IV therapy delivers liquids directly into a patient’s vein and is usually done only in medically supervised settings. If this occurs, they may replace the plunger with a bulb, such as those from an eyedropper or baby pacifier. As use persists, however, it becomes iv drug use increasingly difficult to cover up the signs of abuse. This is especially true with IV drug use, due to the method’s highly invasive nature. Chronic infection with these viruses can result in severe liver damage, liver failure, or even death if left untreated.
Substance Use Treatment
- Most people use the veins in the crooks of their arms (the soft inner part where the elbow is bent) as the site injection.
- As use persists, however, it becomes increasingly difficult to cover up the signs of use.
- IV is commonly used to provide nourishment to people who cannot orally ingest food or water.
The following is a breakdown of possible intravenous injection sites, beginning with the safest options and moving toward the least safe ones. Learning how to inject properly, like mastering any other complicated activity, takes practice. After a while, you will no doubt be able to hit veins you’ve never used before on the first try, causing minimal trauma to the injection site and leaving a tiny puncture wound that barely bleeds. You will develop ‘a feel’ for where your veins are and how you need to position and insert your needle in order to get a good hit. Fungal infections are common infections that can develop from IV drug use. The most common fungi that may cause a fungal infection include Aspergillus and Candida.
- Since the lastdecade, the number of HIV infections has increased rapidly, and the public’s concern hasbeen aroused.
- Those with damaged or artificial heart valves may be at a higher risk of developing endocarditis.
- The best way to avoid HIV and AIDS is to practice safe sex and avoid medical equipment and needles that have been used before.
- Instead, they make friends with other drug users who inject drugs and treat them as their “new family” (since these friends can “understand” their reason for drug use).
- In fact, we recommend that you not touch the items inside of the kit for any reason unless you absolutely have to.
What are Track Marks?
If you suspect that your family or friend is suffering from IV drug abuse, it’s important to confirm it as soon as possible for immediate action. Physical and behavioral signs of IV drug use must be considered to confirm your suspicion and save someone’s life. Shooting up drugs poses medical risks that may put the user in grave danger. And as with other methods of consuming addictive drugs, IV drug use can damage one’s mental and emotional well-being. However, it’s not always straightforward to see if someone injects drugs. It’s easy to conceal needle marks and bruises or to deny the fact simply.
Where Are Track Marks Often Found?
- It is also the riskiest method to use in terms of overdose (as compared to sniffing, smoking, or oral administration) because the entire dose enters the body all at once and very quickly.
- Infections are very common in the skin at the site of the injection itself, resulting in an inflamed, red, pus-filled abscess as the body reacts.
- An antitoxin is needed to stop the negative effects of the toxin in your body to treat wound botulism.
For instance, a person injecting drugs might always wear long-sleeved clothes and long pants despite the summer season. Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is another type of infection that is typically only transmitted through blood. HCV infection is 10 times more contagious than HIV, making it a greater concern for people who may be exposed to it. People who get hepatitis C from using drugs have almost always used a needle or medical equipment that has been used by another person.
What Causes Drug Track Marks?
Continual intravenous drug use can cause sudden and significant weight loss. Misusing drugs may provide a false sense of energy, causing the body to need more calories and energy to stay awake for extended periods. One of the most common signs of IV drug misuse is a large amount of weight loss in a few months. While heroin is the most notorious drug used this way, you may be surprised to learn that drug users administer a wide variety of other drugs by this method. Cocaine (including crack), methamphetamine, and morphine are also frequently used this way.
Intravenous injection (mainlining), or injecting a substance directly into the bloodstream through a vein, is one of the fastest ways to deliver a drug into your system. It is also the riskiest method to use in terms of overdose (as compared to sniffing, smoking, or oral administration) because the entire dose enters the body all at once and very quickly. Injecting intravenously usually gives the user a “rush” that many people report to be extremely pleasurable, a sensation that does not occur with intramuscular or subcutaneous injection.
These track mark scars are often permanent and highly stigmatizing, only fading slowly with time after a person stops injecting drugs. This will result in a less painful injection and may prevent the soreness you usually feel the following day or two. When injecting into a muscle, insert the needle in one quick stab straight into the injection site at a 90° angle to the body. You definitely want to draw your plunger back slightly to make sure no blood comes into the syringe. If blood does appear, you’ve hit a blood vessel and need to pull out and try again. Also, chances are that if you’re shooting coke, you’ll be injecting many times in a short period of time with perhaps only several minutes between each injection.
