Needle Marks

Syringes and needles are among the most dangerous means of drug administration. Intravenous routes of drug administration deliver the injected substance directly into your bloodstream, thereby creating an almost immediate effect which is usually intense. This is why it is a popular means of substance abuse.

What Is an Intravenous Route Of Drug Use?

The intravenous route, or what is also known as IV drug use, means the drug is injected directly into the bloodstream, through the veins, by using a needle and a syringe. Using needles and syringes to inject drugs below the skin, or into the muscle, is not the same as the intravenous route, as these do not deliver the substance directly into the bloodstream.

The veins which are most often used are those which are in the crook of the arm. If you are injecting the drug yourself, you will normally inject the substance using your dominant hand to insert the needle into the other one’s blood vessel, because this makes it easier. Your dominant hand is the one you use more frequently, especially when writing. There are some who will have their friends or fellow drug users inject the drug for them into their dominant arm.

The groin, hand, foot, and leg are other locations in which users often inject drugs intravenously. I is possible to use different locations for injecting drugs if trying to hide the needle marks. Sometimes, people are forced to use a different location if the primary injecting site is becoming scarred or inflamed.

Such scarring or inflammations can be seen by others, thus the user hides them and transfers the injection zone into another vessel. This is one of the ways you can notice if a loved one is using heroin or other injectable substances.

What Type of Drugs Are Administered Intravenously?

Drugs which are commonly injected the IV route include:

Some of these drugs are sometimes mixed and injected together. Drugs such as opioids are mixed with cocaine and heroin. While this can be extremely dangerous, some individuals do it for the added pleasurable effects.

What Causes Needle Marks?

Chronic drug abuse: Using the same spot or site to inject drugs over a long period of time will lead to skin and vein damage in that location. This will eventually cause scar formation.

Impure drugs: Improperly processed drugs contain impurities and contaminants in them. Most illicit drugs are rarely properly purified, as they are usually mixed or cut with other substances. The toxins in them will eventually build up at the site where you inject, leading to dark-coloured needle marks.

Do Needle Marks Go Away?

Needle marks do not always go away when you stop intravenous drug abuse. Some needle marks can still be visible after five years of stopping IV drug abuse. This depends on the different stage of inflammation and wounding reached while injecting. You may consider needle marks as scars.

There are programmes which can help you overcome IV drug abuse, and help you on your way to a healthier life. They will help you tamper off the drug use and slowly, but more securely, help your body and mind heal from the need of drugs.