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  • Tomboymoder [she/her, it/its]
    ·
    2 months ago
    medical fears

    can't tell if part of my subq needle snapped off when I was doing my injection or not. niko-concern

    • rayne [she/her]
      ·
      2 months ago

      Do you have a new needle that you can compare it with?

      They really shouldn't snap off. The tip can get dull.

      And yeah, people get metal lodged in that layer. My dad has a chunk in his arm from doing construction. It never caused issues.

      It won't get to your heart or anything. But it could damage tissue if it's sharp and possibly cause an immune response.

      Stainless steel though, it's unlikely to cause immune issues.

    • Tomboymoder [she/her, it/its]
      ·
      2 months ago
      continued

      my gf said even if a little bit is stuck in the skin/fat layer it can't get to the heart or stuff like that, but she's not a doctor, should I believe her? niko-cri

      • TerminalEncounter [she/her]
        ·
        2 months ago

        Wow, I mean, they're pretty bendy so I'd be surprised if they totally snapped cause also subq tissue isn't exactly firm either. What makes you so sure it snapped?

        Yes, it can happen that a piece of a needle can get into a vein - but you have to be aiming for a vein. You almost certainly didn't get it into a vein where it will travel to your heart/lungs/kidneys whatever because you were aiming for subq tissue and not a vein. It can happen with IV drug users (or in a hospital accident of course). This is pretty rare and it usually requires very dull very used needles or some really weird flailing or something. Believe it or not, there's people who do body mods where they purposefully leave things in subcutaneous tissue and it doesn't move to the heart. There was a group that did this with small magnets in their finger tips so they could feel magnetic fields! (The magnets were coated in a non biodegradable and body safe wrapping, I think gold).

        Depending on your injection site, you might be able to flash a flashlight really really close to your skin and see what's there (you can see veins this way! It's neat). You could also measure the needle - the size should be on the packaging, measure the needle you have to how long the packaging says it should be. If you're really really scared, you can get it checked in an xray - I know it's not free but it's something.

        One of the main dangers with foreign bodies in your veins is embolization, so if whatever limb you injected to is starting to hurt in a weird way or starting to get more puffy than the other, go check in emerg (it'll be obvious, not a "oh I don't know if it's happening" check out DVT photos and compare the affected leg to the non-affected leg). Your lungs tend to catch embolism and foreign bodies in veins rather than fucking up your heart or brain, you got a lot of mucous and a whole lot of proteins that'll grab on to the foreign body. If it's in your lungs, you will notice it will not be a "oh I dunno." You'll be breathing like 40+ resps a minute and feel pain. Now, the trouble is that panic attacks also feel like that 😭 so if you're getting especially anxious and have had panic attacks before, think a panic attack before an embolism.

        You will be safe. It's okay. You have your gf, you have a good head on your shoulders, you know when and where to go for help, you know the warning signs, it'll be okay.

        • Tomboymoder [she/her, it/its]
          ·
          2 months ago

          I'm not sure it snapped, my hand just shook when injecting and I heard a noise and there was bleeding.

          • TerminalEncounter [she/her]
            ·
            2 months ago

            Bleeding is normal. A lil shaking is nothing (seriously, they're very very bendy). The noise mightve been the retraction.

    • magi [null/void]
      ·
      2 months ago

      Do you have any redness, swelling or sensitivity around the area?

        • magi [null/void]
          ·
          2 months ago

          If it's in the skin and nowhere to go your body will probably isolate it with scar tissue if it can't expel it. Similar thing happens with piercings

          Keep an eye on it though for swelling or signs of infection, but you should be fine.

          • Tomboymoder [she/her, it/its]
            ·
            2 months ago

            I'm not even positive anything did snap, the sound could of just been it flicking out of the skin idk

            • magi [null/void]
              ·
              2 months ago

              That's possible, but it won't do you any harm keeping an eye on it anyhow. Just try not to worry too much, you should be okay