pretty much which makes it difficult to begin with. I can no longer hit the crook of my arm, I can't get the bottom side of the middle of my forearm area anymore, and sometimes my wrist gives me trouble too (I hate going there.) Since I relapsed, I may've had some troubles hitting a vein, but I hadn't missed a whole shot. Occasionally I'll miss a drop or two and get a few tiny "miss bumps" but nothing major. Well, last night was different.

I tied off near my bicep area and began searching. I searched for a good fifteen minutes.. tried two places but no luck. Switched to the other arm, tied off in the same place.. continued searching.. I decided to try a vein I hadn't used/seen/felt before that is about an inch to the right, and an inch above my left elbow... I inserted the pin, I registered and saw a good blood flow.. I began to slowly inject.. It didn't burn as if i was missing... I re-registered twice throughout the shot and all was good. That being said, as I was injecting, I could see a lump forming beside the injection spot. It was getting larger as I'd inject. I checked multiple times to make sure I registered because of this fact, but it kept "saying" I was in.. I've never missed a shot that registered all throughout injection. I don't know what happened. Normally I would've pulled out as soon as I saw the lump forming, but at this point I was anxious and desperate since I'd been searching for a vein for what felt like forever.. it was registering, so I figured I'd just take my chances. Now I regret this.

I didn't get a rush, or a high. The area had a white lump the size of a golf ball.. perhaps slightly bigger. It was sore and still is the next morning. Today it isn't white anymore, and it doesn't have the same type of lump.. but it is swollen for sure and is lumpy.. not like a knot but more like a big soft swollen lump. It is sensitive to the touch.. not extremely painful but sore. It is above my elbow.

So my question is, what could've happened? Why would it miss if it registered in the beginning and a couple of times during the shot? What went wrong? Of course it was the last of what I had to, so it was so disappointing!!! Alright, thanks in advance everyone. I appreciate any input you all have

 

[2cAlex]

Small vein, it probably rolled or something and you were going in and out. I've seen weird stuff in peoplse veins. Are you a female? It tends that the female addicts I know get problems like that. You need to try and let your veins heal up, then ONLY use new small gauge needles and practice safe injecting techniques and vein rotation relgiously. Because it's only going to get harder, those small veins are much harder to hit and go away alot faster then those big juicy veins in your fore arms everyone wants. I used for about 2 years using only 6 injection sites, 2 different veins in each arm at different spots. I almost killed them a couple times, but now that I'm using only suboxen they are back and perfectly healthy. I never had problems injecting until the veins were damaged and they started rolling, so thats going to be my guess with whats happening here, to you.

 

[vintageloveee]

Thank you for your response! Yes, I am a female, and I too have heard that about girl veins. From what I can tell from using the past six weeks since my relapse, each vein (well, site of injection) can be used maybe ten or less times before it becomes unusable (until healed.) So I don't get much time with a spot before it is a goner. I have about 10-15 injection sites between both arms/wrists, not sure how many veins.. and almost all are out of commission. I notice that some days I can find/hit places that I can't the following day.. I think the fact that I don't stay hydrated is also an issue.. I don't drink nearly as much fluids as I should throughout the day (I haven't since I was a child).. and I think this might have something to do with my ability to find my veins. Of course I could be wrong, just an assumption.

I almost always use new needles.. never more than twice anyway... When I was 19 I could care less, but since my relapse I have tried to practice safe technique. I usually buy long tip 1cc syringes from the pharmacy.. sometimes short tips if that's all they have. I'm not sure what is considered ideal?

I think you're right though.. I should let my veins heal up before continuing. Luckily I'm not in any withdrawal since I am on methadone maintenance, as well. So it's not a matter of using to be healthy or anything. Once healed, if I decide to continue I will have to rotate veins rather than waiting for them to get messed up. Currently my arms have bruises, a knot or two and now the missed lump from last night. It's terrible. There's obviously the psychological aspect to this addiction we have, but I will try to let my veins heal the best I can for now. I don't want to risk causing any long-term issues. And you're probably right about the vein rolloing and the pin going in and out throughout the injection.. I've never seen this happen before.. Thanks again!

 

[Gorillaboy21]

This exact same thing happened to me!! I'm serious if this keeps hurting go to the hospital . I had a weird batch one time I shot up the same way registered twice it didn't hurt when I injected but it grew into a ball and I had no rush or high I was really confused and after 4 days it was red and hot and swollen I couldn't extend my arm all the way I went to the ER they told me it was an abcess basically and put litocaine injected directly in the abcess and than with a scalpel cut into it and yellow puss shot out of it no joke literally up from my forearm to my neck it was nasty they filled it with gauze wrapped it gave me zofran one bottle only no refil same with clonodiine one bottle (like 16 pills) and sent me home.
If I didn't go it would have been worse and worse one guy shot ambien and lost his arm cause he waited too long . If it gets worse and hurts more go immediately don't wait.
I still wonder why that happened to me I think it's because it was a dirty batch it was the same guy I always get my stuff from but this time I remember the dope was really cut idk what that would have to do though with creating an abcess especially since I registered a few times and it didn't hurt ? Be careful and be ready to go to th ER it's not as big of a deal as you think I have a small scar a line on my arm nothing major at all it's like 1.5 inch long and I was healed in a week and a half I was fine