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Core Topics => Health Issues and Medical => Medical => Topic started by: Güey on November 07, 2015, 07:20:31 AM

Title: Cotton fever? Or...???? wtf!
Post by: Güey on November 07, 2015, 07:20:31 AM
Hey guys. I've been getting pretty sick lately, and I'm hoping for some feedback. I've never had cotton fever, and I'm not sure if that's what I'm experiencing now. Whatever it it, it f'ng SUCKS :(

So, about 10 days ago, I all of a sudden got a horrible, splitting headache, extreme chills, uncontrollable shaking, nausea, general body aches... It came on really quick, and the acute phase lasted a few hours, and I was pretty much feeling perfectly normal after 24 to perhaps 36 hours later.

Last night I had the same thing happen, although all in all it wasn't quite as intense...

So, like I said, I've never had cotton fever, but after google'ing these symptons, that's what it sounds like I have, BUT... some things don't quite add up, as far as my understanding of what cotton fever is, how you get it, etc.

Both times, I was just doing a regular old blast of BTH. I was NOT doing a cotton rinse. These symptoms didn't come on until about 2 to 4 hours after doing a blast. My understanding is that cotton fever is pretty much immediate.

For what it's worth, I always use clean, new needles. I use new cottons that I get from my local needle exchange. I apply heat to the BTH before getting off. In general, I try to be as clean/safe as possible.

So, it sounds like cotton fever, but the time frame thing is throwing me off, as well as the fact that I wasn't doing a rinse. I looked up a few other things, such as endocarditis, that also seem liken they might fit the bill. I'm just not sure, and I was hoping some of you'se guys had some input. In addition to being extremely unpleasant, it's a bit scary, too...
Title: Re: Cotton fever? Or...???? wtf!
Post by: Jega on November 07, 2015, 07:40:34 AM
Try asprin. If you can get it under your tongue do it,
but take 900 mg of aspirin. It needs to be aspirin.

It's not going to hurt.
Title: Re: Cotton fever? Or...???? wtf!
Post by: Zoops on November 07, 2015, 08:35:57 AM
Good advice for symptomatic relief.^^^

But I'd want to get to the bottom of what's causing these repeated bouts of cotton fever.

I had that shit once, and it kicked in about 30 minutes after a shot (of bupe, no less).

But a few hours wouldn't be outside the realm of possibility for the time frame.
Title: Re: Cotton fever? Or...???? wtf!
Post by: Güey on November 07, 2015, 08:49:04 AM
I'll definitely give the aspirin a try. My main concern, though, is exactly what's going on. It seems to me that cotton fever pretty much happens immediately, as far as things I've read on the internet, as well as seeing my friends go through it. Also, as I said, I wasn't doing a rinse both times I've experienced this.

It's just weird that it took hours after a blast to kick in, I've never had it before- ever, but now this has happened twice in a week... Odd :(

Also, I wanted to know if this is no big deal, and just suck it up. Or, get my ass to an ER cause something is bad-wrong...
Title: Re: Cotton fever? Or...???? wtf!
Post by: Zoops on November 07, 2015, 08:51:47 AM
Your dope could be microbially (is that even a word?) contaminated. Wouldn't be too surprising. Try some different shit, and if it still happens, there's always poppy seeds, right?
Title: Re: Cotton fever? Or...???? wtf!
Post by: Güey on November 07, 2015, 08:59:43 AM
^^^ I was wondering about that, Zoops. Good point.

I cop in an open air spot, and there are quite a few different crews there, with different looking bth. I'll try to make note of which one's get me sick, if that's the case. I hope not, though. That would suck :(
Title: Re: Cotton fever? Or...???? wtf!
Post by: Thoms on November 07, 2015, 10:48:29 AM
Ive had the fever twice the first time it was like atleast an hour after my shot and the second was 45 minutes or so after that shot. Only the second was a cotton shot and the first a new blast. Bleach your spoon and make sure to clean all your gear as good as you can.
Title: Re: Cotton fever? Or...???? wtf!
Post by: Tainted on June 22, 2016, 11:27:34 PM
necroing an old thread, but adding worthwhile information for anyone who UTMFS

cottonfever can be caused by tainted dope (ive had batches that gave me bad cottonfever every time i used it. last time i used a batch, 3rd cotton fever, i fell asleep, and woke up with my foot semi paralyzed for 6 months, could bend toes down, but if shoe was on theyd get stuck cause no strength to lift toes back up. limped, etc. assume my brain nearly fried)

ive also realized using tap water in certain areas (that have city water) can cause cottonfever. My ex's parents house in orlando, tap water gives you cotton fever EVERY time. a house i lived in , tap gave cottonfever EVERY time (yet 1 mile away, although technically different city, the tap is fine)

what I've found to be the best course of action for cottonfever is to take 2 200mg ibuprofen, 2 APAP (standard strength OTC) and 1 Aleve. Then, preferably when the symptoms are still coming on and not yet in full blast, take a warm shower (not cold, NOT hot-Cottonfever makes you feel freezing even though your temp is normally 103-106. you have to resist the urge to crank the shower as hot as it will go, as if the water is hot enough it could theoretically raise your body temp, not cool it off. ive gotten cottonfever , used way too hot water in the shower, got out, and my gf said i was like delerious, not making any sense, BAD shit)

but anyways, the regiment I just described is normally enough to cut cottonfever off, if your not at the shivering BAD stage, you likely won't get to it if you shower quick enough, using moderately warm water.


Few other things I've noticed can cause cotton fever:
1.) If you save your cottonshots (this is mainly for pill people) don't ever put your spoon/cap with slightly damp leftover pill/cotton in a cellaphane (it creates an enviroment thats humid and the little bit of liquid in the cap doesn't evaporate) I always leave my cap on my desk with the ceiling fan on so it evaporates the water quickly. quicker it dries out the better.

2.) Sucking a shot up the night before you plan to use it causes cottonfever EVERY time with me. I know people that don't have that problem, but I wouldn't do it. I won't suck a shot up unless I'm planning on using it in the next hour, normally I just don't suck it up ahead of time.

3.) Make sure when your done with your shot, you rinse the blood out AND you make sure you get all the water out of the spike (dont rinse the blood out and leave 2 units of water sucked up, it's likely to grow bacteria and next time you do a shot, even if you spray that water out and suck up new, the bacteria is still in your rig)


I've gotten pretty good about not getting cottonfever. I do, including cottonshots, on average 12-20 shots a day. I know what areas of town to avoid using their tap water. I regularly check the local government/water companies website for boil water notices, burst pipes, etc. (in which case I use bottled) I used to get cottonfever very frequently, like periods of getting it several times a week sometimes. Now, I can go a year or two without getting it at all.
Title: Re: Cotton fever? Or...???? wtf!
Post by: Chip on June 22, 2016, 11:35:36 PM
i just had 2 consecutive dirty shots - i mistakenly used a bottle containing old Methadone and another time was because i forgot to swab.

i was careless on both counts.
Title: Re: Cotton fever? Or...???? wtf!
Post by: Dog Food on June 23, 2016, 04:56:14 AM
I know ive had that same shit happen to me a couple times before, years ago, and wondering the same shit about the time frame.  I just remember sitting in the chair watching tv, then all of a sudden getting cold then shaking/teeth chattering and shit at the worst part for a half hour or hour or so.  I just remember myself wondering why it took so long if was cotton fever.  I cant say ive ever done a shot, and immediately got cotton fever like alot have, so im not really positive what its like tbh or if those were delayed c-fever.  In 5 years iving ive never gotten it like that, just gotta let the spoon/cotton air dry after a shot.
Title: Re: Cotton fever? Or...???? wtf!
Post by: Thoms on June 23, 2016, 10:38:57 AM
Good ole cotton fever, isn't it crazy what we will put straight into our blood stream. I've gotten it from a bunch of morphine cottons I had to business even trying to do a rinse on. I knew better but had to tempt fate and I paid for it. The best thing to do is to put some aspirin under your tongue or at least eat some, also if you can do another shot. Obviously with ALL new works. As has been stated the fever can come from ANYthing from the spike to the spoon to your skin. In this case that might be the culprit. Generally speaking us junkies don't have the best hygiene. Not to say your a dirty bird but generally speaking. Heating shots won't do anything to sanitize a shot. Anyway cotton fever sucks ass and if you haven't had it consider yourself blessed.

Btw I'm aware the original post is old but I figure since it was necrod I would throw my .02 into the mix since I don't post much lately.
Title: Re: Cotton fever? Or...???? wtf!
Post by: Daughter of Dionysus on June 23, 2016, 02:21:52 PM
I've had this happen
Hours after having a shot

It doesn't necessarily come on immediately

Everything you use can be clean
And it can still happen

The aspirin
Under your tounge
Is great advice
Children's chewable aspirin can help too

I learned about the
Children's chewable aspirin
By having cotton fever
Come on in the middle of the store
While shopping with my nieces and mother
They were freaking out
B/c they had no idea
What was happening to me
I did so
I quickly bought some
Children's chewable aspirin
Chewed it
And within a few minutes
The cotton fever was gone

A hot hot bath
Has always helped me too
Title: Re: Cotton fever? Or...???? wtf!
Post by: Tainted on June 23, 2016, 02:34:21 PM
I know ive had that same shit happen to me a couple times before, years ago, and wondering the same shit about the time frame.  I just remember sitting in the chair watching tv, then all of a sudden getting cold then shaking/teeth chattering and shit at the worst part for a half hour or hour or so.  I just remember myself wondering why it took so long if was cotton fever.  I cant say ive ever done a shot, and immediately got cotton fever like alot have, so im not really positive what its like tbh or if those were delayed c-fever.  In 5 years iving ive never gotten it like that, just gotta let the spoon/cotton air dry after a shot.

i had a friend get out of jail (was living in the woods) and he had a cottonshot off 10 30mg roxys in a cap, in cellaphane, in his tent, so he went straight for it (had been locked up for maybe 2 days, plenty of time for fungus and bacteria to grow) he shot it and within minutes told his wife somethings wrong call 911, collapsed, had a fungal infection that had him in and out of the hospital for a month at a time over the course of 2 years, hes really really lucky that shot didnt outright kill him. he collapsed before the ambulance got there, when they did get there, finally took his temp and it was like 95 degrees, kept fluctuating between 95 and 105.

for me thuogh, ive nveer had cottonfever come on sooner than 45 minutes after doing a shot, but it normally takes hours. one of the worst ones i ever had was when i did a shot, went and worked a 6 hour shift, picked a friend up, hung out for maybe 2 hrs, THEN i got cottonfever.

but taking a warm shower or bath is practically a cure for cottonfever. every single time i get it, if i hop in shower quick enough, im not shivering/shaking by the time i get out. i still feel like shit, but most of the symptoms are gone.


ive been told that every time you give yourself cottonfever, you risk getting bacterial endocarditis (i maybe wrong, but it was explained to me as bacteria that makes it to the heart, kinda makes it into an edge of the heart where the blood doesnt flow with such huge pressure, and then it grows and grows and grows until BAM it pops and you drop dead) any truth to that?
Title: Re: Cotton fever? Or...???? wtf!
Post by: Dopeless Hopefiend on June 23, 2016, 02:58:06 PM


ive been told that every time you give yourself cottonfever, you risk getting bacterial endocarditis (i maybe wrong, but it was explained to me as bacteria that makes it to the heart, kinda makes it into an edge of the heart where the blood doesnt flow with such huge pressure, and then it grows and grows and grows until BAM it pops and you drop dead) any truth to that?

Fuck yes there is! My best friend spent close to a year in the hospital after a horrible endo infection. Ended up needing open heart surgery and having her spleen removed because the infection travelled so much. I mean that shit was everywhere. She even had to have antibiotic injections directly into her eyes. Most horrifying thing I've ever witnessed. They tried treating with it antibiotics for months but couldn't seem to knock that shit out until they did the 2 major operations. Given, this isn't something that happened overnight from one bad shot so much as a 2 year run of shooting speedballs all day every day. Who knows how many dirty shots she did.
I had a horrible mrsa infection back in '05-'07 that almost killed me and towards the tail end of my run before I finally went to the hospital  I started getting what I thought was cotton fever on a regular basis. Looking back, I'm sure it was the infection raging in my bloodstream that was causing it, but fuck that shit was miserable.
Title: Re: Cotton fever? Or...???? wtf!
Post by: Tainted on June 23, 2016, 03:15:31 PM
Fuck yes there is! My best friend spent close to a year in the hospital after a horrible endo infection. Ended up needing open heart surgery and having her spleen removed because the infection travelled so much. I mean that shit was everywhere. She even had to have antibiotic injections directly into her eyes. Most horrifying thing I've ever witnessed. They tried treating with it antibiotics for months but couldn't seem to knock that shit out until they did the 2 major operations. Given, this isn't something that happened overnight from one bad shot so much as a 2 year run of shooting speedballs all day every day. Who knows how many dirty shots she did.
I had a horrible mrsa infection back in '05-'07 that almost killed me and towards the tail end of my run before I finally went to the hospital  I started getting what I thought was cotton fever on a regular basis. Looking back, I'm sure it was the infection raging in my bloodstream that was causing it, but fuck that shit was miserable.

That's another thing I've always wondered about. In my ten years of IV drug use, I've only ever gotten an abcess one time, on my forearm, closest towards the crook. I kept shooting in what seemed like the same vein, just 5 inches further towards hand. But I got cotton fever every night for days. Ended up going to the hospital, they stuck it and tried to suck pus out but couldn't, so they just gave me script of anti biotics and it eventually healed into a big as scar.

When you've got an abcess, even one that's not terrible (mine was big but didn't hurt too bad and had very little pus in it I assume cause I dosed it with neosporin and kept heat on it 24/7) does it make you feel like you've got cotton fever? Or is it from using the same vein z just further up (so the drugs still have to pass the part of vein adjacent am abcess)
Title: Re: Cotton fever? Or...???? wtf!
Post by: Anti-hero on June 23, 2016, 09:33:38 PM
Endo is no joke I got it
Two years agonspent three months
in the hospital
One in ICU
Should have been a wake up call
But I'm hard headed

Just by the grace of God I got a second chance
No more needles for me
I have pushed my luck way to fuckin much

I don't know up until last month I had a death wish
Something clicked after the last phenibut episode
And I snapped
Been trying to slowly detox off of maintenance
Quit smoking
Picked my guitar back up
Just trying to put
Them prices back together

So glad God blessed me
With HeAd
Not doing it for her
Just wanna be the man she fell in love with

I don't even know how I got the endo
Casuse we by fits by the case
I really think I got it from the dentist
Had work done right before that whole fiasco
Mom committed me
Got a pneumonia
Then the endo
One big cluster fuck that I was lucky to live through
Then like a dumb ass I still shot dope

Just woke up one day
M7/24 words got to me
And said to myself stop fucking playing
With your life

Now I will always get high
Just not going to be the point of my life anymore.
Title: Re: Cotton fever? Or...???? wtf!
Post by: Zoops on June 25, 2016, 07:40:21 AM
As someone pointed out above, endocarditis can kill you by producing vegetations (bacterial colonies) that grow inside the heart, usually on the surface of heart valves, or somewhere else where there isn't really enough fluid pressure to stop them from adhering to that tissue. Pieces of this bacterial sludge can break off, producing an embolism (blockage of) in arteries of the heart, causing an MI ("myocardial infarction" - aka a "heart attack") or brain, causing a CVA ("cerebrovascular accident" - aka a "stroke"). This is known as a vegetative embolus, or plural, emboli.

And cotton fever doesn't have to necessarily kick in immediately - it can take hours, as DoD correctly said.

Also, if you're running a fever over 105F (40.5C), SEEK EMERGENCY MEDICAL ATTENTION IMMEDIATELY! This is a life-threatening fever. Like it can literally "cook" your brain. Really, over 103F is considered truly dangerous, especially for children. You can rapidly cool down the body by applying isopropyl alcohol, pref. 91 or 99% conc., all over the body, or even just on the forehead, and allowing it to evaporate. A fan would speed the cooling down a lot. BUT DO NOT SMOKE OR ALLOW ANYONE IN THE ROOM TO SMOKE WHILE DOING THIS! Isopropyl alcohol produces extremely flammable vapours that can be easily ignited by a stray spark from a cigarette. 

That would totally suck if you were running a very high fever, and tried to cool yourself down with rubbing alcohol, only to light yourself on fire and get burned horribly.

Title: Re: Cotton fever? Or...???? wtf!
Post by: candy on June 25, 2016, 01:14:28 PM
NO!!!Please do not use rubbing alcohol to take down a fever.
While it evaporates and may cool the skin, it is not safe!!!
This can lead to alcohol poisoning in both adults and children and results in coma, neurological, and cardiac problems(which is the last thing you want when you have bacterial endocarditis).

Best thing to do when you have a temperature is to take Tylenol or Motrin. Motrin is safe in babies over six months.
A tepid bath is great as well. Water should be warm to the touch, not freezing cold.

YES!! Do seek medical attention if your temperature is 105F and above.

If your fever and symptoms do not go away after a few hours or a few days, get yourself checked out.
Would be nice if we could get filters at a much cheaper cost and without having to wait a week or more from an online vendor.
Get them if you can.
 
Title: Re: Cotton fever? Or...???? wtf!
Post by: Z on June 25, 2016, 01:59:49 PM

We should really stop calling it a cotton fever,  and instead refer to what it really is.  A bacterial infection.  Like everyone else said, it comes from dirty injection practices, or contaminated surfaces / substances.  Calling it cotton fever makes it seem less serious and dangerous then it really is. 

I don't know up until last month I had a death wish
Something clicked after the last phenibut episode
And I snapped
Been trying to slowly detox off of maintenance
Quit smoking
Picked my guitar back up
Just trying to put
Them prices back together

So glad God blessed me
With HeAd
Not doing it for her
Just wanna be the man she fell in love with



That's awesome man.  I'm really happy for you, and hope that everything works out well for you both.  I'll send you both some good wishes and good vibes from here.


i just had 2 consecutive dirty shots - i mistakenly used a bottle containing old Methadone and another time was because i forgot to swab.

i was careless on both counts.


The worst abscess I have ever had came from using an older bottle of methadone without realizing.  It had been sitting out for several months apparently, but I didn't really think about it or care at that point in time.  It was just found drugs and a chance to get high.  I missed the shot of course.  I can't even imagine how bad the fever would have hit if I hadn't, and I'm not sure which would have been the worst situation looking back on it now.


The abscess lasted for two weeks before it started going down, and at it's largest was truly the size of a baseball.  I wish that I'm exaggerating, but I'm not.  There is still a scar on my arm from this now, 4 years or so later.  It took 3 courses of antibiotics to finally start to make an impact, and I was taking massive doses of ibuprofen just to keep the swelling and the fever under control.  It was pretty nasty, and I don't want to think about what would have happened if it went untreated.
           
Methadone can be some dirty stuff, and injecting it is a dangerous game that you need to be very careful with.  I don't know if the benefit is worth the risk at that point in all honesty.
Title: Re: Cotton fever? Or...???? wtf!
Post by: Tainted on June 25, 2016, 02:33:47 PM
We should really stop calling it a cotton fever,  and instead refer to what it really is.  A bacterial infection.  Like everyone else said, it comes from dirty injection practices, or contaminated surfaces / substances.  Calling it cotton fever makes it seem less serious and dangerous then it really is. 



But bacterial infection doesn't quite cover it either. I've heard the term simple sepsi used, and I could see that being the case in most if not all cases. I either posted or was gonna post in this thread about how w friends of mine got a fungal infection from a dirty shot, cotton fever nearly killed him, and the blood infection nearly killed him
Title: Re: Cotton fever? Or...???? wtf!
Post by: Dog Food on June 26, 2016, 12:13:14 PM
Yep, calling it cotton fever just leaves all the dumb people who honestly believe and will argue about it that its a piece of cotton in your vein.(even after googling it and proving that it is bacteria that causes it.)  Fuckin same dumb people who think they can do dope then subutex right after...  yeah id give a free subutex to anyone that spreads that shit.
Title: Re: Cotton fever? Or...???? wtf!
Post by: Esoteric Anhydride on June 26, 2016, 12:28:45 PM
Isopropyl metabolism produces acetone - while there are naturally small amounts of acetone in your system at any given time, having significant amounts of acetone in your system is toxic, so you risk poisoning yourself by rubbing your entire body down with rubbing alcohol - so don't do that. If you have a fever that high, you're probably gonna be sweating like a mofucker, and that moisture and a fan will contribute greatly to cooling you off; no need for alcohol (not to mention the risk of fire or explosion from the fumes).

I had a friend who was a member here who swore by an aspirin under the tongue - I haven't had a chance to try that, but it seems sorta logical. Either that or just swallow it. Drink lots of water and turn fans on, or maybe a sponge bath with water if you're not sweating much. Rubbing alcohol is just dumb tho, don't do that..
Title: Re: Cotton fever? Or...???? wtf!
Post by: Zoops on June 26, 2016, 12:52:06 PM
Yeah, I guess using iPrOH to reduce a fever isn't the greatest idea.  In pharmacy school, I had a teacher who actually said something about how this was a good way to bring down the body temp of an infant.

That being said, I've ingested a few ml of rubbing alcohol on many occasions. I've used it as a solvent for etizolam and 2C-E and have diluted the small volume of solution with water, and drank it. Nothing untoward happened. Keep in mind this is no more than about 3ml of the stuff.
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