Filters

[bogumil]

I posted the same questions in the heroin forum, sorry for double posting.

SWIM never IVed, but he plans on switching to it cause of money-reasons. But he wants to do everything possible to minimize the risk before, so there is one question:

What filter should he use? SWIM wants a filter that gets the particles out as good as possible. So are there any medical filters, which can be used to filter the shot, other than cigarette filters? I read something about STERIFIX Lock Filter 0.2 my. Are those recommended? To me it sounds better to use a very small-pored and sterile filter instead of a cigarette filter.

[shaunclo]

Hey Bogumil, what are you planning on shooting? If you plan on Heroin, you just use cotton balls, or Q-tips. If you plan on shooting pills you need a micron filter.

I would highly recommend to never use a cigarette butt, I have heard this is not good at all.

[devilsdrug]

cig filters are the worst only at last possible resort but better than belly button lint cotton swabs are best unless these days there is some hi tech shit

[bogumil]

Thanks for the replies. SWIM wants to shoot H. But he wants to use the best filter tool for this too. He is probably too careful, but ...

So where would he get such a micron filter? Can one ask for them in a pharmacy?

[alowishus]

Bogumil, no idea about the filter, just wanted to give you a shout out: Set the right example!!:)
"... He is probably too careful, but..."
You can never be careful enough.
Do it right and you can try again, do it wrong and that's it. Good stuff.
Peace.

[bogumil]

Yes, beeing over-careful is not the worst :D

I was thinking of contaminations like visible particles, when I posted this at first, but then I found this (seems like a good filter even reduces the danger of bacterial infections):

The role of syringe filters in harm reduction among injection drug users.

Caflisch C (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&term=%22Caflisch+C%22%5BAuthor%5D), Wang J (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&term=%22Wang+J%22%5BAuthor%5D), Zbinden R (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&term=%22Zbinden+R%22%5BAuthor%5D).

Psychiatric University Clinic, Zurich, Switzerland.

OBJECTIVES: Three filters were tested for in situ efficacy in reducing bacterial contamination associated with injection drug use. METHODS: In a self-matched control design with blinded laboratory testing, injection drug users were asked to use 3 filters in random succession when loading their syringes with drug solute. RESULTS: The 0.22-micron filter proved significantly better than both the cigarette filter (relative risk [RR] = 18.0) and the 20-micron filter (RR = 4.5) in rendering syringes bacteria-free. CONCLUSIONS: The 15- to 20-micron syringe filter currently provided injection drug users in Switzerland does not significantly reduce contamination associated with common bacterial infections among users. Filters with pore width 1/100th as large are recommended.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=10432918&dopt=Abstract

Here are pics of the filters:

http://www.osmolabstore.com/images/972-a.jpg
And the link. They are expensive though - about 1.50 per filter.
http://www.osmolabstore.com/OsmoLabPage.dll?BuildPage&1&1&1063

[candy]

Hey there bogumil,
If you can get your hands on the filters you mentioned, then go for it. But, using a the tip of a cotton swab should be fine.
As mentioned above, depends on what your injecting. If using pills, then a cotton swab is not going to work, but if your using heroin, then a cotton swab is fine.

I think the biggest issues most injectors face is infection. Using clean techniques is a great way to stay well and not sharing your equipment as well will decrease your risks.

Obviously, using a sterile technique is just not possible for most of us, but there are some things you can do that will decrease your risks and they are easy and cost effective.

If you have a Needle Exchange in your area then using a new needle each time will insure that you are getting a sterile rig each injection. Cleaning the site your going to hit and washing your hands before each injection is a good idea as well. Using clean water for each injection is a good idea. Standing water is a great place for bacteria to grow.

I have used these same techniques for years and I am a nurse and have never had an abscess.

And you should NEVER use a cig filter. No matter how desperate one is!

And for those who don't know. Using bleach to clean rigs does not kill Hep C. It will kill off HIV, but not Hep C.

[bogumil]

Thank you. Can you tell me, why exactly cigarette filters are so bad?

[devilsdrug]

i dont know exactly why the pros willl know but you stand a better chance of cotton fever something ive not heard mentioned here i think maybe the fibers are shorter and can get in your needle then in your armor whatever oh yeh cotton fever what a fun time.

[bogumil]

Yeah, Ive been guessing that this was the reason, that small fibres of the cig filter get into the needle. But maybe its some chemicals as well. Ill google for cottonfever now!

Alright, got it. Here is what I found on heroinhelper.com ( http://www.heroinhelper.com/user/health/cotton_fever.shtml (http://www.heroinhelper.com/user/health/cotton_fever.shtml) )

Cotton Fever

Cotton fever is a risk that IV drug users face, but which they worry about far too much. I say this because although it is painful, it is not terribly dangerous--there are better things to worry about. The reason for all the interest seems to be that no one can get a straight answer about what it is.
http://www.heroinhelper.com/images/cotton.gif

Different Definitions

Just about every information source provides a slightly different cause for this ailment. The Whitehouse Drug Policy's Street Drug Glossary (http://www.whitehousedrugpolicy.gov/streetterms/ByAlpha.asp), for example, defines cotton fever as, "Critically high temperature associated with accidentally injecting cotton fibers into the blood stream." Other proposed causes include "dirt in Mexican heroin" and fiberglass in cigarette filters. The connection between almost all the explanations is that cotton fever is caused by some kind of particulate matter that is injected into the blood stream. This is not really true.

Symptoms

There are a lot of different unintended things that happen to IV drugs users: hitting arteries and nerves, abscesses, blood clots. Cotton fever has specific symptoms that differentiate it from other ailments: fever, chills, and shortness of breath. In Europe, cotton fever is commonly called "the shakes"--a reference to another common symptom of cotton fever. Those with this ailment often experience violent shaking or shivering.
These symptoms normally occur immediately following an injection, but there are reports of lags up to an hour in length.

Course

Under most circumstances, cotton fever is relatively benign. It is possible for it to turn into something more serious such as pneumonia; the user should watch for this, and seek medical attention if the fever does not go away. Normally however, the symptoms disappear after a couple of hours or less.

The Cause of Cotton Fever

Cotton plants are heavily colonized by a strain of bacteria known as E. Agglomerans. This bacterium causes mischief in the pulmonary system of the body which results in the symptoms of cotton fever. This was first noted in the early 1940s with farm workers who breathed in large quantities of unprocessed cotton.
Most injection drug users utilize small pieces of cotton to filter particulate matter from their drug solution before they inject. It is possible for this to introduce small amounts of E. Agglomerans into the solution. When it is administered intravenously, this small quantity of bacteria can be enough to cause cotton fever.
It is commonly believed that it is something about the solid state of the material (cotton or other) that causes the effects of the fever. This is not so; it is the bacteria found in the cotton. It is certainly true, however, that injecting a cotton fiber which will be broken down in the blood stream is a good way to deliver large amounts of the bacteria into the blood stream.

Avoiding Cotton Fever

It is impossible to completely avoid cotton fever except by not using cotton to filter drug solutions. This should not be used as an excuse to avoid filtering your solution--or for using a poor substitute. In most cases, cotton is the best thing to use for this purpose. Cotton fever is a fairly minor ailment, whereas the particulate matter filtered by the cotton can be deadly.
To minimize the risk of cotton fever, boil the cotton before it is used for filtration. This should kill the bacteria that cause this ailment. But this is no guarantee. Bacteria can be hard to kill.
In addition to boiling your cotton, make sure that you do not re-use your cotton. There are many reasons (http://www.heroinhelper.com/user/health/more_on_abscesses.shtml#reuse_cotton) to avoid this practice, and only one is to avoid cotton fever. Old cottons break down, making it more likely that a fiber will be drawn into your syringe.
The main thing to remember about cotton fever is that under most circumstances, it is not very harmful. So take what precautions you can, and learn to live with the remaining risk.

Dealing with Cotton Fever

If the fever persists, it should be treated with antibiotics. But this is rarely necessary. In most instances it is best to simply let the fever run its course. You can almost assure that cotton fever will have a minor effect on your body by keeping yourself in shape. Make sure that you eat regularly, get a little exercise, and take vitamins. This will also help you fight off any other ailments resulting from your drug use.

References

If you are really interested in this subject, you might start by reading the following articles. Be advised, however, these are scientific papers, written for scientists trained in biology and medicine. They are tough reading--almost requiring reference to Taber's Cyclopedic Medical Dictionary a few times per sentence. The first article is a little more readable than the second.
D. W. Harrison and R. M. Walls, "'Cotton Fever': a benign febrile syndrome in intravenous drug abusers [sic.]", Journal of Emergency Medicine, March-April 1990, pp. 135-139 R. Ferguson, C. Feeney, and V. A. Chirurgi, "Enterobacter agglomerans--associated with cotton fever", Archives of Internal Medicine, October 25, 1993, pp. 2381-2382.

[GMorris]

What filter should he use? SWIM wants a filter that gets the particles out as good as possible. So are there any medical filters, which can be used to filter the shot, other than cigarette filters? I read something about STERIFIX Lock Filter 0.2 my. Are those recommended? To me it sounds better to use a very small-pored and sterile filter instead of a cigarette filter.

Read my last post here in this thread:
http://forum.opiophile.org/showthread.php?t=1116

You might find this interesting and relevant to your situation.

[bogumil]

Hey GMorris, this is great. Ill have to read it a few more times to completely get the picture, cause of my English, but from what I got so far, its a rather easy to make tool without any fibers, that could get into the syringe. Great. Thank you.

[devilsdrug]

that was a great answer for cotton fever , i had always suspected some bact problem since it was always more apt to happen when over used or sat for a while soggy, anyway thanks one of these days ill get more use to using computer and figure out some of these thing myself

[GMorris]

Hey, when I discover something like that, I'm gonna make it available at least. No guarantees or disclaimers however, it was just an idea that I (successfully) tried on my own and liked. I did have some worries (though VERY little) about whether I might actually get some fibers from the end of the coffee filter where I cut it, but I don't think it's too much of a concern now!

Sometimes I just have a lot of time on my hands and these types of things come to me without warning. My greatest hope is that it might help someone else at least. I don't imagine that everyone has access to the complete syringes, clean and all, but I'm sure the process could be modified or even improved by someone with a good imagination and a lot of innovation! It's still hard for me to think that all this time I had access to such a killer filtering technique and just never thought that far ahead. I'm just hoping that I can resist the temptation to keep on fixing and shooting the damned things, but a little harm reduction goes a long way....

[Peripat]

Thank you. Can you tell me, why exactly cigarette filters are so bad?

It's something about the glass fibres that are in cigarette filters - that is, the cigarette filters which are attached to ready-made cigarettes. Yup, they have miniscule glass fibres in them... NOT the sort of thing you want to put into your veins...

[poppy]

Here in UK we are provided free of charge with filters from our needle exchange, the very same ones used for hand rolling tobacco, even the make, they only cost about 60pence and you get a box of about 100. Presumably these are safe as they are recommended by the needle exchange. Laters Poppy.

[GMorris]

Yeah, I've read all about 'em on a couple of websites, but we can't get them cheap here in the States. I've also found them for sale on other sites, but they cost too much for my taste. Since I don't shoot very often anymore, I'll just use my coffee filter technique when/if I decide to do it again. Maybe one of these days the US will catch up with other countries regarding this kind of thing and we'll have easy access to filters like that.

[poppy]

I am still amazed at how backward the US is on these matters of harm reduction, one would expect the opposite to be true, its about time they sorted themselves out, they are risking people's lives particularly in areas such as needle exchanges. In my area we have all been moaning like mad because 4 local chemists have ceased to act as needle exchanges which mean needle exchange services are limited to the rather eratic hours of the drug centre. I have been shocked by how many people are prepared to share works, wash out long used works etc etc, so god alone knows how bad it must be for you folk. Clearly compared with you we have nothing to complain about.

Going back to filters, don't any of the smokers in the US use handrolling tobacco, honestly you can buy the filters I mentioned in any store that sells tobaccoa and tobaccoa products. Incidently we have 'head shops' where you can legally purchase cannabis smoking paraphenalia such as bongs and pipes, presumably you are unable to purchase those type of things either.

[GMorris]

Going back to filters, don't any of the smokers in the US use handrolling tobacco, honestly you can buy the filters I mentioned in any store that sells tobaccoa and tobaccoa products. Incidently we have 'head shops' where you can legally purchase cannabis smoking paraphenalia such as bongs and pipes, presumably you are unable to purchase those type of things either.

Glad you mentioned that again, I meant to ask before, what would hand-rolling tobacco have in common with syringe filters? I've thought and thought about it and I'm coming up with nothing that makes any sense to me.

As for the head shops, I'm not completely sure if they exist in ANY form anymore here, different states have different laws so some may still be around. Even if they are though, I seriously doubt that they could legally carry filters that are known to be used by IV'ers. The most they can do is sell pipes and papers for "tobacco" smoking (even though we KNOW that's rarely what they're used for!), and often things like T-shirts with unconventional messages on them, that kind of thing. Nobody can advertise ANYTHING for drug use here anymore.

[poppy]

Glad you mentioned that again, I meant to ask before, what would hand-rolling tobacco have in common with syringe filters? I've thought and thought about it and I'm coming up with nothing that makes any sense to me.

As for the head shops, I'm not completely sure if they exist in ANY form anymore here, different states have different laws so some may still be around. Even if they are though, I seriously doubt that they could legally carry filters that are known to be used by IV'ers. The most they can do is sell pipes and papers for "tobacco" smoking (even though we KNOW that's rarely what they're used for!), and often things like T-shirts with unconventional messages on them, that kind of thing. Nobody can advertise ANYTHING for drug use here anymore.
Hi G Morris, sorry for not being clearer,right, Here in the uk, the most common handrolling cigarette papers are made by a company called Rizzla, along with the cigarette papers they also produce Rizzla filters for (I must stress) use in hand rolled cigarettes, not to filter heroin from spoon to works. They look pretty similar to the filters on straight fags minus the brown speckly paper), with me so far?. The reason you cannot connect hand rolling tobacco filters with syringe filters is because there is no logical reason for them to be put together by any sane person (I don't think any doctor would describe them as 'syringe filters' and rizzla would undoubtedly deny it too).
Enter the powers that be in harm reduction for iv drug users. For whatever reason (I seem to remember reading about some tests to do with the properties of filters some years ago)the filters the needle exchange supply us with are made by Rizzla and are indistinguishable from those bought from the local shop, (by local shop I mean every virtually every corner shop) In fact they are identical. (Maybe they're seconds, like the disposible razors British prisoners use to shave with) I take it for granted that they are suitable for the job I use them for because they are provided by the needle exchange. Maybe I shouldn't but they seem ok at providing us with other things that we need for example we are able to get both citric acid and vitamin c powder (necessary for breaking down the gear we get in the uk) and are advised not to use vinega or lemon juice, we're also able to get things called steri cups which are a sort of disposible spoon complete with mini swab and mini filter, swabs, vials of sterilised water, a variety of needles and tips, sin bins, injection guides ( giving clear information on the pros and cons of iv injection), access to free hiv and hep tests etc... all free on the national health I am very glad I don't live where u do, it seems like a dinasaur land in terms of opiate abuse and harm reduction, something difficult for your average brit to believe, hence my surprise, as we are led to believe by the media that you are one step ahead of us in virtually everything.
I can't believe that its illegal to wear t shirts such as you describe, (what happened to the freedom of speech etc for which your country is so famous) I can only say that things need to change. Burying one's head in the sand is nonproductive, be it as an individual, a state or a nation. Problems need to be acknowledged before they can be solved.
So do roll up smokers not use filters in your neck of the woods? I'm intrigued.