Help with wierd/scary effects of a partial miss

[Beltane]

SWIM was attempting to IV heroin. Best he can figure is that it is black tar heroin.

SWIM used a new needle, tap water, fresh cotton and a cooker that had been used twice already today (by him only.) He also cleaned the skin with alcohol before injecting. SWIM inserted needle, pulled back, registered, pushed plunger and then pulled back when it was all in to see that he was still in the vein, which it appeared was indeed the case. Still, SWIM thinks he might have lost the vein for a bit, guestimating that as much as 15% of the shot missed.

SWIM is pretty sure that IM and subcutaneous are both valid, even if they're not optimal, methods of administration for heroin. For this reason he hasn't been overconcerned about missing a little here and there.

30 - 60 seconds after injection, SWIM noticed a pattern of smallish, blister-type bumps appearing from the injection site and up the arm for about 4 inches. The entire patch was about 4 inches long and 1.5 inches wide give or take. The bumps were raised like blisters, but they felt firm-- like there was no liquid inside them but rather tissue of some sort.

The bumps became red and SWIM could almost watch them growing. At 3 minutes there was a full-blown patch that looked like poison oak or something similar. They didn't hurt and there was no was no numbness or anything else to speak of.

SWIM freaked out and paced around for a bit. About 15 minutes later the bumps started to vanish, and now, about 20 minutes after the injection, the bumps are no longer red, most of them are gone and the ones that remain are barely noticeable.

Appreciate any thoughts on what might have happened and how to avoid anything like this in the future.

Thanks-

- Beltane

[Jatelka]

Did they itch at all? SWIJ's first thought is that this may have been a localised allergic reaction.

[Beltane]

No itching at all. SWIM wondered the same thing. He's not allergic to anything he knows of, but the whold reaction is exactly what he imagined an allergic reaction to be like with the exception of how fast they went away afterward.

Thanks-

- Beltane

[Forthesevenlakes]

Originally Posted by Beltane

No itching at all. SWIM wondered the same thing. He's not allergic to anything he knows of, but the whold reaction is exactly what he imagined an allergic reaction to be like with the exception of how fast they went away afterward.

Thanks-

- Beltane

A local allergic reaction seems to have been ruled out in this case, but SWIM wants to point out for others reading this thread in the future that opiates can cause a release of histamines and a consequential "allergic" type reaction, even if one is not really allergic to opiates or anything else. So, IV use could still result in a reaction like this even if someone isn't really allergic. One way to prove that this histamine release happens in many people is that alot of opiate users get an itch, usually in the face, while high...this is due to histamine release.

[Beltane]

Update: At this point whatever it was is about 98% gone thankfully. Anyone with an idea of what could've caused this I'd be interested to hear.

Thanks-

- Beltane

[Jatelka]

Just a thought: Was the alcohol used to clean the skin the same as usual?

[Beltane]

Yes, first that alcohol gel stuff on hands and arms, then alcohol pad at specific site. Clean toilet paper and direct pressure when needle was removed.

- Beltane

[Micklemouse]

Try a swab of the same alcohol - same procedure, without the needle. It's rare, but possible that that could be the cause - either from allergic reaction or from too much alcohol drying the skin too much, or possibly even entering the blood stream through the injection site.

There is some debate as to whether using alcohol wipes prior to injection is really necessary, unless the person recieving the injection is infected with mrsa, or is just plain unclean. Many nurses I have spoken to say they only use them when giving injections because it is what the patient expects, relieving any anxiety, & it gives a spot for them to focus on when giving the injection.

[Beltane]

This cleaning ritual is SWIM's standard; t's not the source of the problem. Quite a mystery-

- Beltane

[Micklemouse]

Without actually seeing the rash it is impossible to accurately suss out what it was, but it was almost certainly contact dermatiitis, & alcohol wipes & gels are an increasingly common cause, whether from the alcohol or other ingredients (remember that alcohol is a solvent). Sensitivity can happen at any time & familiarity with the irritant is no safeguard against it - quite the reverse in some cases.

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/e...cle/000869.htm

As for prevention, ditch the alcohol gel & use soap & water to clean. If alcohol must be used, stick to the wipe - the gel is overkill.

[brown_chunx]

today swim just had his second miss, and there's a big lump around the injection site. He used the vein going up the front of his arm, near his shoulder, and it was really small, so when he loosened the tourniqet, the needle pulled out a little. What happened to you doesn't sound anything like a miss... at all. Swim would think it was an allergic reaction, because you never know what exactly's going into your blood. Could be contaniments in the dope, or something on the needle or your arm. Anything really, just try and always be sterile and clean. (it sounds like you were, but when a junkie shoots up everyday, he'll eventually bypass some of the procedures he normally would have taken)

[Dr.Jones]

It was probaly a histimine reaction.

[methologist]

swim had the exact same shit happen. after injecting not in the bend of the arm but in a veing on the forearm, it looked like a 3 inch patch of red bumpbs appearing for about 10 minutes, with a small bubble right where the needle was put in. After 10 minutes, bump and red was gone.

Swim doesnt get this when injecting in the bend of the arm but on the forearm.

[Laudaphun]

SWIM has had similar reactions to injecting certain preparations of morphine sulfate. SWIM has also had that happen with a certain few batches of heroin. This reaction was common with morphine but rare with H. With morphine, SWIM noticed that the longer the solution cooled down after heating it, the more severe the welts were after injection... definitely way more pronounced as well with a miss or partial miss. I'll agree with Dr. Jones, all other factors aside, its likely to do a massive local histamine release from junk absorbing IM. Also when SWIM would hit a vein in the bend of the arm with morph, one could see the welts following the vein the whole way down to the wrist.

[Dr.Jones]

if you are sucking up the morphine contin pills while still hot, some of the still liquid wax could be congealing in ur blood.

[MrJim]

Originally Posted by Dr.Jones

if you are sucking up the morphine contin pills while still hot, some of the still liquid wax could be congealing in ur blood.

SWIM had never heard that before and it actually made his veins hurt while reading it. SWIM is glad for his needlephobia.

[darkglobe]

SWIM has no experience with Heroin but would like to mention that misses frquently cause these sorts of reactions.

It's probably contaminants in the H itself that didn't agree with your flesh.

*shudders at thought of injecting*

I have an eBook all about shooting up. PM me if you want it.

[nancydrew]

an associate of mine notices this issue frequently. she is very prone to allergic reaction and has had it cover up her entire arm before. she tends to take a normal therapuetic dose of benedryl and apply a heating pad to the area and it normally goes away. but even if she was out and away from these things, it would typically subside with in a hour. even with a perfect dead on hit, a little solution can still get out when withdrawling the needle and swim thinks that was the culprit. when she missed shots, she had the same effect.