What to Understand About the Risks of ‘Skin-Popping’ Drugs
Intravenous injection of drugs like steroids, cocaine, and heroin can be done into the skin with intradermal injection, or subcutaneous and intramuscular injections. This ‘skin-popping’ can lead to health problems, overdose, and even loss of limbs. Drug rehab is a place to look at this issue to gain clarity and determine how best to help them navigate the challenges of abusing drugs. “Skin-popping” is a method by which people take drugs, but is very dangerous compared to others as it is more linked to serious health conditions and complications than anything else.
Why People Do It
For many reasons, people prefer not to inject chemicals into their veins. Getting this right time after time can prove frustrating, so a person may just shoot anywhere they can find to get high. This is the nature of addiction, where it doesn’t matter how a person is affected so long as they get drugs in their system. The drug will absorb more slowly, so feels like the high lasts longer.
Frequently Injected Drugs
When substances are commonly used for intradermal and subcutaneous injection, they are more dangerous and addictive than others. All three have serious risks, including risk of blood-borne infections like HIV and Hepatitis B and C. shooting into a vein may be more likely to cause serious harm, including issues like endocarditits (heart valve infection). Some of the following are the types of drugs injected and how much risk they pose to the body:
- Opiates: these drugs are injected a lot, inspite of consequences. They are classified as central nervous system depressants that cause a person to feel euphoria, disorientation, or numbness. Taking this drug intravenously helps a person achieve a more intense high
- Heroin: this drug is more addictive when injected. The biggest difference is the amount of time it takes to reach the brain. IV injection provides intensity and rapid onset of effects. Intramuscular injection produces a euphoric high within 5 to 8 minutes with effects felt within 10 to 15 minutes
- Heroin overdose stats: overdosing is a real danger for people who use heroin. It is far more common than a person expects. Nearly 54% of people who inject drugs report experiencing at least one non-fatal overdose in their lifetime
- Anabolic steroids: a drug most commonly abused by intramuscluar injection. Muscling occurs when a person injects a substance into the muscle instead of the vein, usually in the arms or legs. This can lead to tissue scarring and abscesses
A word of caution against skin-popping exists because germs then sit inside the muscle and fat tissue just under the skin. These infections continue to grow and can spread to the rest of the body. Tetanus and necrotizing fasciitis (flesh eating disease) can occur, which may lead to death, or in many cases, amputation of limbs or appendages to curb the infection.
Dealing with addiction is never pretty or fun. It is difficult and painful for everyone involved. It may also put a person’s life at risk. If there is a risk of complications to a person’s health, it is worth looking at how an individual can get some help for addiction from a certified rehab center that helps them navigate the journey more effectively, with a focus on healing.
The Palmetto Center is based on a Therapeutic Community model. We help people learn how to live free of addiction. We provide a safe place to detox and do rehab your way, with help from our staff and dedicated professionals who understand the impact of addiction on yours and your family’s lives. Our program provides special focus for professionals including chiropractors, nurses, doctors, lawyers, and more who need help with addiction recovery. Call us to find out more: 866-848-3001.
