risks of injecting without a tourniquet

[clinton (OP)]

I have never used a tourniquet and am wondering what harm if any I may be doing to myself ..I shoot mainly methadone , sugar free methadose ..big syringes and long fat 25 g needles ..my arms have what look like to most folks scratches ..I'm constantly feeling for a vein rubbing it and then going for the stick ..I try to rotate but tend to not do so because once I've found spot I move up and down the arm until it looks like I've been fighting with kittens all day ...and I've noticed these veins getting hard after only like 5 shots ? Is that because of my technique or because I'm shooting 10 ml of methadone at a time into these veins not meant tto handle that large amount of liquid ?

[nick]

To be honest,I'd be more worried about shooting that volume of methadone than whether or not to use a tourniquet.

The tourniquet just increases pressure to make hitting veins easier-no risk with not using one.Provided you can easily find a vein. If you're struggling to hit a vein then try a tourniquet.

Some veins it's better not to use a tourniquet anyway.   

[clinton (OP)]

Excellent thank you ...I tend to inject slowly ..in the beginning I'd blow veins with all the liquid at once..I learned to pull out slowly as well to prevent collapsed veins but still get hard ass bumpy parts in my veins after a bit

[Thoms]

Exactlty. Turny use isnt as big a danger in my mind as the material being shot. I like you use 25g pins but 3ml barrels. The biggest thing for me that has fucked me up has been reusing pins. Those big spikes develop big hooks! Plus the loss of the lubrication on the pin makes them so painful and dangerous. Being dumb has fucked both my arms up. Man I need to treat myself better.

[clinton (OP)]

Btw I use a 10 ml not a 3 

[Morfy]

Generally,

The tourniquet allows veins to engorge, which makes poking them easier.

If you can poke a vein without a tourniquet--all the better.

It CAN BE harmful to inject while the tourniquet is still applied--causing baro (pressure) damage--maybe blowing out a venous valve.  If you can, loosen that tourniquet before pushing.  A small volume (1-2ml or 1-2ccs might not cause much damage, but much more than that could).  Best to avoid.

Others have already expressed caution about shooting an oral solution.  There is a long list of bad things that can happen with that, but be as safe as possible.

** WOuld be nice if there was a way to extract the methadone from the oral liquid to an small volume of safer, injectable liquid, but I doubt there's an easy method.

[clinton (OP)]

This is what I'm shooting plus the methadone
Other ingredients of Methadose Sugar-Free Oral Concentrate: Citric acid anhydrous USP, purified water USP, sodium benzoate N


I had a friend shoot the cherry stuff ...no fucking way I'm doing that ..glad my clinic is sugar free and dye free

[corlene]

10 ml isn't much volume either, however I've never been on methadone liquid only the pills, how viscous is it? That's probably what is causing all the damage.

Back in my late teens I couldn't aquire any small Guage needles and I was frequently using 3 ml 18 g to bang. Most iv catheters are inserted with 18 upto 22 guage, and if it's a good pipe u can seriously put a large volume in.

I have liquid oxy (oxyfast) and that stuff is pretty viscous, almost like maple syrup thick even. I couldn't imagine what it does to your circulatory system.

Caused major track marks, luckily they cleared up.

[clinton (OP)]

It's mixed with water at the clinic so it's not too viscuos..I've shot pills and tar that were far thicker just in much smaller liquid amounts of course


So then how does one prevent these hard spots in veins ? Is it just a by product of our habit ? I know Nick shoots maintaiance morph ..does this happen to him ? Or if I was blasting something meant to be ivd this wouldn't happen ?

[corlene]

I have one of those bumps near my elbow, it's been there for nearly ten years. I've had a port for a year, and a picc for 18 months before that.

I'm on alot of iv medicines. I dont have any problems from them at all. It could just be a byproduct of what ur shooting, some of the liquid may come back out of the vein producing it. Do they go away?

Luckily I don't have to search for veins anymore, I'm chronically dehydrated none of my veins really bounce back when u feel for them.

If your shooting slowly why not use the larger needles to draw and a smaller needle guage  to inject with? I bet that solves most of your problems. Luer lock syringes and needles can be had for 30 or so dollars for both the whole setup online, or at your local nx, not sure if either of those are viable options.

[Chip]

I say that if you find that you don't need to use one, then don't.

contrast that with having to keep the tie on even whilst injecting or else you lose the vein.

but what I like is when the syringe "indicates" and you know you are in so no jacking back is needed - one advantage of using a tie.

[Z]

Methadone is pretty caustic.  That might be part of your problem.

If you get a stainless steel container you can boil down methadone on the stove.  The heat doesn't do anything unless you let it boil dry or something silly like that.  It still isn't really worth it, but if you feel like you have to shoot it...

[clinton (OP)]

Yes these syringes indicate so no pulling back ..boiling huh ? I just need to quit shooting lol

[nick]

Despite the vast majority of the dope I've shot being pharm pure,made for injection and my following good injection techniques my veins are still severely damaged-to the point of preparing to move onto other ROA.

As I said before,eventually your veins will become badly damaged if you inject often enough.The speed of this process depends on several factors;what you inject,how you inject,quality of vein to start with etc,but no matter what you do in the end your veins get fucked up-all you can do is piece out the odds and enjoy the ride.     

[10kites]

If you are using 25 gauge and not rotating sites that could cause some problems.

I fix the methadone pills. Do 140-160miligrams at a time using 6ml in a 12ml barrel with a 30 gauge point. Like somebody already said the shit is caustic. I got little veins so that shit burns like crazy. I keep telling myself I'm gonna quit but damn that rush is great.

I used to refuse to fix methadone, but since I figured out how to do it "right" I love it.

.....and I have'nt used a tourniquet in years.