Rate of Incident

[bi11i]

I'd be interested in knowing at what rate and frequency do the Opiophiles of today experience such things (from a minor abcess to Hepatitis or AIDS.)

Anyone interested in an anonymous poll? Your vote is truly anonymous and multiple selections can be made.

[chucky]

Why not , I'll vote

[bi11i]

With suggestion from a member, I've added the final option for those so lucky....

[Peripat]

While the results of this poll are interesting in and of themselves, what would be more interesting (but probably outside the scope of this forum) is to put together those statistics with an individual's time of use. For example, in my neck of the woods, there are relatively few IV drug users who have managed (for example) five years of using without almost all of the above...

[miosis]

While the results of this poll are interesting in and of themselves, what would be more interesting (but probably outside the scope of this forum) is to put together those statistics with an individual's time of use. For example, in my neck of the woods, there are relatively few IV drug users who have managed (for example) five years of using without almost all of the above...

I agree even using clean IV technique and having legit money sources you can still end up with problems.

[bi11i]

Wow, the results for "a related death of friend or family" are pretty amazing. I never would have guessed this as the leader, being that 99% of our members are opiate users (occasional, addict, or otherwise...)

[m_bc]

Wow, the results for "a related death of friend or family" are pretty amazing. I never would have guessed this as the leader, being that 99% of our members are opiate users (occasional, addict, or otherwise...)



Yes..death is an unfortunate byproduct of drugging. Seems I've been to more funerals than been to weddings.:sad-smile Eventually if you use enough dope the nod does a runner..whether that's because habits go up..the dope is weak..both or something else..we try and egg one on with pills. It works but is dangerous..I've ended up in many a hospital as a result. With the exception of very few..most of the heroin users I know like to top off their high with a pill or 10..benzo's..barbs..benzodiazepine..or the like. And also without much exception..most people I know who've died of a heroin overdose..have done so because in combo with the smack..the pills in their systems sent them over the top.

Not smart :bricks:

Except for the occasional valium..I've bowed away from pills when using...and am much better for it.

Smart drugging is key.
m_bc

[candy]

It would be interesting in knowing how many injectors have not been tested for HIV/HCV. I am almost sure the numbers would grow. Being someone who is an HIV Counselor/RN and working with IDU's, most often the number of those using IV drugs have not been tested for HIV/HCV. While there are those who have tested for HIV, some have not tested for HCV. Either they are unaware that bleaching does not kill the Hep virus or they seem more concerned regarding the transmission of HIV.

[superman]

i think m_bc is absolutely correct on what he says about mixing. my best friend had everything going for him in life when he mixed barbs and pharma-dope, now he's gone and he wasn't even slamming! lack of education is the only real problem with these drug deathsword of mouth can only reach so many people and go so far. our governments negligence is killing good people left right and center!
My school drug education was just an attempted scare combined with a basic overview of the types of drugs availble. nothing about pharmacology or chemistry. nothing about sterilization. nothing about what to do in the event of overdoses. nothing about contraindications

Why not give the students the statistical information on how many of thier classmates and friends will become junkies, what they will experience while being one, and how to best advise and help thier uneducated junkie friends to survive? My children will learn the truth about drugs. how can we expect our youth to trust us when we don't trust them? i probably would have tried half as many drugs as i have so far if i was educated in high school when my curiosity peaked.

excuse the rant...

[candy]

"Just Say No!" Remember that message?
Unfortunately the education that are youth are getting in school is limited. While things have improved some, the youth today just don't get enough information to make an "informed" decision.

IMO, there is an underlying fear that if you give them too much information or make it seem too real, it only leads to more curiosity.
Whether it be the school's responsibility or the parents, most of today's youth are learning the hard way.
Do I want my teenage daughter being told that pre-marital sex is wrong or do I want her learning that she has options for safe sex. Do I want my teenage son to "Just say No!" or do I want him to know that he can reduce his risks for HIV/HCV if he should say, "Yes!"

If you can get the message across to your own kids and keep them safe, then your one step ahead. Trouble is, there are parents out there who just don't talk to their kids. Whatever the reason, these kids are being educated by their peers and some 17 year old giving my 16 year old a lesson in life, just doesn't go over well with me.
What I know now in my 30's is totally different from what I knew at 16 or 18. I knew shit and by sheer luck survived my teen years.
So, our teens are getting a crash course in life from the Prom Queen while the schools continue to evade what needs to be conveyed to our kids.
But, what do you do? Drag some homeless junkie off the street and bring him to the local junior high with a warning label attached. A bit drastic maybe, but who knows the impact it could have on some 12 year old kid.
Look at it this way. That teacher that teaches my kid went to school for 6 years to teach my kid. So, why not get someone with the first hand experience to come in and talk to these kids. Some poor guy who was busted with H on him. Get him to talk to kids as part of his sentence, community service.

Just spilling out some thoughts here. Like to hear what others have to say on this subject. Obviously, most of us missed class that day!

[Paregoric Kid]

there will always be addicts, no matter how monsterous or realistic the information on addiction is depicted.

[blackdog]

one thing i know for sure is, we all gonna die!!!!!!!
peace da/dogg:cool:

[GMorris]

Wow, the results for "a related death of friend or family" are pretty amazing. I never would have guessed this as the leader, being that 99% of our members are opiate users (occasional, addict, or otherwise...)
I see that this is an old thread/poll, but this is the first time I've seen it. My cousin died of an OxyContin OD, and this is a strange story indeed. Like me, he had been in an accident and really fucked up his back (much worse than I did). He went for many years with various painkillers until he worked his way up to OC's. Eventually, the OC 20's were not doing the job so he told his doc something to get an increase. You'd think that he would have just given him the 40's since it's the next step up (though he could have taken one 20 and one 10 at a time if the doc thought going to 40 was too big a step). We still have no idea what the hell he could have told the doc, but he was prescribed the 80's! That's a BIG step up from the 20's no doubt, and within a couple of days my cousin was found dead on the couch. Now that I've remembered this incident, I think I'll try and glean some information from some other family members who were closer to him and see if I can find out what the circumstances were. By the way, it's not like my cousin was naïve about drugs, having been a "flower child" of the '60s, so he knew what he had. I've considered the possibility that maybe the pain had gotten so unbearable that he OD'ed on purpose, but that's just a theory. One day I'll find out when this life is over for me as well, I hope!

[Phluck]

While the results of this poll are interesting in and of themselves, what would be more interesting (but probably outside the scope of this forum) is to put together those statistics with an individual's time of use. For example, in my neck of the woods, there are relatively few IV drug users who have managed (for example) five years of using without almost all of the above...

I agree... it would be more telling to see what these stats were associated with time periods

[vanilla_mlkshake2007]

Well I'm going to be completely honest here more to educate then for sympathy .I don't want sympathy.I would rather think that just 1 person read my thread nd it prevented them from getting the diseases I have gotten from drug use.I got Hepatitis B & C in 1987 from a guy I was going out with.Not only was he sharing needles but I was too.Thank God AIDS was not contracted,but not much was known about it back then.Anyways not only did I just get Hep B & C but that also caused me to get Chirossis of the Liver and I drank alcohol not knowing I was sick with Hep B & C.I spent only 4 years drinking before I began to notice that I stayed drunk at parties alot longer then my friends even though they had drank as much as me and I also noticed that I became dronker even after I had stopped drinking .My Liver was no longer processing the alcohol any longer.Therefore my alcohol buzz would peak 2-3 hours after I finished drinking.I also became very ill vomitting alot,Yellowish tint to my skin so i decided to get tested for everything.That is when I found out that 60% of my liver ws gone.No way it couyld regenerate.Although I hear many saying they think the liver is the only organ that can regenerate and bounce back after severe trauma this is hardly true.I wasn't a super alcoholic,but I did drink and party hard for 4 years,only 4 years.I was diagnosised with the Chirosis in 2000.Then the doctors said I only had 8-10 years left to live.2 years left if I continued to drink.This was in 1998.The only way I can live longer then 8-10 years from the date I was diagnosed is with a transplant.I will not go on the shot program because it just makes you sicker.I think its called Pegatron or something like that,but it acts like chemotherapy does to a cancer patient.Anyways nowadays we know more so please do not share needles,it was so east for me to catch these diseases,I just thaank god every day that I don't have AIDS and I haven't had a drink since I found out about the HEP B & C.I also get tested for Aids every 6 months just to be on the safe side.You never know if your partner is 100% faithful and uses protection.I am not saying my husband is having an affair.I am however saying that if he does and I catch a fatal disease from it I do want to know if I have the disease.As candy says always use clean epuipment and clean the injection site.Had I known about these diseases back then I wouldn't have them today,I would have not shared needles or I would have at least had a choice Now I don't have a choice at all.The choices are over with I have 2 young girls who are only going to have a MOM till age 11-13 and then everything from there is just luck.I continue to have my liver checked every 6 months and it hasn't gotten any worse but with only 40% of it functioning I have to be careful what I eat what I take for drugs(all of them go through the liver)but what most surprises me is the DRS will not give me pain killers without tylenol.They will only prescribe Vicodins,Percocets,or Darvocets,no Kadiens or oxycontin because they are scared of addiction.I mean they would rather give me a pain killer filled with tylenol then one that is stronger andx won't effect my liver in a bad way because they are worried because of my addictive traits from the past.Now does that even make sense I'm dying but they are worried about addiction and not about my liver at all.I think DRS have there priorities all messed up, at least mine do.

[soulman]

hey nilla'shake, have you gone to a pain med spec. i know some of them are exp., but in your situation it sounds like you need a dr. that will understand and prescribe for the pain, taking into acct. your diminished liver capacity. alot of pain spec. (at least around here) ask what you think would work best for you. ive even gone to the lengths of telling them, "my friend gets prescribed -.-.-.-.-.-, and he let me try one and it worked like a miracle", next thing i know i'm walking out the door with a script for the shit i told him my buddy let me try!!! maybe i'm just lucky, or it's because i'm extremely good looking and intelligent;) , but it always seems to work for me!:cool:

[vanilla_mlkshake2007]

Thanks for your reply no I haven't but I guess I have Drug Addict written all over my forehead,plus I'm in a subutex program which I know I shouldn't tell a pain dr.I am trying to get meds from that.I told my family doctor the reason I was so addicted to morphine was because I couldn't get anyone to prescibe it and therefore I ended up using a lil more here and there and thats hows I became hooked.Thanks for the suggestion!I may look into it.I don't wanna be on a subutex program I am just thedre because I can't legally get prescibed painkillers without tylenol.

[slugbone]

=vanilla_mlkshake2007 .Now does that even make sense I'm dying but they are worried about addiction and not about my liver at all.I think DRS have there priorities all messed up, at least mine do.

that's a very powerful story Vanilla, and i must say it looks like you have a hell of a lot of courage with everything you have gone thru. it is total bullshit that they should be thinking that way, but some doctors act like they are programmed like some fukking computer with no common sense.

[nick]

Vanilla,you're NOT alone.I have a close friend who's in the same situation.

He's a long term diamorphine addict,with a family and he's waiting on transplant services.......and we all know the call isn't coming.

[GoddessofRATs]

Unfortunately my liver has been damaged pretty bad. I need more tests done. Everytime i go to the doc and have blood tests she says "Do you drink a lot because your liver isn't working right" And i say no it's from all the pain meds I've been on for over 10 years. And she says with a russian accent "yes, yes, this could be"

I'm not sure what to do next though. I know it affects my health, i don't feel good a lot of the time. Thankfully now though, i rarely take anything with tylenol in it, the only time i do is when i get those 90 vics once a month (not prescribed to me) And i only take like two at a time now if and when i have them.

I wonder why my Doc hasn't sent me for my tests. Maybe i am just at the edge. I have a bad feeling that i am gonna have major problems with my liver when i am older. I mean when i was ounger i drank an awful lot and than for about 7 years i took tons of viks, 8 at a time, 6 at a time. I think that's why even if i look at a vicodin my gag reflex goes off, my body knows that's what causes me problems. Funny how the brain/body does that. but i have to take them for w/d sometimes. But, i am serious, if i even look at a vicodin my stomach contracts and my mouth waters and i feel like I'm gonna puke. So i try to pretend it's something else.

So out of all those things in the pole I've only had one- The death of a close friend. My dealer died of aids many years ago, like 8 years ago. But, he got aids when he moved up to seattle, he didn't have it when he was down here and i don't recall ever sharing a needle with him. He would never let me do that. Heck, he may have had it when he was down here. I guess i should consider myself very lucky!!! I've had 3 aids tests and all were negative.

But i think in the future i will have very bad liver problems. It kinda scares me.

Sorry for rambling. I always ramble when the oppies start kicking in. Had a strong pod dose this morning.

GOR

[Chipper]

Apart from the odd OD, I have managed to develop a spinal infection and a lung Empyema. Both life-threatening. Thank god for antibiotics!