Silly question, Earrings?

Hey Zanne!

I have the same problem. I can't wear earrings anymore with out my ears getting all infected and scabby :/
I don't have any suggestions, just anted to let you know I have the same issue.

Although I've always have had sensitive ears and could never wear earrings long it has definitely gotten worse since starting all the immune suppressants.

Hope all is well and you have been feeling better!

Although I don't have pierced ears, I experience something similar. There are times when I feel as if my body is either septic or in some kind of imbalance. A mole under my bra--that usually doesn't bother me at all--suddenly gets inflamed and uncomfortable. And I may get a canker sore inside my mouth, or a swollen and slightly itchy spot on my eyelid. Stuff like that, that all seems to indicate that there's some sort of imbalance or infection going on throughout my system. The only thing that helps is to put an antibiotic ointment (Bacitracin) on the area--so maybe it would work to dip the posts into Bacitracin before you put them in? Other than that, I have no idea. But I think it's definitely an immune system kind of thing.

Interesting. I have 2 holes in each ear, but only can wear earrings in the 1st hole. If I try to put earrings in the 2nd hole, it gets red and painful and itchy. After that it scabs over and takes a while to heal. Also, randomly it'll get irritated for no reason.

I used to wear a watch all the time, but I would get a rash under the face of the watch (not the entire watch, just under the face area).

Glad you shared this. I don't think "normal" people ever think of the random little things that bother us.

I think it could be an allergy. I can wear 14K (or better) gold only. 10K used to make my ears get itchy, red & swollen. I could probably get away with wearing some, depending on the additive metals, but I don't take a chance, since gold is especially expensive right now.

Once I was looking at someone's inexpensive metal ring and then must have rubbed my eyes sometime after, and my eyes were swollen shut within 5 minutes. That was definitely an allergic reaction.

I have the same exact issue! It's kind of a hit and miss for me with earrings. My ears seem to go through phases where they can tolerate earrings and then other times where no matter how high quality the metal is (even $400 earrings) it seems like my ear is just being eaten away (literally). It gets all scabby and sometimes bleed and I immediately have to take it out. I never thought of it being crohn's related, but its a very interesting theory. For me the only thing that semi-helps my ears when they get to that state is I use hydrogen poroxide and clean off my ear, and then I put neosporin on them.

Wow, same goes for me. I gave up wearing earrings a couple of years ago. I never would have thought to link my reaction to earrings and CD. I think you're onto something Zanne!

My metal allergy started right after I got my ears pierced. I was told it was because some little particle of nickle from the piercing gun got into my system...but that wouldn't explain Sniper's allergy.

I can only wear 14k earrings and jewelry. Everything else has to be plastic. I also have to keep in mind that if I ever go in for surgery, I don't think I can have staples. I would need regular cat gut string, or whatever they use to sew you up. At times I would wonder if us peeps had metal allergies when someone would get an infection at their incision site from surgery. Did they have staples?

I used to have to put tape on the backside of the snaps in my jeans because the button would eat a hole in my belly if it touched bare skin.

The thing is I could always wear earrings, any kind. It has only been recently that this started. When it started, I could still wear my 14K gold and silver earrings, but after another year or so, even those were out.

When I have surgery, my staples do get infected. But my surgeon used to tell me it was because they had to leave them in longer because of the prednisone. Now I am wondering.....

Sniper,

I don't know about the wire in your chest, but a hunnerd years ago I had a birth control device called the "copper 7" inserted. It never occurred to me that copper meant copper and copper was metal. That thing gave me grief for 2 years before I finally went to get it taken out. The doctor couldn't find it. Apparently it had eaten its way into some deep dark area where it wasn't supposed to go. Took a team of three to find it and get it out. Ended up having a hysterectomy.

Another time I had a little dark freckle taken off my lower leg around the Achillies. It wasn't cancer but I was a lot younger and very vain and didn't like it there. So the doctor said "Let's get rid of it." It was about the size of a wood tick. He carved it out and left a hole about the size of a pea. He stuffed the hole with some kind of salve that had silver in it. Silver nitrate, or silver oxide or some such thing. He didn't want to stitch it up. Several days later when I took the bandage off the hole was the size of a dime. Then it became the size of a nickle.

I want back to the doctor to show him and he said it was all part of the healing process. But I was getting concerned. Another week went by and the crater became the size of a quarter, was getting very deep and turning black around the edges. I freaked and went back to the doctor who continued to insist it was a part of the healing process.

Two hours after I got home from my appt., his nurse calls me and tells me to schedule an appt. with some plastic surgeon the next town over. Bottom line: I ended up with a cast from my ankle to my crotch for two weeks. Needed a bunch of stitches and I still have a dent in my leg. I should have just kept the freckle. The silver in the salve the doctor used ate that crater in my leg and freaked out the plastic surgeon. Needless to say he was not happy with my doctor. Either was I.

So I know metals affect me inside and out.

I am just curious. Do any of you have crowns or dental implants or the old fashioned fillling amalgams in your teeth. What are those dong to you?

olderthandirt,

I have lots of crowns and amalgams and they don't seem to bother me at all. Of course the linings of the crowns are gold. The amalgams aren't touching any flesh...and they don't seem to bother my teeth. I don't think I would trust implants. They go into the gums and into the jaw bone.

I tried re-training with the original studs (yes I still have them, from when I was a kid!), but never thought to put neo on them first. I may have to do that. Great idea.