Chemsex support at 56 Dean Street

Important:

• Never inject below your waist
• Avoid injecting into your hands or feet
• Never inject deeper than 5mm or you may hit an artery or a nerve. Arteries are deeper and harder to pierce than veins, the blood is brighter and it will spurt rather than ooze
• Never inject into a site that is sore, swollen or tender
• Don’t inject into the same spot two times in a row. Vary your injecting sites to give the vein a break and to recover
• Don’t bend your elbow to stop the bleeding – apply pressure and hold the bleeding site

Safer injecting practices

• If you are injecting it is safer to do it yourself if you can, you then have power over of the situation. You can practice safer injecting practices like being hygiene aware and can stop if you feel something is wrong.
• Never use alone. Having someone else there is important if your body reacts in a way you did not expect
• Wash your hands with warm soapy water before and after injecting
• Never let a used fit come into contact with a group mix. No matter how well it has been cleaned everyone must have their own fit, water, spoon and filter
• Stock up on equipment so you don’t run out, always get more than you think you will need
• Always mix up on a clean space (wipe with a clean cloth and soapy water or use new swabs)
• Clean your spoon before mixing up (wipe once with a new swab)

• If you can’t wash your hands use single wipes with new swabs. Remember – rubbing swabs backwards and forwards spreads the dirt and bacteria around
• Stop the flow of blood after injecting with clean cotton wool, tissues or clean toilet paper
• Have your own tourniquet and don’t share it, wash it regularly to remove blood
• Rinse your fit with clean, cold tap water straight after your hit to help remove traces of blood
• If you keep your own fit, mark it and keep it somewhere safe
• Always dispose of injecting equipment in a disposal container or a puncture-proof container with a child-proof lid. If possible return the container to your local needle and syringe exchange programme
• Don’t re-use swabs, filters or open water ampoules as they can become contaminated once opened. Dispose of them with your fits or inside two plastic bags
• Be aware of blood on sleeves and clothes – if you get blood on your clothes, tourniquet or other washable items wash them immediately
• If someone is helping you inject, make sure they wash their hands before and after

Injecting over a long period of time can result in:

• Blocked blood vessels (caused by things mixed or cut with the drugs)
• Inflamed blood vessels and abscesses
• Damage to vital organs such as the liver, heart or lungs
• Injecting may also increase the risk of becoming dependent on the drug thereby exposing you to serious mental health problems

Health risks of Crystal Meth

• Long or rougher crystal-fuelled sex sessions can cause the genitals, mouth or anus to become irritated, sore or bleed. This may not be noticed at the time, but it can increase the risk of HIV, Hepatitis C and other sexually transmitted infections being passed on.
• Due to increasing the body temperature, heart beat and blood pressure, it can increase the risk of heart attack, stroke, coma or death
• Comedowns can leave a person exhausted, aggressive and paranoid, in some cases even suicidal.
• People can develop stomach problems such as acid reflux or gastritis due to not eating for a long period of time.
• With long-term use, crystal meth can damage the lungs, nose and mouth and lead to lasting mental health problems, even after quitting the drug. It can also interact dangerously with other recreational and prescription drugs
• People may find quitting crystal very difficult and its effects on the brain can last long after giving the drug up.

Useful to know

• Injecting is best avoided. It’s the quickest way to getting addicted and runs the risk of serious health problems (skin abscesses, collapsed veins, blood poisoning and heart infections).
• Sharing injecting equipment puts you at high risk of getting or passing on HIV, Hepatitis C and other infections.
• Using hot pipes might injure your mouth and if you share them it risks passing on infections like hepatitis C and HIV.
• Condoms are more likely to break after about half an hour of use. So during long sex sessions it makes sense to check condoms regularly and put a fresh one on after 30 minutes.

Although Mephedrone (Meph) is now illegal, it developed popularity in 2009 along with other so called “Legal Highs”. It is a stimulant that causes speediness and euphoric effects.

Psychological dependance is common with Mephedrone. If you’re worried this applies to you come and see us.

Mephedrone is most often a powder and can be snorted, mixed with a drink, “bombed” (wrapped in paper or put in a capsule and swallowed), booty-bumped (syringed up the anus) or injected.

Meph is very irritant and commonly causes inflammation.

Snorting the drugs can cause nose bleeds. Swallowing it mixed with a drink can cause a sore throat.. It is particularly damaging to your veins. The best harm reduction advice (besides not doing it at all) would be to “bomb” it in a paper wrap or capsule, to avoid the aggravation to nostrils, veins and throat.

Side effects include heart palpitations, anxiety, sleeplessness, temperature fluctuations and in some cases hallucinations and fainting.

Recreational Use

• Always be responsible for your own dosing. Always.
• Avoid mixing GHB/GBL with alcohol and ketamine as this increases your chance of ‘going under’ or having fits and coma
• Take appropriate doses at appropriate time intervals. A commonly used dose would be between 0.5ml and 1ml. Never dose again within the same 3 hour period
• Stick to your own doses and times. Don’t accept GHB/GBL from friends just because it’s being offered
• Use a measured dropper bottle or syringe to measure your doses. Never just pour it casually into a cup and never drink from the bottle or from someone else’s drink

Dependence

• If you use GHB/GBL regularly for a long weekend you might find yourself feeling anxious, sweaty and shaky the week after or unable to sleep. These are the first signs of dependence (addiction). Even though a shot of GHB/GBL would alleviate these symptoms, resist the urge to take GHB/GBL and try to ride out these early signs with rest and stress free activities.
• If you have become dependent on GHB/GBL, your withdrawals will be shakes, sweats, sleeplessness and extreme anxiety. In this case, you should continue taking your GHB/GBL in regular amounts at regular time intervals. Then you can seek medical advice from a drugs advisor at 56 Dean Street, Antidote, your local borough drug service, or GP
• Keep a record of your doses and times, to stabilise your use and reduce chaotic ups and downs.
• If you’re experiencing withdrawals and have no GHB/GBL you should go to A&E and be honest about your situation. This is the safest course of action as withdrawals can be dangerous.
• Try not to panic, help is available

NOTE:

GHB and GBL are not the same thing; GHB is the chemical produced in the body when we drink GBL. (The liver converts the GBL to GHB after ingestion.) And sometimes, though less commonly, GHB is a different form of the drug that can come as a powder or liquid, different from GBL. In regard to the effects on the body, they are essentially the same; but when it comes to dosing, it is important to understand the difference.

GBL is the most commonly used form of the drug, and the one you are most likely to find available on the internet, often sold as a liquid cleaning solvent. Concentrations of GBL when bought on the internet rarely vary enough to cause concern in regard to dosing. Take appropriate doses at appropriate time intervals. A commonly used dose of GBL might be between 0.5ml and 1ml. Never dose again within the same 3 hour period. If unsure or inexperienced, always start with the lowest dose, and if it doesn’t work after 45 minutes, you might increment up; in this case, make sure your second dose is never more than half of your first dose.

GHB is less commonly available than GBL; sometimes sold as a powder to be mixed with water (never sniffed, never injected), and sometimes already mixed and in liquid form (liquid GHB). This would be more likely to have been sold to you by a dealer or on the dark web, than via traditional internet shopping. GHB in liquid form (not GBL) is perhaps the most dangerous way to ingest the drug, as the concentration can vary enormously. Some samples of liquid GHB in Holland measured between 350 and 550 mg/ml; but without testing your sample, there is really no way of knowing the concentration of your liquid GHB, so be extremely careful. Don’t assume anything. Carefully check the concentration with your source before calculating your dosage. 2.5ml of liquid GHB might be a safe dose to start with – but again, there are no guarantees, and be sure that it is GHB and not GBL you are using, as a 2.5ml dose of GBL could be fatal.

Always start with a low dose to determine if it works for you, and if there is no effect after 45 minutes, increment up gently with a second dose; this second dose should never be more than half of your first dose.

Whether it is GHB or GBL you are using, appropriate dosing vary person to person, depending on body weight, how much sleep you’ve had, when you ate last, other drugs you might have taken, and other factors. Alcohol and Ketamine are especially dangerous in this regard, and should never be used with GHB/GBL.

Both GHB and GBL are drugs that can develop into a physical dependence, and if this kind of addiction develops, you should not consider stopping “cold turkey” without advice from a doctor or drugs worker, as these withdrawal symptoms can be dangerous, and sometimes fatal. Sexual assaults, poor choices around safer sex, and overdsoses (sometimes fatal) are commonly reported consequences of GHB and GBL.

More GHB/GBL harm reduction tips from our friends at Drugs.ie can be found here.

 

DEPENDENT GHB/GBL USE

If you are using GHB or GBL dependently (multiple times daily, for more than 2 weeks), then it is advisable that you are assessed for a medically supervised detox. A GHB/GBL detox is not a service that 56 Dean Street can provide; you would need to contact your local borough drug & alcohol service. Below is a list of the London services that provide GHB/GBL detoxes; if your own borough is not there, or if you have no formal connections to a London borough (eg, residence, GP, hostel) then come to see us at 56 Dean Street Chemsex support and we will explore options for you.

TRI BOROUGH (WESTMINSTER – KENSINGTON&CHELSEA – HAMMERSMITH & FULHAM)

CLUB DRUG CLINIC

http://clubdrugclinic.cnwl.nhs.uk/

 

BARKING & DAGENHAM

RED LION SERVICE

https://www.changegrowlive.org/content/red-lion-service-barking-dagenham

 

BARNET

WPD – BARNET RECOVERY CENTRE

http://www.wdp.org.uk/find-us/london/barnet-0

 

BEXLEY

THE PIER ROAD PROJECT

https://www.bexley.gov.uk/services/public-health/drug-and-alcohol-services

 

BRENT

WPD – BRENT RECOVERY & WELLBEING SERVICE

http://www.wdp.org.uk/find-us/brent

BROMLEY

BDAS  – BROMLEY DRUG AND ALCOHOL SERVICE

https://www.changegrowlive.org/content/bromley-drug-alcohol-service-bdas

 

CAMDEN AND ISLINGTON

GRIP CLUB DRUGS SERVICE

https://www.candi.nhs.uk/services/grip-club-drugs-service

 

CITY OF LONDON

WDP

http://www.wdp.org.uk/get-help/club-drugs

 

CROYDON

CROYDON RECOVERY NETWORK

http://www.turning-point.co.uk/croydon-recovery-network.aspx

 

EALING

CGL – EALING RISE

http://www.ealingrise.org.uk/

 

ENFIELD

ENABLE – ENFIELD DRUG AND ALCOHOL SERVICE

http://www.beh-mht.nhs.uk/mental-health-service/mh-services/enable-enfield-alcohol-and-drug-service.htm

GREENWICH

CGL – ASPIRE GREENWICH

https://www.changegrowlive.org/content/greenwich-aspire

 

HACKNEY

HACKNEY RECOVERY SERVICE

http://hackneyrecoveryservices.org.uk/

 

HARINGEY

THE GROVE

http://www.beh-mht.nhs.uk/mental-health-service/mh-services/the_grove_drug_treatment_service_haringey.htm

 

HARROW

WPD – HARROW RECOVERY SERVICE

http://www.wdp.org.uk/find-us/london/harrow-0

 

HAVERING

WPD – HAVERING

http://www.wdp.org.uk/find-us/london/havering

 

HILLINGDON

WPD – ARCH

http://www.wdp.org.uk/find-us/london/hillingdon

 

HONSLOW

iHEAR PARTNERSHIP

http://www.ihearpartnership.org/

 

KINGSTON 

KINGSTON WELLBEING SERVICE

https://www.kingstonwellbeingservice.org/

 

LAMBETH

CHEMCLINIC

http://www.slam.nhs.uk/our-services/service-finder-details?CODE=SU0995

 

LEWISHAM

CGL – LEWISHAM

https://www.changegrowlive.org/content/new-direction-lewisham

 

MERTON 

WDP – MERTON

http://www.wdp.org.uk/find-us/london/merton

 

NEWHAM

CGL – NEWHAM RISE

https://www.changegrowlive.org/content/cgl-newham-rise

 

REDBRIDGE 

WDP – REDBRIDGE

http://www.wdp.org.uk/find-us/london/redbridge

 

RICHMOND 

RICHMOND INTEGRATED RECOVERY SERVICE

https://www.changegrowlive.org/content/richmond-integrated-recovery-service

 

SOUTHWARK

CGL

https://www.changegrowlive.org/content/cgl-southwark

 

TOWER HAMLETS

RESET

https://www.elft.nhs.uk/service/362/Reset—Tower-Hamlets-Drug-and-Alcohol-Service

 

WALTHAM FOREST

CGL – WALTHAM FOREST

https://wwWER HAMLETSw.changegrowlive.org/content/cgl-waltham-forest-chingford

 

WANDSWORTH

WANDSWORTH COMMUNITY DRUG AND ALCOHOL SERVICE

https://www.addaction.org.uk/services/wandsworth-community-drug-and-alcohol-service

• There is a risk of HIV transmission from fisting if the fister (the guy doing the fisting) has cuts or sores on his hand or wrist
• It is easy to damage the lining of the rectum when fisting, so if fisting is followed by condomless anal sex the risk of transmission of HIV and Hepatitis C to either partner is much higher.
• Using oil-based lube (such as Crisco) for fisting can cause problems if you have anal sex afterwards. This is because the oil damages the rubber that’s used in most condoms. Either use a water-based lubricant or switch to non-latex condoms which are not affected.

• If more than one person is being fisted, HIV or Hepatitis C could be passed from one fistee to another via anal mucus or blood carried on the fist
• It’s best to have your own pot of lube. Sharing lube can also lead to the transmission of HIV and other STIs, as the pot can become contaminated with others blood or anal mucus
• Hepatitis A and gut infections like salmonella and shigella (causing fever, diarrhoea with blood and mucus) can get passed on if anything gets passed to the mouth

Shared dildos and butt plugs can pass on infections. Wash sex toys thoroughly after use, using warm soapy water or a sterilising fluid designed for baby bottles.

Alternatively use a condom on it and change it between partners.

Using sex toys may cause microscopic damage inside. You may not notice anything but it may increase the chance of HIV transmission if followed by condomless sex.

Shared penile toys such as Fleshlights can also pass on infections As with dildos, you should wash them thoroughly after use, using warm soapy water or a sterilising fluid designed for baby bottles.

Using other household objects can be very dangerous. If you do, avoid anything with sharp edges or anything that may break inside you. If it doesn’t have a base, be careful not to let it go too deep inside you. If you lose anything inside go to A&E.