how do IV users survive?

[renton]

I have a question i always wondered since I'm not too familiar with hardcore using, ie. mainlining. Whenever I see people in hospitals getting an injection there insanely sterile and take all these precautions to make sure no bacteria gets into the injection. I've been told this is cause any bit of dirt or bacteria that gets directly into the blood can easily cause a blood infection "sepsis" or some other nasty shit like that. If this is true how come most people who inject arent dead or in the hospital all the time? is the risk of infection not as bad as it's made out to be? Cause I've heard of people who have injected heroin for decades and are still alive.

[devilsdrug]

you answered the question yourself

[sidman]

yep....you sure did!!(answered the Q yourself)
I've shot dope and others for YEARS and used some really old "outfits" but still,here I am!! It's a miracle I tell ya....

[Coddfish]

I've never heard of anyone dying from infections or blood diseases gotten from injecting. With all the junkies around, logic suggests the risks that go along with injecting drugs (licit or illicit) are not nearly so high as the medical profession wouold have us believe. Junky Logic. My guess is that protocols for 'safe' injection were made by medical supply companies to sell more shite to the hospitals and such. Makes sense anyway.

[jacky]

alot of people scrape up their skin and move dirt and other foreign matter into their body, and live to talk about it.
I think most of the problems come from muscle popping, if you muscle pop use a good clean ritual, and try and move on to a vein if it becomes problematic.
I could be totally wrong, but I think that snorting saline and heroin is a little safer than Iving in the long run, the only problem is the drip, and slower absorption into the body. Some people who snort heroin do so without waiting long enough to feel the strength of the product, and then decide to do more. moving the material along with a small amount of just saline can help eliminate this problem.

most of the people that I knew that developed abcesses were muscle poppers. I used IV heroin for about 7 years, and never had an abcesse. I live in some dirty ass conditions, and didnt use a clean rig everytime, most of the time I would use 1 rig for a day or two, but when homeless/couch surfing I might use a rig for 7-10 days. I have huge ropey veins, so it was easy for me to punch a dull nail into my vein. anyway I never muscle popped once, missed the vein everyonce in awhile.

I think alot of the people who got the flesh eating bacteria were muscle popping as well.

clean that rig, skin area, and use clean water etc. Boil that dope solution, "if its hot your not" is a saying passed around at bay area methadone clinics.

where I live getting clean rigs is hard, some pharmacys do, and some dont, some make you sign a sheet, others will only sell them for diabetics. amazing, that in a state where it is so easy to get a gun, a common tool like a syringe is lauded as a promotion for the destruction of western civalization. My ex wife was desperate once for some clean rigs, so she went to the emergency room. the DRs actually sent her home with some clean rigs, the only problem is that they were HUGE. I ended up relapsing with one of those horse plungers. like sticking a penny nail in my vein. I cant believe those people gave her those syringes. perhaps they thought that there would be no way she could use it, but my thought was that there was so much room in that barrel she could have shot 15 grams at once if she wanted.

remember that heroin can have all sorts of cuts/additives in it. one cut like niacin may not do much to you if snorted or smoked etc, but if you shoot it your gonna light up like a firetruck. people are better off I think avoiding the needle. knowing how to use one is not a bad thing though...........

[candy]

Being a nurse who has worked in hospitals, we obviously must follow certain proceedures. And beleive it or not, people in hospitals do get infections. They are called nosocomial infections and are spread by poor handwashing from patient to patient.
Now as far as those who inject goes, we do get all sorts of infections. From abscesses, to sepsis, phlebitis, Hep C, HIV, and the list goes on.

Sure, you may not hear of all that die from infections and it can happen. Endocarditis is not uncommon among injectors and can be fatal if not treated. With Needle Exchanges and those who are sharing less, infection rates have decreased somewhat. But, unfortunately infections still exist and the best way for anyone who injects to avoid infection is to follow clean techniques. Using your own equipment is the best way to prevent the spread of infections such as HIV/HCV. Using a clean technique; clean equipment, fresh water(doesn't need to be sterile), handwashing, cleaning the site with alcohol, etc. is a good way to avoid things such as abscesses. IM injections or SQ injections can lead to abscesses as the fluid sits in the tissues and is a great place for bacteria to multiply.

And there are many homeless injectors lucky enough to be infection free, but could it be they have been exposed to so many infections that have an immunity? One school of thought, then again they may be carrying HIV or HCV and have never been tested!