It is quite common for some people to feel pain in their body after injecting drugs. Here are several reasons for it and some suggestions on how to avoid this pain.
1 The needle may have pierced the lymphatic system
Even though this situation is very rare, it is necessary to bring it up. The lymphatic system is as dense as the circulatory system, but the problem is whether the injection is in the right place, such as the medial defect, hip circumference, lateral and groin, where there are basically no lymph nodes. If the lymph nodes are injected, the pain will definitely be severe and the swelling will be very severe. The pain may also pass along the lymphatic system to the next lymph gland. Unlike edema caused by tissue irritation that only occurs on the muscle, the edema of lymph puncture will occur evenly between and inside the muscles, with moderate swelling just under the skin, which will give it a softer and loose feeling, which can be tested by pressing the swollen area with your fingers.
In this case, it is recommended to use ice and ibuprofen to relieve pain and reduce swelling. Also note that the affected area must be rested, because the user’s pain and swelling will begin to disperse after 72 hours and last for at least 10 days. The local area cannot be massaged during this time.
2 Tissue irritation.
This is the most likely cause of pain after injection, and it is also the least serious cause. Tissue irritation may begin 12-24 hours after injection, and the pain is classified as mild to moderate depending on the tissue irritation and the amount of injection. The muscles at the injection site may be swollen. Swelling and pain will begin to subside after 72 hours, and the most severe cases can last for more than a week. It is important to note that the most likely cause of tissue irritation is when the steroid hormone flows out of the solution in the depot, because this causes the crystallization of the steroid hormone, which in turn puts a lot of pressure on the nerve endings in the muscle belly, causing pain, knotting and swelling. This is very common in long-chain esters (i.e. steroids). Another reason may be the reaction of the acid compound in the ester. This occurs when the metabolic decomposition of the ester attached to the hormone-free ester forms the released acid, which in the step causes the muscle tissue to be rapidly irritated at the injection site.
3 Excessive preservatives (bacteriostatics) or when too much benzyl alcohol is used to prepare the solution inflammation, pain may result.
Pharmaceutical grade usually contains 0.9% benzyl alcohol. Common underground lab products contain 2% on average. Also keep in mind that anything above 1.2% will not add to the antimicrobial effect. Due to the water soluble nature of benzyl alcohol, tissue irritation of this nature is known to travel as excess alcohol is dispersed through the bloodstream. This is most commonly injected into the quads, or laterals, as the pain is felt downward toward the knee. Ice and ibuprofen may help with swelling, as well as hot baths, showers, and massaging the injection site, as this may help distribute the injection and reduce pain.
4 Injection site infection and abscesses, which are probably the worst causes of injection pain.
An infection will start in the same manner as tissue irritation with localized pain and swelling, along with warmth and redness around the muscle. The main difference is that after 72 hours the tissue irritation should begin to subside, and if the area does become infected, this pain and swelling will become worse. The swelling naturally changes to become more systemic, and edema begins to form as the skin becomes softer and more delicate.
Note that infection can manifest for many reasons (like poor injection technique), so you must ensure that the injection site and the rubber stopper (cap of the vial) are clean and wiped with alcohol. Also, allow the alcohol to dry on the skin before preparing for the injection. It is very rare, but if the alcohol does not dry, the bacteria does not have enough time to be killed. If this partially destroyed bacteria is then pushed into the muscle via an intramuscular injection, the bacteria can evolve into a superbug. Always make sure to use a clean, new syringe barrel and needle, and do not allow the needle to touch anything before injecting. And try not to inject too quickly, as injecting too quickly can increase the risk of infection, as this in turn increases injection injury. The last cause of infection can also be contaminated medication. In my experience, infections with oily injections are rare (they are generally oily).
5 Injecting the same site multiple times.
If the same injection site is injected again and again without giving it time to recover, the risk of infection increases greatly. The more injuries there are, the more likely it is to become infected.