Injecting - Question about syringe longevity

[ExperiencedUser]

This swimmer is using a 29 guage 1cc insulin syringe for his "diabetes." This is the only one this swimmer has. I has begun to stick and is hard as hell to draw and push. Any tips about making it last longer or making it not stick so much, sorry if there was a post out there about this already.
Thanks

[Junkhead23]

Can you not get a new one? Using the same one over and over is a bad idea as it will become very blunt

[superdupernaut]

I've heard of people sharpening their needles with matchbooks back in the old days.... but seriously swiy should get a sack of new points. Swiy should call around to the pharmacies in the area, chances are at least one will sell them without an insulin prescription. Both Kmart and walmart do where swim lives.

In bigger cities there are often needle exchanges, but swims never had experience with one of them.

[ExperiencedUser]

Its blunt as it is, I can overcome that problem but the sticking is pissing me off. I put a little vegetable oil on it and its loose as hell and then i ran a bunch of hot water through it, you think this is a safe way to go about things, you don't think that vegetable oil will be hurtful?

ExperiencedUser added 1 Minutes and 14 Seconds later...

Swim just can't afford new rigs right now, Swim could barely afford the junk.

[dyingtomorrow]

SWIM has been there, same exact thing. Old ass 29 gauge (which SWIM hates; prefers 30-31), dull, barely has a point, dope that CAN NOT be wasted, trying to jam it thru the skin and somehow find a vein. Terrible business. Suggestions:

Take some vaseline and lightly coat the needle tip and wipe all excess off; that will help alot.

You can do the same inside the barrel but be careful to get it all out. Sometimes though SWIM believes that the "stoppage" is caused by the heat distortion to the plastic from running so many hot shots thru it, and can't be helped.

SWIM's brother always told SWIM he could sharpen the needles with a nail file or other sharpener. SWIM did this before and didn't think it really helped, but it might work with the proper technique.

At Walgreens a pack of 10 needles is $2.54 w/tax, is that not the case where you live?

SWIM cringes thinking of the vein damage your doing with a dull old needle. hope you can get some new ones soon.

Oh, and don't use vegetable oil - vaseline. SWIM thinks that is what the needles are packaged with as internal barrel and needle lube.

Reputation Comments on this post:

Good advice, polite, to the point easy to read

[TheContrivance]

Originally Posted by dyingtomorrow

Oh, and don't use vegetable oil - vaseline. SWIM thinks that is what the needles are packaged with as internal barrel and needle lube.

..and if SWIY doesn't have vaseline simply stick the plunger in your ear and move it around a bit. Whipe of the excess wax and pushing/pulling will once again be easy.

[ExperiencedUser]

Yeah if swimmer gets em from walgreens he has to play like he's a diabetic and they always try and fuck with swim. Walmart sells a 100 for 12.00 but the problem is just no money whatsoever. scroungin.
Thanks

ExperiencedUser added 0 Minutes and 57 Seconds later...

Originally Posted by TheContrivance

..and if SWIY doesn't have vaseline simply stick the plunger in your ear and move it around a bit. Whipe of the excess wax and pushing/pulling will once again be easy.

Seriously?

[TheContrivance]

Originally Posted by ExperiencedUser

Yeah if swimmer gets em from walgreens he has to play like he's a diabetic and they always try and fuck with swim. Walmart sells a 100 for 12.00 but the problem is just no money whatsoever. scroungin.
Thanks

ExperiencedUser added 0 Minutes and 57 Seconds later...



Seriously?

SWIM would go to Kmart and simply say "I would like a pack of diabetic syringes" and never got shit for it. SWIM would even buy candy along with them pretty much every time haha!

And yeah SWIM often used his ears as a lubricant, it always worked and never gave SWIM any trouble. SWIM would guess just to make sure SWIY doesn't leave chuncks of wax on the plunger as SWIY wouldn't want them inside the syringe.

[Jasim]

Originally Posted by dyingtomorrow

Oh, and don't use vegetable oil - vaseline. SWIM thinks that is what the needles are packaged with as internal barrel and needle lube.

DO NOT use vasoline! Vasoline is not water soluble, so you can't wash it all off with hot water. Vasoline is made from petroleum, very bad to be injecting, or taking internally!

[dyingtomorrow]

Originally Posted by Jasim

DO NOT use vasoline! Vasoline is not water soluble, so you can't wash it all off with hot water. Vasoline is made from petroleum, very bad to be injecting, or taking internally!

SWIM judged from the small amount of lubricant that comes on the needles that it is oil based, and that it would be better to use a tiny amount of vaseline and wipe the remainder off than to use something you know is going to mix right in with your heroin, like water based sex lubes.

Also, if you look up what syringes come lubed in their package with, it is NOT water soluble, it's silicone oil based.

SWIM is curious where you all get your info since you seem so certain? Is there a web site or something that says this?

[jon-q]

Swim is sorry that swi-experienceduser has found themselves in such a position that multi-multi use of pins is needed due to money concerns,but swi-q would beg yes beg swiy to try and "Obtain" some new pins.
Swiys veins will thank him for it in the long run.
Try switching plungers from one barrel to another if swi is desperate also try to put used plungers straight into a glass of warm/sterile water before and after shooting.
Again try to get hold of new clean "Sharp" neddles (can swiy not club together with other users?)

This post has upset.....Q

[JarvyJarvison]

Its sounds truely awful in the U.S because of the nazi-esque drug laws that prevent needle exchanges being commonplace and clean works available to those in need, I mean seriously, have they never heard of harm reduction?

Godwin's law: Gotta love it.

Imagine the danger a lot of people must be putting themselves in by re-using rigs over and over just because they cant afford or have access to new ones...

Can't afford it? If an addict can afford a fucking bag he can afford some needles.

Walmart sells a 100 for 12.00

I rest my case. If that price is to high for someone, maybe they shouldn't be doing drugs.

Reputation Comments on this post:

great comment, made me laugh

[InstantKarma]

Yeah use sex lube instead of vaseline...something water based like ky jelly or the like. Vaseline is oil based and not as safe.

[teddybearpicnics]

Originally Posted by InstantKarma

Yeah use sex lube instead of vaseline...something water based like ky jelly or the like. Vaseline is oil based and not as safe.

and vaseline just isn't very lubey.
.teddy

[dolo]

Where swim comes from the brand of syringes you buy here go by name ONCE. Maybe there was reason for it.

[JarvyJarvison]

Is SWIM really the only one who would just stick his plunger in his ear and move it around? Nobody else did/does this? It always worked for SWIM and SWIM is pretty sure there's nothing toxic in earwax.

Earwax is laden with dirt, debris, and microbes and the toxins they produce. I'm not sure it's all *that* dangerous but... ick, cmon man it's earwax. LOL

[Jasim]

Wow, swim missed that. Okay, to put this matter to rest. Swim did some looking for actual ingredients in Vaseline. Swim will be more careful about what swim posts from now on. Thank you for setting swim straight.

Swim found no evidence to indicate that the practice of using Vaseline to lubricate a syringe is at all detrimental to ones health other than cause some irritation. Swim found a (rather absent of information) MSDS for petroleum jelly which says that Vaseline under normal use has no ill effects. It also states that Vaseline may cause digestive irritation, meaning ingestion has been considered. Here's the very short MSDS:
http://msds.chem.ox.ac.uk/PE/petroleum_jelly.html

Reputation Comments on this post:

thanks for the research

[dyingtomorrow]

Originally Posted by Jasim

Wow, swim missed that. Okay, to put this matter to rest. Swim did some looking for actual ingredients in Vaseline. Swim will be more careful about what swim posts from now on. Thank you for setting swim straight.

Swim found no evidence to indicate that the practice of using Vaseline to lubricate a syringe is at all detrimental to ones health other than cause some irritation. Swim found a (rather absent of information) MSDS for petroleum jelly which says that Vaseline under normal use has no ill effects. It also states that Vaseline may cause digestive irritation, meaning ingestion has been considered. Here's the very short MSDS:
http://msds.chem.ox.ac.uk/PE/petroleum_jelly.html

Thanks - honestly I didn't even know that for sure, glad you found something concrete for us. I just went back and read what I posted, sorry too if I sounded edgy.

[teddybearpicnics]

okay swim didn't know, or really care which lube was better to use, because when it gets down to desperate times when you are having to lube a pin up, it's whatever works, i'm pretty sure swim has used earwax, jelly, oil, sex lube, spit, and his own tears of possibly not being able to shoot up...but the information has been gathered, and if swim has vaseline, and some hers and mine, he will reach for the vaseline first...thanks!!!
.teddy