Getting Off: The Basics of Safer Injection

Hepatitis causes inflammation in the liver, which can have serious side effects. On average, approximately 80% of people do not exhibit any symptoms of hepatitis. If bacteria reach the blood vessels, it can result in a severe vascular infection. In addition to the germs present on the skin, an infection can occur from a contaminated needle that carries bacteria or germs. When a contaminated needle is used, it directly introduces the bacteria into the body and potentially the bloodstream.

Needle and Syringe Exchange Program (NSEP)

• This toxin is thought to cause the symptoms of cotton fever, but it is not something that causes a lasting effect in the body.
• HIV is a chronic autoimmune disease that can occur from a contaminated needle.
• One of the immediate dangers is the risk of infections and skin-related issues.
• Those who regularly inject drugs are at a higher risk of developing an infection at the injection site.

This approach aids in the management of withdrawal symptoms and curbs cravings. Intravenous drug use poses significant health risks and complications that can have long-lasting consequences for an individual’s well-being. Also, more severe damage like collapsed veins is a side effect of track marks. Our residential services and compassionate iv drug use healthcare providers will give you the support and guidance you need to carry your recovery through the rest of your life. Along with financial stress, relationship issues, legal jeopardy, and other personal problems, opiate abuse and stimulant injection can also profoundly damage a person’s body and brain over time.

What Types Of Drugs Do People Inject Intravenously?

We provide innovative treatments, including withdrawal management, trauma therapy programs and relapse prevention. Our team takes a compassionate approach to treatments and is there to help patients along their sobriety journeys. A potential overdose needs to be addressed and treated immediately by a medical professional.

Public Health Problems Related to IV Drug Use

You can also use the front surface of your thighs about six inches above your knee to about six inches below your hip, or the outer surfaces of your upper arms between your shoulder and your elbow. Always be careful to avoid nerves, blood vessels, or bones, and rotate injection sites to avoid bruising, abscess formation, and the like. It is not uncommon for your muscle to be sore for a few days after an injection. HIV is a chronic autoimmune disease that can occur from a contaminated needle. IV drug users, especially those who share needles, are at an increased risk of developing HIV.

Mental Health

Equally important is promoting empathy, which entails recognizing that addiction is a disease rather than a personal failure. It involves acknowledging that individuals bearing track marks may grapple with various physical, emotional, and social challenges. Encouraging empathy necessitates listening without judgment, offering support, and refraining from employing stigmatizing language or attitudes. One of the immediate dangers is the risk of infections and skin-related issues. Repeated injections can lead to bacterial or fungal infections at the injection sites, which can progress to abscesses, cellulitis, or ulcers. These infections can cause pain, swelling, redness, and the need for medical intervention.

• For those seeking addiction treatment for themselves or a loved one, our calls are confidential and are available for 24/7 help.
• Local infection in the skin results in the body’s immune system trying to defend itself from the infection by sending white blood cells to the infected area.
• It is also used to administer blood or electrolytes to stabilize imbalances.
• Latency in HIV can last as long as 10 to 15 years, preventing people from receiving a proper medical diagnosis if they are asymptomatic.
• These can consist of 30-day inpatient treatment programs or a longer-term rehab program that can last several months.
• IV drug use can increase the risk of developing an abscess significantly, as well as skin infections and inflammation.

The severity of a drug overdose will depend on the type and quantity of the drug taken. An overdose can cause serious medical complications and can result in permanent damage or even death in the most severe cases. Only a professional can diagnose a substance use disorder and prescribe medication that may encourage long-term healing. Consulting with your primary care physician or a mental health professional is a good place to start when you decide to get help. Professional help can provide the structure and experienced guidance that can make a difference on the path to recovery. As IV drug addiction can distract someone from functioning properly at work and business, it’s common for the victims to face financial hardships.

• But over time, the site can be painful, so the drug abuser is usually forced to use the veins in their other body parts such as legs, hands, and feet.
• In this respect, injecting drugs is similar to smoking and snorting drugs, though injection drug use is the single fastest route of administration.
• This same mode of operation is used by prescription opioids such as OxyContin.
• While this typically results in a longer high, it is also less intense and delayed for some people.
• An overdose can cause serious medical complications and can result in permanent damage or even death in the most severe cases.
• Heroin, cocaine, and amphetamine are three drugs that are commonly administered intravenously.

This change between DSM-IV and DSM-V in substance-related disorders means the movement froma categorical view to dimensional approach. They typically change their habits to spend more time consuming their drugs. So, people shooting up might be more anxious, defensive, combative, and paranoid at times because of the extreme stimulation brought by the drug. So, in hopes of achieving the same level of pleasure they want, drug addicts try injecting for a near-instant and more intense effect. BetterHelp can connect you to an addiction and mental health counselor. This same mode of operation is used by prescription opioids such as OxyContin.

Even in hospital settings, where IV drugs are routinely prescribed and used, these medications require additional monitoring and cannot normally be given outside of the hospital. Infections near injection sites can become severe and cause necrotizing fasciitis, also known as a “flesh-eating disease,” or cellulitis. However, areas on the leg, neck, hand, foot, or groin are sometimes used. IV drugs are often preferred over oral capsules because intravenous injection gets the desired substance to the brain much faster.

• After you inject into these muscles, you might be sore for a day or two.
• For those who misuse IV drugs, Staphylococcus aureus is the most common infectious agent that results in septic arthritis.

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When a virus, bacteria or other germs are introduced and trapped beneath the skin, an abscess can form. Local infection in the skin results in the body’s immune system trying to defend itself from the infection by sending white blood cells to the infected area. The immune system causes swelling to develop, and pus is created from the combination of white blood cells, germs and damaged tissues. Despite being administered the same way, each drug of use has a different method of action.