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Core Topics => Health Issues and Medical => Topic started by: clinton on March 29, 2016, 04:44:30 AM

Title: help ! pain and swelling in crook of ankle after shooting methadone liquid
Post by: clinton on March 29, 2016, 04:44:30 AM
I ived 50 mgs of liquid sugar free methadose four  times yesterday in the inner part of my ankle and foot...the first two shots went in easy and painless ..the last two I went a little deeper and noticed it was considerably harder to push the syringe down to empty the drug ..after emptying the syringe both times I felt a weird pressure in my foot and leg .a little painful but nothing terrible ,the pain was like a missed shot but more like pressure building up and the pain that goes with it ...today my ankle where I shot is red and warm and swollen ..

I don't think I hit into an artery because I hear it's extremely painful and it doesn't have a rush like when vein hitting ...

The pain was there but I've honestly I've had worse pain while iving and I got a rush every time ..

When I look up pictures of cellulitis it looks the same but it also looks like a missed shot under the skin ...

It hurts to walk and its warm on my ankle and up my calf ..I can walk though if I have too ...any ideas ?
Title: Re: help ! pain and swelling in crook of ankle after shooting methadone liquid
Post by: Poppy on March 29, 2016, 04:53:05 AM
Have you got a photo of it?
If you think there is the slightest possibility that it is cellulitis though it needs checking by a medical professional. Cellulitis is not something you want to be fucking about with.

Are you banging the oral sugar free mixture, like the green stuff we have in the UK?
Title: Re: help ! pain and swelling in crook of ankle after shooting methadone liquid
Post by: clinton on March 29, 2016, 04:56:58 AM
Yes I'm banging my sugar free liquid ..it's 10mgs a millilter ..

I shot it countless times without any issues whatsoever ..all over my hands and arms and feet and legs

..I've missed and had knots that were swollen and red and warm but this seems a little different
Title: Re: help ! pain and swelling in crook of ankle after shooting methadone liquid
Post by: clinton on March 29, 2016, 05:17:04 AM
What does injecting into an artery feel like ? What are the after effects ? Would there be no question on my part if I hit an artery due to the pain associated or Is that exaggerated?
Title: Re: help ! pain and swelling in crook of ankle after shooting methadone liquid
Post by: Chip on March 29, 2016, 05:37:42 AM
clinton, if you got an artery then i think you'd see bright red blood.

if it went bad on you, i suspect that signs would show on your extremities (toes, in this case).

i think it's a miss ... i hope it's just a miss.

photo ?

HR thought of the day: please try to avoid shooting Methadone into the feet/ankles; i have only done this once or twice and NEVER again. it's a cost-benefit thing ... i'm back to oral 'done and very keen to keep it that way. it's just not worth the risk !

you may need those feet veins for medical use later.
Title: Re: help ! pain and swelling in crook of ankle after shooting methadone liquid
Post by: clinton on March 29, 2016, 05:43:04 AM
Toes are fine ..it just red at the injection site and swollen ..I 'll add a photo in a bit ..

Ty

Have you ever hit an artery ?
Title: Re: help ! pain and swelling in crook of ankle after shooting methadone liquid
Post by: Chip on March 29, 2016, 05:45:08 AM
Quote
Have you ever hit an artery ?

me ? never.

hit plenty of "syringe gets yanked out" nerves though :(

anyone hit an artery in their feet or ankles ?
Title: Re: help ! pain and swelling in crook of ankle after shooting methadone liquid
Post by: Guts on March 29, 2016, 10:00:29 AM
I've never really gotten scars or tracks except from shooting methadone... mostly. Misses with methadone for me are often gnarly shits... bumps, even if red and hot, have always eventually gone away though... I'd just try to take some antibiotics if I could and watch it for a few days... that's probably horrible medical advice in six ways that I don't care about but yeah.
Title: Re: help ! pain and swelling in crook of ankle after shooting methadone liquid
Post by: shoybs on March 29, 2016, 10:34:54 AM
I've hit an artery before in my arm. In my case what happened was I got no rush, and then my whole hand swelled up and turned bright red, and tingled everywhere. Arteries take blood AWAY from the heart, so what can happen is the drug all just gets dumped at the end of the extremety, which is what causes the swelling and tingling. I'm not a doctor and I only have anecdotal evidence, but what you're describing doesnt sound like an artery hit.

You said it's warm to the touch? It might be an absess then. Every time I've had a bump that turned warm to the touch, it ended up as an abscess.
Title: Re: help ! pain and swelling in crook of ankle after shooting methadone liquid
Post by: candy on March 29, 2016, 10:39:35 AM
Doesn't sound like you hit an artery. More like a missed shot and easy to do in that area.

Clinton, it sounds like you may have missed those last two shots.
Best thing to do is get heat on the area and elevate your foot to reduce pain and swelling.

Avoid using that extremity for a few weeks if possible. Sounds like you don't have much to use in your hands or arms.
Be careful injecting Methadone, whether it is sugar-free or not. Oral meds like that are just not meant to be injected.
It is really not worth the potential risks.

Heat will help to circulate blood supply to the area and reduce swelling. Elevating your foot will help as well and is a good idea, even if it does not hurt.

Anytime you have swelling like that, treat it right away. Apply heat and elevate as soon as possible when dealing with the lower extremities.

If you should notice it getting worse, I would recommend seeking medical attention. You don't want to lose your foot!

Maybe this is a good time to take a break from injecting all together or at least for a while until you can heal up those veins in your arms and hands.
Can't say they will come back and be as great as they once were, but when you are going for the feet or ankles to inject methadone, you are taking a big risk.
Just because you have been lucky so far, doesn't mean that one injection won't cost you your leg.

Keep us updated and of course, please contact me if you have any questions or concerns.
Title: Re: help ! pain and swelling in crook of ankle after shooting methadone liquid
Post by: shoybs on March 29, 2016, 11:07:14 AM
@candy Would you recommend massaging the affected area as well? Whenever I get a bad miss I usually massage the area with a warm compress. I'm just curious as to if me doing that may be hurting rather than helping.
Title: Re: help ! pain and swelling in crook of ankle after shooting methadone liquid
Post by: Taytoechip on March 29, 2016, 11:27:32 AM
doesnt sound like an artery to me either.
Someone once told me that when you hit an artery, you'll know. and holy fuck they were right. In the years i spent injecting i did so maybe 5 times, only in my arms though. each time was a new and terrifying experience. The very first time i did the moment i registered in the artery the rig immediately filled up with blood so fast and with so much pressure that the plunger actually shot out the top of the barrel. No fucking joke. You want to talk about a shitty situation. Especially because that wasted shot had about 50 fucking bucks crammed down in it.
Just once though, the other times made my hand/arm swell up like it was going to explode. super red and blotchy skin, wicked looking histamine looking shit. fuckkkk just bad all around. my hand/arm would be fucked for at least an entire day.

What candy said up there is gospel.
best of luck friend
Title: Re: help ! pain and swelling in crook of ankle after shooting methadone liquid
Post by: shoybs on March 29, 2016, 11:56:00 AM
doesnt sound like an artery to me either.
Someone once told me that when you hit an artery, you'll know. and holy fuck they were right. In the years i spent injecting i did so maybe 5 times, only in my arms though. each time was a new and terrifying experience. The very first time i did the moment i registered in the artery the rig immediately filled up with blood so fast and with so much pressure that the plunger actually shot out the top of the barrel. No fucking joke. You want to talk about a shitty situation. Especially because that wasted shot had about 50 fucking bucks crammed down in it.
Just once though, the other times made my hand/arm swell up like it was going to explode. super red and blotchy skin, wicked looking histamine looking shit. fuckkkk just bad all around. my hand/arm would be fucked for at least an entire day.

What candy said up there is gospel.
best of luck friend

That's a good way to describe it "feeling like your hand is going to explode". I have an artery in my right arm that runs like right next to or underneath a fat ass vein, and I've hit that bitch like 3 times. But I never got that whole "blood forcefully pushes plunger back" or even "bright, frothy blood" from it. It just looked like plain old vein blood, which is why i pushed the dope in. If I would've seen any of the telltale signs of hitting an artery, i definitely would've pulled out. Hehe... Pulling out.
Title: Re: help ! pain and swelling in crook of ankle after shooting methadone liquid
Post by: Guts on March 29, 2016, 12:14:57 PM
Maybe you missed part of it... I know, personally, I have a hard time handling those big ass rigs. I either have to choose between using a big harpoon needle, and emptying the contents quickly but not moving it in or out, or melting on a regular insulin sized tip and pushing really hard to empty the thick done and try not to move it from pushing too hard. A 27 g short tip would probably be perfect but yeah...
Title: Re: help ! pain and swelling in crook of ankle after shooting methadone liquid
Post by: Z on March 29, 2016, 12:33:49 PM
If it was a miss then pay close attention to it.  The only permanent scarring I have is from missing a methadone injection and have it swell up into an angry tennis ball of pus.  I couldn't imagine something like that on my ankle.  Ouch.
Title: Re: help ! pain and swelling in crook of ankle after shooting methadone liquid
Post by: dizzle on March 29, 2016, 02:16:25 PM
it doesn't sound like an artery hit to me.


methadone burns like a mofo if you miss it, if you put it in an artery, you'd not have been able to even push the rest of the syringe, it feels like fire under your skin, EVERYWHERE downstream that vein. I can almost say with 100% confidence that you have missed, but not hit an artery.


especially that you said you "felt more pressure" on the shot(s) in question. That just means you were injecting into the interstitial area, not in a vein, not deep in a muscle, just sort of in this area between. I used to be so good at feeling that difference in pressure, I wouldn't even have to pull back on the plunger to see if I was in a vein, I'd know based on the amount of pressure it took to push the plunger down, I would just tap it with my finger, and not even really have to push anything, and if it took more than a certain amount of pressure, I knew I wasn't in and didn't even have to pull back.

All this being said, you should put warm compresses on it, and lightly massage the area, you don't want your body to wall this off and begin attacking it that way, that's how abscesses form. What you want it to absorb it into your body and it won't even have a chance to turn into an infection.


The fact that you're saying it is warm and red tells me the process has begun, so you need to intervene asap. If you can get your body to absorb it, yo'll be fine. If it begins to feel like a little lump, and is tender (painful) to the touch, hot/warm, and begins to constrict muscle movement in that area, you need to hit the warm compresses extra hard, and massage the area, breaking up that lump. You don't, however, want to push that infection deeper into your tissue, so be mindful of that when massaging it.

Draw a ring around the red/swollen area with a marker before you go to bed, when you wake up it should be smaller, if it gets larger thats a problem. If you're going to bed the following night and it's larger than the ring you drew the night before, you're losing the battle.

TL;DR: it's not an arterial hit, it's a miss. warm compresses and massages SHOULD take care of it.



P.S.: I've noticed when in situations like this a few things are critical, eating well so your body has the nutrients to fight the fight, as well as sleeping. Get as much sleep as you can. When you're sleeping your body repairs itself, I've found the best results, ie lumps going down, swelling subsiding, etc, have come from getting a REALLY good nights sleep. Also, DO NOT shoot anything into that area or anywhere near it for a bit, your body doesn't need to fight another fight in that area right now.
Title: Re: help ! pain and swelling in crook of ankle after shooting methadone liquid
Post by: Z on March 29, 2016, 05:21:07 PM
Advil/ibuprofen has been a real help to me in the past along with everything Dizz said.  It cuts down on the swelling and pain to let the area heal itself. 
Title: Re: help ! pain and swelling in crook of ankle after shooting methadone liquid
Post by: clinton on March 29, 2016, 06:41:13 PM
Yep its a missed shot ..a big one ..there was no bubble or intense burn though ..maybe it was an unsanitary shot ?
The ankle hurts less now that I walked on it all day but it's still red and inflamed ..there was redness going up my calf last night but it is gone too ..


It's just not worth it .I looked at my hands and arms and I saw how fucked up I look ..bruises ,scabs from trying to hit and pulling out ..I think of the two huge scars running from the base of my thumb to the middle of my inner arm ...those two veins used to be 100% available ,not any more ..I used to Have a vein that runs from in between my ring and pinky to my wrist ..it was the first I burnt out ..in a few short weeks ! The  veins in the arm lasted a few months ,I thought they'd be there forever ..now I'm hitting along the base of my thumb where the top of the hand and the Palm meet ..or my knees ..or feet ..it ankles ..how long until they're gone too ? Not to mention I don't go to the exchange enough and I've been using the same two tired ass needles ...I'm sure they're festering with bacteria not too mention the damage my 25g needle does after hundred or so injections with it ..it's blunt ! But I keep on keeping on for what ? Ten seconds of euphoria ? Fuck yes it feels good after going without awhile and blasting away but damn it's time to stop or take a break ..I'm tossing my rigs out before I change my mind ..my ankle is red and hurts ..my arms are bruised and bloody , my hands have collapsed veins and needle marks along the thumbs and on top of both my hands are scabs along the veins . .I'm shocked my loved ones don't notice...I have to wear long sleeves in hot  weather to cover up the two massive arm scars I mentioned earlier ..drinking methadone was never an issue before ,in fact it made me feel good like l took a huge dose of oral morphine or poppy tea ...I'm chasing and I need to stop ...I'm not quitting the clinic ..I'll probably be a member for a lifetime but I am done with this damn needle fixation ...
Title: Re: help ! pain and swelling in crook of ankle after shooting methadone liquid
Post by: Zoops on March 29, 2016, 07:28:51 PM
Get rid of those nasty dull rigs!
Title: Re: help ! pain and swelling in crook of ankle after shooting methadone liquid
Post by: clinton on March 29, 2016, 07:32:53 PM
Yep ..I know ...the 25 is so blunt and it leaves bad marks ..and like I said I've used it well over a hundred times ..I haven't disinfected it once ! I just assume I'll be fine ..anything for the blast
Title: Re: help ! pain and swelling in crook of ankle after shooting methadone liquid
Post by: clinton on March 30, 2016, 12:36:45 AM
If it's still red and swollen tomorrow night should I go to the hospital ? ..

What fucking excuse and I give my family ..it'll be bad ..girl will be sad ..brother will be sad ..then he'll tell my parents ..Sheesh
Title: Re: help ! pain and swelling in crook of ankle after shooting methadone liquid
Post by: Chip on March 30, 2016, 01:54:47 AM
Don't panic. it should subside and 'done misses are warm too.

just keep an eye on it ... you can feel the liquid pooling probably ... it's only once ever gone bad on me.
Title: Re: help ! pain and swelling in crook of ankle after shooting methadone liquid
Post by: shoybs on March 30, 2016, 02:35:56 AM
If it's still just red and swollen you still have some time and a chance that it may go away on its own.

One of the things to look out for is the pain level. Right now it's probably feeling a little sore, right? If so then you're still okay for now. But if it becomes SUPER painful, you'll know it's become an abscess at that point. And you'll definitely know when that happens - abscesses cause excruciating pain, and especially right on your ankle like that.

So if the pain gets to the point of being nearly unbearable, or if any part of the lump turns black, go to the ER.
Title: Re: help ! pain and swelling in crook of ankle after shooting methadone liquid
Post by: clinton on March 30, 2016, 03:09:26 AM
I worked on it all day ,I unloaded trailers full of 100 pound fans and tables ..the pain isn't too bad ..just warm and tender ..


Ty all for the support ..

The place is a gold mine
Title: Re: help ! pain and swelling in crook of ankle after shooting methadone liquid
Post by: clinton on March 30, 2016, 08:44:35 AM
Well its not nearly as red or tender ..there still a small bit of inflammation but it's decreasing ..it feels and I feel much better
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