Been on the hydromorph for close to 10 years.. On and off. Recently started shooting them. Im being safe, learned from an experienced "friend". Always using new rigs, going in on an angle, picking different spots.

I guess my question is, how long does a vein have before it collapses? I only shoot hydromorph. No heat. Nothing else. I use the little filters that come with harm reduction bags / stericups etc.

So anyway I dont use the same exact spot until the mark from the previous use has fully healed. Both of my arms have 2 really good veins that are easy to hit (the ones in the crook of the elbow that run down your forearm). So I've been going up and down on those veins. Im noticing the one on my left arm is starting to hide a little bit now though (initially I was only using my left arm, now I can do both). I havent missed any shots, havent blown a vein out. I may have gone through once because it left a little bruise, about the size of a nickel.

So, any veterans can tell me how long a good vein has if I keep hitting it with hydromorph? If i keep going up and down along the vein, so that way i never actually hit the exact same spot more than once a week, maybe more, will it stay good for a while? Basically I guess im asking if its mostly the scar tissue building up from the needle in the same spot that collapses the vein, or is it the act of shooting in a foreign substance? (im sure its a little bit of both) .. I guess im looking for a general timeline even though its impossible to give. Like if you rotate your spots, use fresh rigs can a vein last months? weeks? days?

I am planning on quitting soon (again). I have some suboxones for the first few days. Wont be easy. I know I CANNOT keep shooting these for much longer. And I want to stop before I do any permanent and severe damage to my veins.

Any and all advice / tips are appreciated. Yes, I know this is bad, I know where it leads. Ive been using these drugs for a decade, friends have died, others are pincushions with scarred arms. I'm not gonna kid myself and say I wont end up like them because addiction is a bitch, but im going back to NA meetings, im gonna work the program (it works if you work it.. for real) and I just wanna be as safe as possible until then.

Stay safe everyone. Remember this hell we put ourselves in does not have to be permanent. Don't lose hope. If you ever need someone to talk to, or reach out, or have questions about NA, or youre in withdrawal and just need to hear that it gets better, message me.

Thanks guys.