Source
r/opiates•
drbea

Best/cleanest cottons for IV use?

Used to always use qtips but not very clean I'm sure (got endocarditis multiple times and had a close call the last time) , what would be the best alternative? Just some store bought sterile cottons? Been thinking of doing 1 shot a day instead of snorting my 0.03 like I have been doing the past few years now (this is after being a very heavy IV user, long break from it from a 4 month hospital stay). I just know it's too good but the risk for more endo is too much so that'd hopefully stop me from overdoing it. I really shouldn't be IVing at all but it's so tempting..should be okay if I do it with fresh rigs every time, alc swabs etc but there's always a chance. and I've been having p bad gi issues I'm guessing from snorting the dope and the drip getting swallowed etc, sniffing it had become kinda meh too. Sorry ranting a bit I'm just torn, don't wanna get sick again but the rush sounds so delish.

Posted Sep 11, 2021, 9:18 PM UTC

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Texshroom•

Used cigarette butt was alway my preferred choice.

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drbeaOP•

Lmao used? I'm looking for sterile..i don't smoke either.. oh i do have a bunch of cotton for building vape coils but I don't think it's sterile

1
Texshroom•

I used cotton off of qtips probably more than anything else and never had an issue

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drbeaOP•

Me too man but eventually I got endocarditis like 4 times..idk if it was cause of the cottons exactly but its a possibility. Bit the bullet and bought some rigs :s kinda scary I'm thinking of only doing IV as a treat here and there..I just dunno what my best bet is for safest, easily obtainable filter. Wanna get some wheels or sum just ordering them to me is a problem. I've got q tips, that giant bag of vape cotton and got some like cotton round things currently tryna think which would be best, probably the qtips cause idk what's in the vape cotton exactly its from China or some shit. Though it does look like it's pretty good quality there's some black bits etc, guessing other plant material but who knows what kinda bacteria is hiding in there. Got alcohol swabs and gonna use a new rig every single shot so im really trying to do it right

1
Texshroom•

I know at the needle exchange they hand out long fiber cotton that is unbleached. I guess the bleaching process can leave trace amounts chemicals. I would think that qtips come pretty sterile. It's probably not the cotton that going to be the problem compared to how dirty dope is.

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1
glitchy_blip•

Something like Sterifilt would better than any cotton.

1
drbeaOP•

That would be ideal but unfortunately I can't really order that..any idea if pharmacies or drug stores or sum have been known to sell it?

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hellocaptin💉 Professor Boof, MD 💉•

Go and buy some sterile micron filters off amazon. That would be your best option.

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ODB2•

anecdotal, but throughout my 3 year i.v. phase I usually used a cig filter and never had an issue. The only time I did have a problem was using a q tip for a filter.

your best bet would be finding some sterile cottons from a needle exchange.

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drbeaOP•

Interesting. Might be better to try and use that cotton for vape coils I have but I have no idea shits from China or some shit lol, I've heard qtips for a filter can be sketchy..iirc some article out there saying how much nasty bacteria is in it, maybe that was just for cotton fever tho.

Thanks, that thought crossed my mind I just didn't wanna have to pay bridge toll to maybe get some sterile cottons. But if they got em maybe its worth.

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ODB2•

I've shot dope with literal mud puddle water and used cigarette filters I've found on the ground and I was straight.

the one time I got "cotton fever" from a q tip it felt like terrible withdrawals.

i laid in a hot bath for hours and shot over a gram of decent dope trying to make it better.

it was weird.

just remember when shooting that shit is going straight to your heart. if you can, use sterile everything. Ive done some grimy ass shit and gotten lucky, but that isn't going to be the case for everyone.

be fucking safe bro.

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drbeaOP•

I will thank you, think I'm gonna mainly stick to sniffing and just shoot once in a while. But when I do ima do it as clean as possible, my old using practices were soo bad.

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Throwforob•

I've always used qtips or occasionally cigarette filters. In 10 years of IV I've never had a problem. Frankly it sounds like you just have bad luck, in which case I wouldn't want to push it. If you are going to and you insist on not buying proper micron filters online then I would make sure everything is sterile: wash your hands, new rig, sterile water, boil the dope, brand new clean cotton, alcohol swipe before poking yourself, etc. I find it unlikely the endocarditis came from using specifically a q tip cotton and more likely from something else.

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drbeaOP•

Yeah for sure, back when I was using really heavily still my using practices were absolutely terrible so that's probably why (usually no alcohol swab, re used rigs, lack of proper hygiene in general etc). Might be more trouble than it's worth, tried it today and got a nice lil rush but was a bit too much since I did my usual snorted dose all in one go as opposed to over multiple hours. Nothing crazy just a bit too high, got a whole box of rigs so I'm not gonna re use any and gonna be as clean as possible. Gotta tread lightly so don't think I should shoot every day, idk sniffing it throughout the day almost seems more enjoyable (not to mention less anxiety).

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Throwforob•

Hey man I feel it I have also had all of those traits but gotten lucky enough to not have endocarditis, it does seem like you might just have bad luck in this area.

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drbeaOP•

It will happen eventually if you shoot especially if practices aren't clean, I was lucky for a whilee when my ex and I used very heavily (.35 at the highest per shot, plus clear). Definitely wasn't clean then, idk how I didn't get endocarditis or worse considering how bad it was. Including fat abscesses that I let pop on their own, shit was so foul.

Guess it caught up to me/my luck ran out cause after she kicked me out and I went clean (ish) for a while then started using small amounts again I got it like 3 or 4 times within a few years. Haven't touched a needle since the last time..till today at least.

I've been using since I was about 15/16 on and off (on mostly) and almost 25 now so yeah been quite a while, maybe it's just my tolly but it seems I might have become kinda sensitive to it? Try and do a tiny bit more h and it's too much. Weed too I only smoke a lil at a time and I'm good, my brain chemistry is prolly fuckedd up.

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Throwforob•

The truth is that I've only ever had one abscess that went away on it's own without popping and that came from missing an entire shot of crack and black tar while living on the street. I also started shooting at about the same age and just got clean 2 months ago at 26. Like I said I definitely got lucky. I was always hygienic by the standards of homeless junkies but not nearly where I should've been.

I will say I've known a lot of junkies and not very many who have had endocarditis if you've had it 4 times I'd begin to think you're somewhat predisposed towards it for whatever reason. Might be worthwhile to quit shooting while you're ahead.

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