Cotton fever

Cotton fever happens when someone who uses drugs injects a substance contaminated with bacteria or other germs into their body. This can happen when drugs or drug paraphernalia (like needles and cotton balls) are not clean. The germs get into the body and cause an infection.

When a person gets cotton fever, they might feel very sick. Their body temperature might go up (fever) and they might have chills, nausea, and vomiting. They might also have muscle aches and other flu-like symptoms.

It's called "cotton fever" because people who inject drugs sometimes use cotton balls to filter the drugs before injecting them into their body. If the cotton is not clean, it can cause an infection.

To avoid cotton fever, it's important to always use clean needles and other drug equipment. Also, if you suspect you have cotton fever, it's important to seek medical attention right away to get proper treatment.