Filtering and injecting Morphine - Network Against Prohibition

Filtering Morphine by N.N

page last updated 1326 ACST Friday 03 March 2006

Introduction

Similar to New Zealand and parts of Canada, options for injecting opiophiles in the Top End are pretty much limited to various forms of morphine sulphate. Although the thought of a razor wire thru the veins type rush is horrifying for some people, many users prefer to maintain a habit on morphine than to chase erratic supplies of street drugs. One of the benefits of using morphine is that it is near impossible to cut or tax and thus the dose is always the same strength.

Morphine in its pure form is an odourless white, crystalline powder or needle-like crystals with a bitter taste. Morphine is an S8 drug (schedule 8; all drugs are scheduled, higher numbers mean higher potency), which means it can only be obtained on prescription (and usually with great difficulty.) It is packaged in different forms, as a pill, tablet, liquid or suppository. Commonly used brands include M.S. Contin, Kapanol and Anamorph. These products are intended to be swallowed, however many people prefer to inject them.

Morphine is soluble in water, however the morphine contained in pills and tablets is mixed with chalk or “wax” (microcrystalline cellulose). It is important to know how to extract these additives before you inject. If you inject morphine pills/tablets which are not filtered properly, you are likely to suffer vein problems, including vein collapse and you put yourself at risk of an embolism, an abscess or endocarditis.

An embolism is caused by a large particle (such as a clot, lump of bacteria or foreign matter, such as pill particles) that travels from the place it was formed, or was introduced into the body, to another part of the body, blocking an artery or vein. Embolisms of this kind can be fatal.

An abscess is a collection of pus in a cavity under the skin. It is one of the body’s natural ways of trying to fight infection by localizing an infection so it won’t spread thru your body. An abscess can happen if you miss whilst you are injecting and shoot into your soft muscle or tissue. If the substance you are injecting is not easily absorbed (such a pill solution which has not been filtered properly), contaminants can remain behind and can inflame the area. Repeated injections into the same site can also cause an abscess because there isn’t enough time for the skin to heal. An abscess starts with redness and swelling and develops into a hard lump. It may be hot to touch and appear pussy. You should never squeeze an abscess, as this will cause the infection to spread. It is almost impossible for an abscess to heal without treatment such as antibiotics. If you suspect you have an abscess you should seek medical attention immediately.

Endocarditis is an infection around the valves of the heart which is caused by repeated injection of non-sterile material. Every time you inject a non-sterile liquid solution, you introduce a shower of bacteria, micro-organisms and fungi into your bloodstream. These travel through your body and tend to collect around the valves of the heart. They can gradually build up and cause an infection, weakening your heart. Symptoms of endocarditis include fever, chest pain, shortness of breath and heart palpitations. It can eventually develop into serious conditions such as a leaky valve or a heart murmur. If treated early with antibiotics, endocarditis can be treated successfully.

There are different methods for filtering morphine, depending on what you’re using.

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Wheel filters

Wheel filters are the best way to filter any solution. Wheel filters look like flying saucers and contain gauze which is capable of removing vary fine particles. They come in a variety of sizes, designed to filter specific particles such as chalk or wax. Although it is always better to filter a solution than not, cotton wool and tampons only filter down to about 50 microns, which can still allow particles to enter the bloodstream.

Green wheels* contain 0.8 supor membrane gauze and are best used with hot M.S. Contin mixes. Blue wheels contain 0.2 supor membrane gauze and are best used to filter liquid methadone, or mixes of speed/coke/heroin from bacteria. Some users report they also work well with subutex. Blue wheels are capable of filtering bacteria, which means they are great for people with a lowered immune system (or indeed anyone who wants a super pure taste), however they don’t filter viruses (such as hep c or HIV). Red wheels contain 0.45 supor membrane gauze and are best used with chalky pills such as anamorph or physeptone.

Wheel filters are a bit tricky to master at first, but once you have the hang of them, they’re easy to use and your veins will thank you!!

When you’re using a wheel filter, you need to be patient and keep a steady hand. I always use a clean plate underneath my mix whilst I’m preparing it to minimize the risk of an unhappy accident. Wheel filters work best with 5ml or 10ml barrels. If you use a smaller barrel, such as a 3ml, the equipment has a greater tendency to ‘explode’ when you apply pressure. You should use firm pressure, but not try to force the solution through the filter. If the solution is not going through the filter, you may need to change filters or add more water to the mix.

Remember that wheel filters can only be used to filter solution in one direction. This means that you can either draw the liquid up through the filter or push it through the filter. You can not do both; if you push liquid through the wheel filter, you cannot suck it back up through the same filter. (If you do you will re-contaminate the solution.) Some manufacturers recommend that wheel filters work best with a warm solution, according to them you should aim to filter the solution at around 55 degrees Celsius.

To use a wheel filter most efficiently you need firstly to wet the filter. Wetting a wheel filter removes the air bubbles and to decreases the chances of the filter blocking up.

Attach a clean barrel containing 2 or 3 ml of sterile water to the wheel filter. (You will notice that on either side of the wheel filter are two places to attach a tip and barrel. The tip ‘screws’ in, whilst the barrel is simply inserted and should fit snugly.)

Remember that wheel filters work most effectively with a smooth solution, so it is important to pre-filter the morphine solution before you put it through a wheel filter. The filtering methods described in this article are effective ways of pre-filtering a solution before it’s put through a wheel filter and should always be used if you are injecting without a wheel filter handy.

* Please note that wheel filters from different companies are different colours.

Click here to find out how to get Wheel Filters

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Filtering M.S Contin

Some people prefer to “cook” M.S. Contin pills. This involves removing the grey/orange coating of the pill with a medi-swab or water until the pill is white. The pill is then added to 3ml of water and heated until it disintegrates. The solution is then cooled down and injected. The problem with this method is that the wax in the pill expands with the hot water and traps morphine inside. It is also incredibly dangerous to inject wax. Injecting hot wax will destroy your veins within a very short space of time! If you have to cook your pill, filter the solution with a green wheel filter before you inject!

When injecting M.S Contin it is important to remove the wax from the pill. The best way to do this may be time consuming, but it is ultimately worth it. You will get the most amount of drug from your mix and will help to preserve your veins. You will need a minimum of 3 x 5ml fits, (one for drawing up the solution, one for filtering and one to put the final product in), one table spoon (for mixing in), one tea spoon (for crushing the pill), a handful of medi-swabs, a sheet of orange and grey tip needles, 5ml of sterile water and a ball of clean cotton wool.

Firstly remove the orange/grey coating until the pill is totally white. Next crush the pill between 2 sterile surfaces. The more you crush the pill the better. You can do this between a table spoon and tea spoon which have been medi-swabbed. Try to get the pill to a fine powder. Add 3ml of sterile water to the powder. You need 3ml of water for each tablet you want to inject. It doesn’t matter how strong the pill is, you still need 3ml of water to get the wax out.

Next stir the solution with the aim of trying to break down the white powder as much as possible. If you have crushed the pill to a fine power you should have a milky solution which will contain tiny white particles. You should stir the solution constantly. The longer you leave the solution the better. 8 minutes is the best, though 5 minutes is sufficient. Any less and you are not utilizing the full potential of the pill.

You don’t need to heat this solution. If you have prepared it properly, it should be a smooth, lump less liquid which will draw up easily. Suck the liquid up into a clean barrel without using a tip. Once this is done, put a tip on the end of the barrel with the milky solution in it. An orange tip is usually the best. Put this barrel in a safe place. The next few steps are a little bit trickier. You will need to take your time and keep a steady hand. Stay patient.

Next you need to prepare a filtering barrel. It is integral that your solution is filtered at least once before you inject it.

To prepare a filtering barrel you will need: a ball of clean cotton wool, a 5ml barrel and a tip. Remove the plunger from the barrel and stuff a wad of cotton wool into the end of the barrel until it reaches the 1ml mark. Attach a tip to the end of the barrel. Now transfer the milky solution from the mixing barrel to the filtering barrel. The cotton wool should ‘hold’ the liquid so it doesn’t escape thru the tip of the filtering barrel.

Once you have done this, put the tip of the filtering barrel into the neck of a clean barrel. Now you need to filter the solution. This is done by replacing the plunger in the filtering barrel. As you replace the plunger and begin to apply pressure, the milky liquid will be forced through the cotton wool into the clean barrel. (If it’s easier you can also squirt the liquid from the filtering barrel into a spoon and draw it up in a clean fit again later).

The solution should be totally clear and have a watery constitution. You should re-filter this solution by putting it through a wheel filter. If you don’t have a wheel filter handy you should refilter the solution through a new filtering barrel with a new piece of cotton wool.

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Filtering Anamorph

Anamorph tablets look a bit like a Panadol tablet; they are small and white. Anamorph tablets are the easiest tablets to prepare for injecting. The filtering process is similar to the one described above. You will need a minimum of 3 x 3ml or 5ml barrels (one for ‘shaking’, one for filtering and one for your taste) , a minimum of 3 x tips (grey or orange depending on your preference), a handful of medi-swabs, a ball of clean cotton wool, 5ml of sterile water (preferably hot) and a clean table-spoon.

Place anamorph tablets in a clean barrel and add 2 to 3 ml of hot sterile water. Place a tip on the barrel. Shake the barrel until the tablets dissolve. This usually takes a few minutes of intense shaking. Keep shaking until there are no remnants of the tablets. The liquid you are left with should be a milky, watery solution.

Next you will need to prepare a filtering barrel. You will need a 5ml fit, a piece of clean cotton and a tip. To do this you need to remove the plunger from the filtering fit. Then stuff the cotton wool into the barrel to the 1ml mark. Put a tip onto the end of the filtering barrel.

Now you need to transfer the anamorph solution to the filtering barrel. The cotton wool will ‘hold’ the anamorph solution so it doesn’t escape out of the tip of the filtering barrel. Once the solution is in the filtering barrel you need to replace the plunger. Before you do this, put the tip of the filtering barrel in the neck of a clean barrel. As you exert pressure on the plunger in the filtering barrel, the solution will be forced through the cotton wool into the clean barrel. (You can always squirt the solution from the filtering barrel into a clean spoon then suck it up into a clean barrel if this makes the process less complicated.)

The final solution should be clear and watery. If you have a pill filter, you should use it to filter this solution before you inject it. If you don’t have a wheel filter handy, re-filter the solution using the same process (using new equipment.)

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Filtering Kapanol

Kapanol, or “krapanol” as it is sometimes called, is a clear capsule containing small white balls. To prepare kapanol for injection, you will need a minimum of 3x 5ml barrels, a handful of medi-swabs, a heavy blunt object (such as the butt-end of the handle of a heavy kitchen knife), a minimum of 2x balls of cotton wool, 5ml sterile water, a clean table spoon and a minimum of 3x tips.

Firstly you need to remove the balls from their capsule. This can be tricky; the easiest way to do this may be to carefully open a medi-swab packet, tearing it along the top so that it opens like a pocket. It is important that this pocket is totally dry before you use it.

Carefully open the capsule into the medi-swab packet. (Doing this over a plate will help if you spill any of the balls.) Once all the balls are secure inside the pocket, fold over the lips of the pocket, so that nothing can escape. You should do this once or twice, with the aim of retaining as much space as possible inside the pocket.

Now you will need to crush the balls. This will be noisy and you will need a hard blunt object, such as the end of a heavy kitchen knife. Keep grinding and banging until all the balls have been pulverized. The balls will not totally powder; once they have obtained maximum disintegration state they will look like waxy tears. You should also be left with some powdered substance.

Now you need to empty your powder into a clean spoon (leave the ‘balls’ in the mix.) Add 3 -4mls sterile cold water to the mix. Do not use hot water or heat as this makes the mix gluggy. Stir the mix and try to get the powder to dissolve. The remains of the balls will not dissolve, but you should still be able to achieve a watery constitution. Once you have achieved this, leave the mix to sit for a few minutes. This will allow the particles in the mix to sink to the bottom of the spoon and will make drawing up easier.

Now place a piece of cotton wool over the mix. The cotton wool should be large enough to cover the entire mix, but should only be a fraction thicker than the mix (eg- if the mix measures ½ cm in depth, keep the cotton to no more than ¾ cm deep. If the cotton wool is not thick enough, it will not filter as effectively.) Leave this for 3 or 4 minutes, then place a clean barrel on top of the cotton wool and draw up the solution without using a tip.

Once you have this solution contained in a barrel, put a tip on it and put it in a safe place. Now you will need to make a filtering barrel. Remove the plunger from a clean a barrel. Then stuff a piece of cotton wool into the barrel to the 1ml mark. Put a tip onto the end of the filtering barrel.

Next transfer the milky solution from the drawing barrel to the filtering barrel. The cotton wool should ‘hold’ the liquid so it doesn’t escape thru the tip of the filtering barrel. Put the tip of the filtering barrel into a clean barrel and slowly replace the plunger of the filtering barrel. Slowly apply firm pressure on the plunger so the solution in the filtering barrel is forced thru the cotton wool and tip into the clean barrel. . (You can always squirt the solution from the filtering barrel into a clean spoon then suck it up into a clean barrel if this makes the process less complicated.)

You should be left with a watery solution, which may vary from yellowish to milky. It is important to use a wheel filter with this solution, especially if it is milky coloured. If you don’t have a wheel filter, re-filter the solution in a new filtering barrel with clean cotton wool several times to reduce the milkiness.

Lastly, don’t forget to clean up all your mess! Wipe up blood spills using bleach, dispose of your fits in a puncture proof container and double-bag your swabs and wrappers (put your rubbish in a plastic bag, tie it, and place it inside another tied plastic bag.)

Have fun and good luck in your future filtering efforts!

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How do I get Wheel Filters?

We are based in Australia where we are lucky enough to have needle and syringe programs where we can access wheel filters. We do pay between one and two Australian dollars for each filter and considering that they should generally only be used once this can be very expensive.

If you are lucky enough to live in the Northern Territory you can purchase wheel filters from the NT AIDS and Hepatitis Council Needle and Syringe Programs in Darwin and Alice Springs for Aus$1.50. You may also be able to obtain free wheel filters through the NAPNT Underground emergency needle and syringe distribution service. Click here for details of these services.

Having a site on the World Wide Web means that we are often contacted by people from countries overseas who do not have the easy access to injecting equipment that we do in Australia.

You can purchase wheel filters directly from the manufacturer. The Pall Corporation, Sartorius and Millipore are three companies that manufacture wheel filters of various sizes.

Click here to order wheel filters from the Pall Corporation:

To find an authorised Pall distributor in your country click here.

You can purchase Millex Wheel Filters from Millipore by clicking here.

Click here to purchase wheel filters from Sartorius.

References-

Filtering by Susan McGuckin The Users News, Issue No.36, Sept 2001
Injecting M.S Contin pamphlet VIVAIDS User Group
MIMS Annual 1995
Pall Corporation

Numerous Darwin injectors

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