To think this was poor from the pharmacist?

[Pharmacy1one]

6 weeks or so ago I got two cartilage piercings in my left ear, tragus and helix.

I kept irritating them by turning over in my sleep and my toddler has knocked them a few times too so I was getting those annoying irritation bumps which were tender. I haven't had any pus coming from them, no temperature or discharge, just a bit of clear fluid when i removed them which I know isn't that abnormal.

I went to the chemist and asked to speak to the pharmacist, receptionist asked what the problem was and I briefly explained and said I want to buy something for the inflammation but was hoping the pharmacist could take a look first.

Receptionist relays that to the pharmacist and the pharmacist decided, without looking or even speaking to me at all, that it's infected and I need to go to A&E and get antibiotics and sprays would be no good.

She had her baby with her strapped to her back so I don't think she could have sat down with me in the consultation room in the first place.

I'm a bit miffed as we are routinely encouraged to see a pharmacist for minor ailments to take the strain off of GP's and hospitals, but this is the response I got for trying.

I have PTSD after having sepsis so now I'm scared about an infection that I didn't feel I had in the first place 😔 I can't just rock up to A&E for something like this surely, and there's nobody to have my children anyway.

Do you think I'm being unreasonable for thinking her response was poor?

I’m sorry but, I’m definitely not the odd one out because I don’t strap my kids to my back at work. There’s places of work I’d imagine you wouldn’t bat at eyelid to this, but a pharmacist, strapping a baby to her back and tending to customers? I’m not the one BU on this. It’s a controlled area with dangerous drugs so for that reason alone it’s not the best idea. Not sure I’d want advice from a pharmacist who thinks that’s totally normal anyway!

I got a bump on my helix again from turning in my sleep, I used the spray I got from piercer and a cotton bud to clean around both sides of the piercing then applied antiseptic cream with a clean cotton bud both sides. It went away after a few weeks

She reccomended I clean them twice daily with salt water and to leave them alone which I have been doing (until today when I decided I didn't want them anymore)

I wasn't reccomended a travel pillow though.

I’m assuming the pharmacist didn’t plan to be at work with the baby and something has gone wrong, so the options were take baby to work or close the shop.

Cartilage piercings are very stubborn to heal, I’ve had a conch piercing for nearly 2 years that can still flare up if I touch it too much! My piercing studio recommend Neilmed solution rather than making your own, to ensure quantities are always equal.

For piercing bumps, a pure camomile tea bag compress provides soothing relief. Steep a teabag in boiling water for a few minutes then take it out and let it cool ever so slightly to a point where you do not burn yourself, but you still want it to be as hot as you can stand. Wrap it around the piercing and hold it there under gentle compress until the teabag has gone stone cold and then repeat. Do this instead of one of your daily cleans.

It’s also advisable not to sleep on the side of your piercing, easier said than done I know. Hope they are less painful for you soon.

It’s an antiseptic cream. It calms inflammation and soreness

It’s also a barrier cream. Which savlon/germolene aren’t.

Gosh I totally forgot to mention this but its relevant.

The reason I removed them rather than just treating the bumps is because they were sinking into my ear. The back of the helix had almost completely disappeared into my ear and skin was starting to cover it. The tragus was going the same way. I think they definitely needed to come out.

10 years or so ago I had a piercing migrate into my lip which had to be surgically removed in hospital. I didnt want it to get to that stage again.

Unfortunately I think my body just doesn't like piercings (and no I won't be getting any more and expecting the NHS to sort it 😐)

Sounds like the piercer didn’t use long enough bars either. Are they registered?!

Savlon and Germolene would be good also

It's a proper studio in which she's the owner and she has been there years, I assume she's registered? How can I find out for certain?

I suspect the bars were too short yes. There was very little room to allow for swelling.

Are you making your saline too strong?It is literally a small pinch of salt in a glass of water. Too strong and it can actually cause the irritation you are trying to cure.

Having said that, I'm a fan of leaving them completely alone once they've stopped bleeding or crusting and just rinsing daily with clean water in the shower. Less is definitely more when it comes to piercings and too much attention is definitely counter productive. If they are infected they will be hot, red and probably weeping a bit. Fucidin cream will sort that out though but you will need a prescription.

I only use a small pinch of salt so I don't think it's too strong.

This is what the injection sites look like (the helix did bleed a bit when I took it out as I had to almost dig it out of my ear - it hurt)

These are the bars that were in. Tweezers for scale.

Those bars don't look anywhere near long enough for a fresh piercing - they should be at least double that.

And with a wider back.

your piercer sounds like a knob.

Ah, that might be what the problem was then. I definitely can't have them back in now as they'll be swallowed up again, I don't much fancy going back for longer bars either. I'll chalk this one up to experience.

Is @Geebray OK? Lot of misplaced anger there.

Well yes, incredulous anyone would do this....

If you get more piercings in the future, make sure they use proper piercing jewellery - it's not the same as the kind you can wear once it's healed.

It needs to be wider, longer and with a proper labret stud backing on it so that your ear can swell while it heals without causing any issues.

I can't just rock up to A&E for something like this surely, and there's nobody to have my children anyway.

Tough. If you need to go to A&E it isn't normally because it's convenient it's because it's A and or E.

I'm fed up with posters saying they can't go to A&E because they have kids. In that case it isn't an E. Don't expect the NHS to come to your door. It's a mostly free at the point of use, lifesaving medical service.

Don't ask the professionals advice next time if you know better

I'm well aware it's not an emergency, hence not going. My children are a lesser relevant factor yes but they are something I still need to consider whenever medical care is mentioned because two of them are disabled and can't just be plonked in a busy waiting area.

Besides, I'm not the one saying I need to go to A&E, that was the pharmacist. Save your lecturing about misuse of the NHS for the people who abuse it.

Why are you ignoring what the pharmacist said, OP?

Could she be worried about sepsis?

Professionals advice!

She didn't even look at the ear or ask me one solitary question.

You can't just diagnose somebody with an infection and tell them to go to A&E for a sore ear / throat / arse or whatever else - atleast you shouldn't be doing. Imagine if every person with a sore ear or throat went to A&E.

Even 111 run through a screening questionnaire before making their reccomendation of where / if to go anywhere, and we all know how pointless a service that feels at the best of times.

Come off it.

It still blocks oxygen and slows healing in piercings