SELF MEDICATION: drugs, alcohol, and anaesthetic

2007-07-25 05:07 PM | 10 comments

Self Medication is defined as medication of oneself without professional supervision to alleviate an illness, pain or condition, as by using an over-the-counter drug or illegal substance.

Let’s start out by saying, tattoos hurt. They are uncomfortable, and can be painful during healing if not taken care of properly. Sometimes, it may be tempting to “take the edge off” before a tattoo. Here I’ll discuss some of the dangers in self-medicating. We’ll also go over some of the benefits of staying sober and what helps to really “take the edge off”, meanwhile making your healing process easier, and your tattoo artist happy. You’ll be proud to have “Earned” your tattoo, on your own, without depending on drugs or alcohol.

One of the main reasons people self-medicate is the fear of pain. Naturally, tattooing causes some discomfort. The amount of pain a client experiences varies with tattoo placement, how well prepared you are for the tattoo, and your own level of tolerance. Many tattoo “virgins” find the process of getting tattooed much less painful than they first expected. Although each tattooed person will report their own comparison for sensation, many people compare it to a bad sunburn or a cat scratch.

DRUGS:
Drugs are not helpful in the tattoo process. If anything, they make it much much worse, and the effects of your body’s natural painkillers(endorphins) mixing with whatever substances you decide to take, may end up hurting you more. The drugs most popular for recreational use worldwide are:

Alcohol,
Caffeine,
Cannabis (THC),
Tobacco (nicotine),
Betel nut (arecoline),
Khat,
Kratom,
Other substances often used:

Barbiturates, including:
amobarbital (Sodium Amytal®),
aprobarbital (Alurate®),
butabarbital (Butisol®),
butalbital (Fiorinal®),
hexobarbital (Sombulex®),
methylphenobarbital (Mebaral®),
pentobarbital (Nembutal®),
phenobarbital (Luminal®),
secobarbital (Seconal®),
sodium thiopental (Sodium Pentothal®),
talbutal (Lotusate®),
Benzodiazepines, including:
alprazolam (Xanax®),
clonazepam (Klonopin®),
diazepam (Valium®),
flunitrazepam (Rohypnol®),
lorazepam (Ativan®),
nitrazepam (Mogadon®),
temazepam (Restoril®),
Deliriants, including:
atropine,
diphenhydramine hydrochloride (Benadryl®),
dimenhydrinate (Dramamine®),
scopolamine,
nutmeg,
Dissociative anaesthetics, including:
dextromethorphan (DXM),
ketamine (Ketaset®),
nitrous oxide,
phencyclidine (PCP),
salvinorin A, found in Salvia divinorum,
Opium (Papaver somniferum) and opioids, including:
codeine
fentanyl (Duragesic®, Actiq®),
heroin,
hydrocodone (Vicodin®),
hydromorphone (Dilaudid®) ,
meperidine (Demerol®) ,
methadone (Methadose®) ,
morphine,
oxycodone (OxyContin®, Roxicodone®),
oxymorphone (Opana®),
dextropropoxyphene (Darvocet®),
Phenethylamines, including:
2C-B,
2C-E,
2C-I,
2C-T-7,
ephedrine (ephedra),
MDMA (ecstasy),
MDEA,
MDA,
mescaline (found in peyote and other cacti),
Stimulants, including:
BZP and other piperazine-based drugs (mCPP, TFMPP),
cocaine,
dextroamphetamine (Dexedrine®),
methamphetamine (Desoxyn®),
methylphenidate (Ritalin®),
Adderall,
Indole alkaloids, including:
Tryptamines, including:
dimethyltryptamine (DMT, found in numerous plants),
psilocybin and psilocin (found in psychedelic mushrooms),
ergine,
LSD (Lysergic acid diethylamide) (Delysid®),
Inhalants, including:
alkyl nitrites (poppers),
chloroform,
diethyl ether,
gasoline,
glue,and
toluene.

Not only do I not recommend the use of drugs, but I will not tattoo you. I will ask you to come back when you are in a clean and sober state of mind.

ALCOHOL:
If you’re visibly under the influence of alcohol, you will not be tattooed. Any fermented liquor, such as wine, beer, or distilled liquor, that contains ethyl alcohol, or ethanol, as an intoxicating agent. When an alcoholic beverage is ingested, the alcohol is rapidly absorbed in the stomach and intestines because it does not undergo any digestive processes. It is distributed to the rest of the body through the blood and has a pronounced depressant action on the brain. Under the influence of alcohol, the drinker is less alert, less able to discern objects in the environment, slower in reacting to stimuli, and generally prone to sleep. Alcohol thins the blood, making you a bloody mess, as well as making it harder for your body to accept the tattoo pigment. generally, tattoo clients having recieved a tattoo somewhere while they were drunk, say it never healed right, and looks prematurely faded. Again, the mix of alcohol and endorphins can cause an unwanted affect. you may get dizzy, overheated, or nauseous to the point of vomiting.

ANAESTETICS:
I do not use anaesthetics for tattooing for good reason. Not only am I not a doctor, and not able to legally use medications such as lidocaine, or EMLA, I specifically ask you not to seek out such anaesthtics for tattooing. First of all, the effectiveness of the product begins to drop as soon as it is cleaned from the skin’s surface. By the time skin is prepared for tattooing and the stencil applied, the anaesthetic is rendered ineffective. The other, MORE SERIOUS reason NOT to use a topical anaesthetic is that they are intended for single injection sites (ie catheter placement) during which an insignificant amount of the product enters the blood stream. Tattooing, on the other hand, makes multiple punctures in the skin introducing far more of the substance into the blood stream. This presents a risk of toxicity. Please DO NOT use topical anaesthetic creams before you are tattooed.

STAYING SOBER:
What really works then, to “take the edge off”? Honestly, in my experience, the only thing to SAFELY make the tattoo hurt less while giving the healing process a head start:

Start your aftercare early, meaning no swimming (chlorine dries out the skin and exposes you to bacteria and makes sunburn a possibility), no scratching or picking at your skin, wear sunblock, DRINK WATER, EAT WELL, GET PLENTY OF REST, And by all means, take care of yourself and your skin. Bring something along to help you stay focused on relaxing and breathing. An iPod or Walkman to listen to music, ditracting you from the sounds of the machine, but not so distracting that you can’t hear or follow directions. Sometimes bringing a friend for moral support helps, but don’t bring your whole soccer team, that’s just too much distraction for you and your artist. Eat a solid meal about an hour before you come in, something with protein and drink more water than you normally would.

I hope this information helps you see why self-medication isn’t the answer, and that taking good care of your body is. If you have questions please email me, but comments can be put directly on this entry. Thank you for reading!

with love, nickhole