Help, I can't find my viens anymore! [Archive]

limestoneman

11-19-2008, 08:32 AM

These past few days it's been nearly impossible to find a vein and they don't pop out anymore. I don't know why, but it seriously worrying me. I already know I have very low blood pressure, but I've always just strapped a belt around my arm and I could see some veins easily enough. Now it takes me a half an hour just to shoot up.

What could I do to bring out my veins more?

Duckfeet

11-19-2008, 08:34 AM

Not much I can say: have u been doing tar: that'll destroy'em, make'em hard, hidden, etc...

There always comes a point--some sooner, some later--where u just give up on arms...then begins the final junky reckoning, where u end up w/ankles all fucked up, and finally, have people hit u in the neck, then it's over....

But, if u still *have* arm veins, warm water and exercize will bring them out: take a hot shower, do some pushups, then try again...

limestoneman

11-19-2008, 09:22 AM

upstate_007

11-19-2008, 09:35 AM

nick

11-19-2008, 10:09 AM

Welcome to a very large club.We meet on the second Tuesday of every month-bring dip.

Seriously,you probably still have useable veins.As the guys say,a warm shower and exercise really helps and find a really good light source,be patient.

bigNasty

11-19-2008, 10:11 AM

also,,....stay....Hydrated.

matfield

11-19-2008, 10:16 AM

well i had incredibly good veines the first 5-6 years of iv use....but especially after a looong coca-binge when i was selling it too soon there was not much left of them.
and i know especially in the winter it gets really hard to find them.
sometimes i had a feeling that when i started to inject somewhere...all veines started to sink down even deeper in order to protect themselves....weird.

but now....since i am working in this club now for almost 1 year i realize what great impact exercizing has on your veines. since i have to carry a lot of cages with bottles and stuff during my shift my veines got so much better! its awsome. they even rebuild under the scarves i have so i can just follow my old trackmarks next to having some real good new veines too.

but yeah...just for now. like they said. hot bath....throwing your arm around like crazy...shit like that.

matfield

11-19-2008, 10:17 AM

also,,....stay....Hydrated.

yes very good and important point

SurfRat

11-19-2008, 10:38 AM

When I was a shooter.........

Once the weather got colder I always had to change my routine. Sometimes some pushups would be enough. Sometimes hot towels would work. And sometimes I had to sit under the hot water in the shower and shoot up still in the shower.

Yes that works real good.

Earlier this year, I was standing at the kitchen sink, running hot water over my arms.
When I figured out that I might as well be washing dishes...

I mean I had the dishes and the hot water and I was already standing there,
it was sorta like I figured out how washing dishes was invented.

You know like thousands of years ago some caveman was trying to get his veins to stand up
and finally put two and two together.

Because you know, you are using your arms and there's hot water, so by the time you get done, you usually got a couple veins...
AND clean dishes!

candy

11-19-2008, 10:39 AM

Gosh, you guys are so good. I couldn't add anything else.
Stay hydrated, Hot showers, some light exercise, a brisk walk, warm up for sure!

simfromstoke

11-19-2008, 12:36 PM

Yes that works real good.

Earlier this year, I was standing at the kitchen sink, running hot water over my arms.
When I figured out that I might as well be washing dishes...

I mean I had the dishes and the hot water and I was already standing there,
it was sorta like I figured out how washing dishes was invented.

You know like thousands of years ago some caveman was trying to get his veins to stand up
and finally put two and two together.

Because you know, you are using your arms and there's hot water, so by the time you get done, you usually got a couple veins...
AND clean dishes!

works for me mate. plus you got a luverly jubberly reward after slaving over a hot sink for 5 minutes

and ive done the sitting in a red HOT as fuck bath thing. its horrible nodding out and waking up in a COLD bath though!!

The_Highwayman

11-19-2008, 06:04 PM

During my heyday, I had four real long about 6 inches each of track marks one on each upper part of my arm around the crok of the elbow and up my bicep, and then more around my front part of my forearm around the wrist, finding veins were a nightmare, I would often be doing it for 30 minutes and be covered with blood....

The feet are a good spot and right by your ankle, try drinking a lot of water, wear warm clothing, and maybe a few push-ups, or some dumbbell curls if you have them, they can do the trick for you, hell I would curl my electric guitar to try to add some weight to get my veins up...also, if it possible try to et ahold of a real medical torniquet, not sure if it's just me, but those things get the veins out better than belts IME...or get a tructed friend to fix you, hopefully that can get the underside of the forearm veins that always rolled on me...

nycjrt

11-20-2008, 12:44 AM

ugh i hate winter mornings in my freezing bathroom, getting dope sick and digging for a vein- truly dreadful when i manage to get it in, see that beautiful blossom of red and then when i release my tourniquet the needle slides out:mad: - i then become desperate and turn into norman bates stabbing away....like everyone else, my veins used to be pretty friendly, now they run and hide when i start poking around- poor things. i have ok luck with hands if i have the short 30/31g but my forearms are tough- i am really fair skinned so i bruise like crazy- last week i had to roll up my sleeves at work, someone commented 'oh, another dog bite?' - my dog is the sweetest thing in the world but my coworkers must think she's cujo with how many times i've used that excuse to explain my bruises...

ToriiBabii

11-20-2008, 08:15 AM

Thankfully, I haven't had this problem. Because I'm pale and pretty thin, I can see my veins and their route throughout my arms perfectly. But, I've been around a lot of IV heroin users that have the same problem that you do.

The most important thing you can do to get those stubborn veins to appear is take a nice, warm shower. It'll get your blood pumping and will make it easier to see your veins. For me, it also helps to be in a good amount of light.

You might want to consider shooting in places besides your arms... maybe the top of your hands, your feet... I knew a girl that would shoot in the veins that were between her groin and her belly-button. Your body is filled with veins; you just have to find the right ones.

Something you can also do is get a friend to help you search for good veins. If you have a junkie pal that you trust injecting you, then it would also be helpful to have them hit you in places that are hard to see and reach (ie; behind the knees).

There have been a lot of good suggestions in the replies, but this is just my two cents.

Naomi

11-21-2008, 04:06 AM

im 21 and my veins are shot to fuck. i was doing silly ones like in my fingers, my stomach (at the sides) but these were only good for 1 or 2 hits because they would 'blow'. the tips above will work, but for me, they only worked for so long. i just moved to my groin (femoral vein) but that comes with its risks.... DVT etc. i know quite a few people who have had their leg removed. 4 in total and my friend who is 20 is just trying to beat an ulcer on his leg due to going in the groin, it doesnt look so good. but you have to weigh up the pros and cons.... are you going to try elsewhere and prehaps end up losing the hit or missing and get loads of abcesses, or you just going to hit the groin. its not a once in a while thing.... you get it so damn easy you just use it over and over and never stop.

Duckfeet

11-21-2008, 06:09 AM

I was thinking of this thread yesterday morning: I had to trot up to the V.A. for some routine bloodwork...and I'm used to it all, no biggee, tell'em to do a butterfly, all that...but it was a new nurse, and I could tell just by her chatter, that she was nervous as all fuck...and her patronizing way irritated me: I told her, look, I'm not worried, you're not going to 'hurt' me, but nurses often have problem finding a vein...

She trys first the top of my left hand, to a pretty reliable vein I showed her, and manges to trash that vein, probably for good...meanwhile I'm holding all three xtra blood tubes since she couldn't do it...and she was about like a rookie junkie, trying to appear calm...and pissed me off...

So she switches to top of *right* hand, and same thin happens, still she digs around, hitting nerves and shit, and never stops what I'm sure she consider's reassuring prattle...and I put up with it, as it just makes it worse if I don't...

But she can't get blood again, so she finally concedes defeat and goes and gets the head nurse, and me and her both do the junky thumping on my forearm until I found this hidden diehard vein I've used before...a roller...but a big roller...and even the *head* nurse has to dig around for a while, but she finally gets it...

It was a distressing morning for me, even yoga had me blue, since my hands were swollen, and I know it's consequences of my actions, nobody to blame, but still...finally later I talked to some junky girl I know, who has same problem, and felt better, I guess...

Oh well: part of junky life, for sure...I remember seeing some mexican junky, in his thirties, in Santa Ana, a long long time ago, whose arms were totally shot, and he had to hit in his neck, and *that* vein didn't look too good either...didn't slow me down tho: I still had both ditches and tons of forearm veins, and knew I'd never get *that* bad...

Right.

stephenISall

11-21-2008, 10:23 AM

for the first 8 years of my using career i always got good white powder so my veins never dissapeared on me or anything like that. never even had to tie off. then i moved to california and had to start shooting tar. within ONE month, 80%+ of my veins were just GONE. i was like wtf is going on? people then told me how tar just "makes veins go away." its true, and it sucks. then i started to IM. alot of people in california IM because tar is so shitty it'll kill your veins. but abcess's are PAINFUL and NOT fun to deal with. i had 2 abcess's cut out of each of my shoulders from IMing tar. so after that fun ordeal i started going in my neck. CHA CHING. one HELL of a vein. never missed. sometimes you gotta hold your breathe to pop it out then BAM. straight to the head.

obviously this can be dangerous and i dont suggest that you inject anywhere or inject anything. but you're not going to listen to what i have to say. junkies shoot drugs. thats what they do. so if you HAVE to inject drugs and you have no veins or it takes you 45 minutes just to see blood. try your neck maybe. just a suggestion. you''ll need a mirror too. hope this helps :rolleyes:

rcb

11-21-2008, 11:00 AM

Get one of those wrist exercise grip things and squeeze it a hundred times.

Voyager

11-21-2008, 11:19 AM

Also !
Buy Hepatrombin gel and put it every day in the morning and in the evening on all the areas where your used veins are.
It's an old gel for the rehabilitation of veins, it's very effective and is used very widely today.

The_Highwayman

11-21-2008, 02:18 PM

My doctor once told me, that junkies knew where more viens were than him and HE went to medical school...

zer0sleep

11-26-2008, 08:19 PM

There always comes a point--some sooner, some later--where u just give up on arms...then begins the final junky reckoning, where u end up w/ankles all fucked up, and finally, have people hit u in the neck, then it's over...

That's exactly what happened to me. I had three surgeries for abscesses on the same ankle, so I started shooting in my neck instead. And now it's over...I'm trying my ass off to stay clean ATM.

ndoftaworld

11-26-2008, 08:37 PM

Having this problem recently. I just started shooting like crazy in the past few months, everything I can think of... meth, OC's, morph, benzo's (bad I know), no H... unfortunately :(

Veins are usually a dime a dozen for me, but even the tracked ones, the GOOD ones, are starting to play hide and seek... tried to slam an OC yesterday, ending up sticking myselft 6 times b4 slamming home!

Will definitely try the tips in this thead... Thx all!

Nd

limestoneman

11-27-2008, 05:41 AM

Duckfeet

11-27-2008, 07:53 AM

Yep...it's kind of rough, when it happens...I finally started getting a little more assertive w/nurses and people taking blood, insisting they bring out an experienced nurse...as, lets face it, it's usually jr. league who takes yer blood...

And I never thought it would happen to me...I had huge veins on my arms, never needed a tie, nothing, could hit myself in a bouncing car, always quick and reliable...until the main ones went, then the back-up forearms went, then the big veins on the side of my wrists went...

Oh well, it just always seemed like that was "the other guy's problem" until it all came home to roost for me...

Exercize, like weights and stuff seems to help, but me, I tend to be pretty cynical about the whole thing...gone gone gone...even off dope, veins don't come back, but it's a sort of bitter reminder of where we've been...

That's exactly what happened to me. I had three surgeries for abscesses on the same ankle, so I started shooting in my neck instead. And now it's over...I'm trying my ass off to stay clean ATM.

limestoneman

11-27-2008, 06:59 PM

I guess I forgot to mention I only have bad veins in my elbows, the rest are fine. It's just that they're hidden due to the cold (I hide from the cold too, damn). I'm really surprised to find that there is a remedy for scarred veins. I'm seriously going to look out for that stuff.

The secret to healthy veins, don't shoot up wrong. Always remove the tourniquet/belt/tie before you inject. I was heartbroken when my favorite two lines scarred.

nycjrt

12-02-2008, 06:03 PM

swim was in a rush to get home, knew that he didn't have any brand new works, was planning on using some old outfits (his own of course) then remembered this thread and made sure to stop off at a pharmacy to pick up a nice clean shiny beautiful ten-pack:)
pharm. claimed to have no 29g, took the 30g...i remember a thread a while back where a lot of people seemed to prefer the 29s, why would someone shooting dope not go with 30s, or even 31s in order to minimize damage? is it because 29s are so popular/readily available (reason swim asked at counter today- it was a different pharmacy than usual), familiarity, or is there a specific reason or reasons 29s would be better than a higher gauge?
( local exchange gives out 27s, cause more damage/marks than higher/smaller gauges- at 2.79 a pack of 10 prefer quality and convenience of pharmacy anyway)

DCBA

12-20-2008, 06:02 PM

No shit!? I didn't think it was possible!
Yeah, any medicine for skin wounds/bruises will be good, they are antiinflamatory and some have skin/tissues/veins reparing substances too.

I dont have any superficial veins left. I mean i have cause im not using for a long time, but if i would start using i would have veins for say a few days.. later than that would need to be my groin or neck.

limestoneman

12-23-2008, 07:51 PM

Yeah, any medicine for skin wounds/bruises will be good, they are antiinflamatory and some have skin/tissues/veins reparing substances too.

I dont have any superficial veins left. I mean i have cause im not using for a long time, but if i would start using i would have veins for say a few days.. later than that would need to be my groin or neck.
Do they heal over time? I'm broke.

twigburst

12-23-2008, 08:41 PM

I really feel sorry for you guys out west having to deal with that shitty tar. As if having a dope habit isn't enough to worry about, you guys have to worry about dirty fucking heroin that probably causes blood poisoning quite frequently. At least a lot less people that shoot tar get HIV because of the need to constantly clean needles.

JayTrizzle

12-23-2008, 10:04 PM

I have to agree with the hot shoer thing. I always used a hot bath, though, aint nothing like getting a fat shot mixed up, finding that vein that's been fucking hiding, drawing back on the first try and then also being wrapped in awarm blanket of hot water. Yes, sir. Also, I think being pale goes a long way, as I can ALWAYS hit my girl without a belt first try no prob. With me, even it's been a few days or whatever, i have to dig, but only in one arm. I NEVER miss on my left arm, and RARELY miss on my right, the right on is way bigger, but it also has a tendancy to hide really bad like, even after one use, powder or tar or pharms. So, I alwyas went immediatly to my left if i couldnt hit my right within two pokes. Problem is, for some reason, my left is ALWAYS NEVER wanting to pop up. I can bruise my damned arm with the belt and it doesnt matter, i have to feel around UNDER the skin, and just start poking. I mean I can usually find it just judging from the tracks on my other arm, and sometimes not pulling out all the way and just shifting the direction you're going in helps a lot too, had to do that A LOT with my left. Thats why I'm glad my right arm has been doing better lately.

Duckfeet

12-23-2008, 10:40 PM

Yeah: the needle xychange gives us all kinds of booklets telling us just how tar screws up our veins and surrounding tissue, and which hospital to go to for abcesses...I thought they were exagerating....not anymore...tar is hell on veins, *and* tissue...and if you muscle it...well...that's even worse...these books say to IV, for harm reduction's sake...sad business...gets me pissed at Mexico for meddling where they don't belong...Going for my blood work, every six months is serious trauma for me...

I really feel sorry for you guys out west having to deal with that shitty tar. As if having a dope habit isn't enough to worry about, you guys have to worry about dirty fucking heroin that probably causes blood poisoning quite frequently. At least a lot less people that shoot tar get HIV because of the need to constantly clean needles.

twigburst

12-24-2008, 07:20 AM

Why not just fly down to Panama and look for a hookup, swallow condoms full of smack and go home every couple of months? If you speak fluent spainish it shouldn't be that hard.

EleusisII

12-24-2008, 09:43 AM

Sounds like a plan...
If you can get around Customs and their damn databases. They filter all travellers, and look for patterns. And a dude with an american last name, travelling to Panama for bried visits every couple of months would raise all sorts of flags.

Saw an airport documentary series recently, and these assholes would detain a suspected smuggler for 24 hours, give them a choice of laxatives or not, and sit and fucking wait for them to do the big one.

It was a small comfort, that one of them had to sit and dig in the guys poop afterwards. What a way to make a living...