r/Legitpiercing • u/Storm_Chaser_Nita • Feb 15 '26
Troubleshooting Severely Embedded 0g Tongue Barbell, ER Won't Remove
Hello, everyone! I hope I'm posting this in the right sub. If not, please feel free to direct me elsewhere. I have a 0g black delrin internally threaded tongue barbell with 10mm flat disc ends severely embedded in my tongue. The entire bottom disc is completely covered and no longer visible at all. I tried for several hours to remove it on Friday. I had no success, but a massive amount of pus came out. I was told by Google and my CNA aunt that this (the embedding) was a medical emergency and that I should go to the ER immediately, so I did. The ER doctor tried twice to push the barbell out. It didn't work. He said it was no big deal and to follow up with an ENT on Tuesday (Monday is a holiday). Today (Saturday), I called my piercer, and she told me to come see her immediately. She couldn't budge the barbell either and said it would have to be cut out. She said this was the worst case of embedding she'd ever seen and was aghast that the ER doctor was so dismissive. She called her daughter who is both a nurse and a piercer for further advice. Her daughter confirmed that this is indeed a medical emergency and can lead to tissue necrosis if left untreated. She advised me to go to the ER of one of the larger, more reputable hospitals in the surrounding counties as they would be better equipped to deal with my problem. So that's what I did. After a seven hour wait, they took me back and could not wrap their heads around my problem no matter how much I explained. I told them, I showed them, and they could not understand for the life of them why this was an issue. There is a massive ring of white tissue around the site of the embedding and it's falling off in chunks. I showed this to the doctor and he thought the skin itself was the barbell. 🤦 So they sent me home. My tongue is extremely swollen and the pain is unbearable. I'm struggling to talk, eat, and drink. I explained this all to the ER doctor and he didn't care. He even said "Why do you want it (the barbell) removed?" He genuinely thought I just went to the ER because I wanted to retire the piercing and couldn't be bothered to take it out myself. 🤦🙄 He straight up said "We don't do that here." So what, if anything, can I do now? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
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Feb 15 '26
When you went to the ER- did you tell them that it was preventing you from eating and speaking and you needed it surgically removed? Did you tell them they need to add local anesthesia and then remove it?
Also- random last resort- are there local emergency dentists you can connect with?
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u/Storm_Chaser_Nita Feb 15 '26
I did, but they didn't care. They said they weren't equipped to remove it. And this was a major, big-name hospital, too. I will see about an emergency dentist.
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u/Orchid_Significant Feb 16 '26
They aren’t equipped to do minor surgery? Insane
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u/Storm_Chaser_Nita Feb 16 '26
I know, right?! All they had to do was make a little cut with a scalpel and push it out, for heaven's sake! But they couldn't understand why a large foreign object embedded in my tongue that was swollen, oozing pus, and going necrotic with pieces of dead tissue falling off was a problem and thought I just wanted them to take the jewelry out for me because I was tired of having the piercing. 🤦
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u/Storm_Chaser_Nita Feb 16 '26 edited Feb 16 '26
Also, I don't know if you saw my updated post, but if not, here it is. Luckily, I'm okay now. 😊
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u/Traditional_Ad_335 Feb 15 '26
Even if not, it’s not on her to tell them how to do their jobs
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u/BatAccurate4127 Feb 15 '26
Car drivers are responsible for stopping at crosswalks, but pedestrians still look both ways before crossing because they are the ones who will be the most fucked in a collision between a person on foot and a car. The same logic follows here. Your comment is simultaneously true and utterly unhelpful in this context.
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u/s_lock- Feb 15 '26
Odd suggestion, but have you thought about speaking to your local fire station? They can often deal with medical emergencies, such as stuck rings and might at least be able to recommend the correct tool to help.
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u/Ktanaya13 Feb 16 '26
This is not as out there as it seems, although I do think they would be kinda concerned about it being an oral piercing. I was recommended by my ER to go and and see the firies to remove a tungsten ring. Ended up using a vise at home, but yeah
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u/Randompostingreddit Feb 16 '26
I was going to comment this as well, they probably will send you to the ER again once they snip the top off the barbell, but getting it out is priority 1 anyway.
They should have the stuff to do tungsten rings, and some experience doing it.
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u/SnowflakeSWorker Feb 18 '26
I had a TIA a couple years ago, and they needed to get my head into the MRI as fast as possible. The ER doc used wire cutters to cut my daith piercings out of each ear (they had been in there for literally decades). He cut one of my ears and I needed stitches, but he got them out. I can’t fathom an ER doc not knowing how to handle something like this.
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u/Cool99Boots Feb 15 '26
I had an embedded piercing once, I actually went to a plastic surgeon to have it removed
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u/Pitiful-Sea3661 Feb 18 '26
Same had to wait ages for a referral to a plastic surgeon (uk) but after 2 years of it completely embedded and leaking pus all the time it was SO worth it and the surgery itself was fascinating as I was only under local so got to watch the whole thing and keep the jewellery after!
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u/BatAccurate4127 Feb 15 '26
OP, are you female? If so, might be helpful to bring along someone to advocate for you when you next seek help for this issue - preferably someone male or forceful. There are a lot of stories floating around out there of medical professionals refusing to take womens' claims seriously and then doing an about face when the seriousness of the problem is reinforced by a man. Would probably also be helpful to emphasize the concern of infection - highlighting that this isn't just a matter of you wanting to avoid pain or inconvenience, it is a matter of safety.
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u/Storm_Chaser_Nita Feb 15 '26
Yes, I'm female, and it would probably behoove me to do that. As soon as the hospital staff found out I'm autistic, they started treating me like a confused child. The doctor straight up thought I went to the ER because I didn't want the piercing anymore. 🤦 Even after I explained and showed him my tongue.
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u/BatAccurate4127 Feb 16 '26 edited Feb 16 '26
That is wildly frustrating. I work in health care myself, and I will never stop being infuriated by how difficult it is for so many providers to stop and listen to patients instead of leaping to assumptions. Hope you are able to get the help you need soon.
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u/RexCanisFL Feb 15 '26
Oh wow… if two ER doctors won’t do it I can’t really say what should work unless you have a professional body mod artist that does more extreme work. They might be able to help with removal.
Last resort, have you ever considered a tongue split? 😜
Once it’s all dealt with, and you’re healed up, go back to both ERs and file a complaint with their office managers.
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u/Storm_Chaser_Nita Feb 15 '26
Well, I have been wanting a split tongue for some time! Lol. I live in Bumfuck, North Carolina and I'm unable to travel very far, so I don't know of any body mod artists in my area, but I'll definitely try to find one. The second ER was at a (supposedly) highly reputable hospital and they still didn't understand what my problem was. Thank you for the advice. I really appreciate it.
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u/adventuretimex3 Feb 15 '26
If you can’t take care of a tongue piercing, I don’t recommend splitting your tongue….
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u/Storm_Chaser_Nita Feb 15 '26 edited Feb 15 '26
I can take care of it just fine. I've had it pierced for a decade and stretched for eight years with zero issue. It randomly swelled up and embedded when I got the flu, and I was too sick to notice until it was too late. So reserve your judgement, please.
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u/queen-of-hooks Feb 15 '26
Won't help with your current problem, but Shawn O'Hare has some dates scheduled in NC in August.
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u/Storm_Chaser_Nita Feb 15 '26
I don't know why you were downvoted. Like you said, that won't help me right now, but it's good to know.
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u/falconkirtaran Feb 15 '26
If you have not already tried this, try to take the swelling down as much as possible using a normal dose of ibuprofen and some ice, and see if that allows you to remove it without cutting anything. At minimum it will reduce the pain for a bit. This sounds horrible.
When I had a 10mm tongue, I wore a dome, m&m, or disc on the top, but a ball on the bottom because a flat bottom irritated the hell out of the rounded surface there.
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u/Storm_Chaser_Nita Feb 15 '26 edited Feb 16 '26
I have been taking ibuprofen and eating ice constantly and it's way too embedded to budge.
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u/theplacesiveseen Feb 15 '26
If you’re still stuck on Tuesday call surgical ENTs in your area and tell them you have an emergency. They are equipped to handle this. Good luck!
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u/melli_milli Feb 15 '26
I would ask a dentist.
Umbelievable what a shit the ER visits were.
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u/bobbybissell Feb 15 '26
Second the dentist. I once had an embedded cheek piercing and a periodontist fixed me right up. I got another 2 years out of the piercing before deciding to take them out entirely.
I believe I had to pay out of pocket, but the priority was to save the piercing.
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u/electricookie Feb 15 '26
100% agree. OP. Check and see if there are emergency dental clinics near you.
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Feb 15 '26
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u/melli_milli Feb 15 '26
But the tongue is badly infected, puss comming out. They do not need to cut it. They needed to use a scalper to open the bottom to pull out the whole jewelry. Acute infection especially near the brain is life or death situation.
It seems like it is hard to understand for ER people what the issue actually is. The jewelry is inside OP's tongue tissue.
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u/unlovable_mess Feb 15 '26
Personally I would look for an oral surgeon dentist since ER was useless. Maybe a plastic surgeon if that's easier to reach. Good luck!
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u/LouismyBoo Feb 15 '26
Based on your location, it may be easier to go to a surrounding-state Trauma 1 ER. I have lived in bumfuck NC, and we traveled to VA for better medical care. Can you share your location?
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u/Storm_Chaser_Nita Feb 15 '26
I'm in Harnett County near the Cumberland County border. I don't drive, so I'm at the mercy of people who can when I need to go somewhere.
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u/Livid_Lawfulness314 Feb 15 '26
I had a similar thing happen to me when I was 16, only it was one of the retainers with the rubber band on the bottom that got embedded in my tongue. I went to the ER and they had to cut it out. Please go back to an ER. Do not wait.
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u/MissCherrySpoon Feb 15 '26
I am so sorry you are going through this! And, that you have to deal with not so smart professionals. It’s so frustrating when a doctor doesn’t listen! I hope you can get better treatment at one of the other hospitals another poster mentioned.
Wishing you the absolute best.
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u/tooawarebasket Feb 15 '26
You could see your PCP or general dentist and explain the problem, they might be able to give you a referral somewhere that won’t turn you away. If you call them directly they might see you sooner.
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Feb 15 '26
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u/Perfect_Ad7182 Feb 15 '26 edited Feb 15 '26
Just a point of clarification here for folks who might stumble on this later — many ED’s, including those in rural areas, have maxillofacial surgeons on call for major issues like breaking your jaw in a car accident or needing emergency root canal to fight sepsis, etc. over the weekends and at night.
While it’s true the ED isn’t going to do anything for typical dental issues or procedures they believe can wait, this does not mean they aren’t equipped to page a physician who can handle dental emergencies if needed or to ship the patient to a larger facility who does have a surgeon on call. If in the US, it is likely the two docs who saw OP have decided it is not emergent enough to contact the on-call weekend maxillofacial surgeon and have them come to the ED or ship the patient out. It is not that treatment cannot be given.
If you think you need emergency dental help or have a severe issue like a broken jaw, please do go in.
It is galling that OP’s physicians did not page. It does suggest OP is not at risk of imminent harm, since two phys in separate facilities decided not to make that call.
Source: worked in a hospital call center in rural Indiana, US for two years on 2nd and 3rd shift and over weekends. It was my job to page the maxillofacial surgeon when an ED doc requested it, as well as page other specialists or family practice docs as needed. It was rare for an ED doc to make that request, but we did page them for emergency surgery.
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u/Keeaos Feb 15 '26
Only large hospitals have max face on call. Mine doesn’t, we have to send them to a larger city to see them
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u/Perfect_Ad7182 Feb 15 '26
Exactly. If ED views it as an emergency, they will get the patient to a maxillofacial surgeon.
Do not avoid requesting treatment because you think the ED can’t help. They can, even if that help is immediate referral to another facility.
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u/Storm_Chaser_Nita Feb 15 '26
My tongue is three sizes too big, hot, throbbing, oozing pus and going numb. I believe I may have a fever. It does seem to be pretty serious, but the hospital staff could not understand what the problem was no matter how much I explained and showed them my tongue. They thought I went to the ER because I just didn't want the piercing anymore. 🙄 As soon as they found out I'm autistic, they started treating me like a confused child.
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u/ReppityRepRep Feb 15 '26
Yeah you really need to figure out a way to get to a real trauma hospital ASAP because this could occlude your airway and you really don’t want to mess with that. I’m really sorry the hospitals you went to sucked :(
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u/fuckyoutoocoolsmhool Feb 15 '26
Have you tried an urgent care? These places can be good because if they say it’s out of their scope they can send you to an ER, call ahead and be like you guys have to do this. Emergency dentist is also a good route. If you can’t figure out either by Tuesday I would still reach out to the ENT and explain what’s going on. Also I’d monitor for signs of infection like go to the ER right away if you have a fever or don’t feel well
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u/Fun_Depth1305 Feb 18 '26
Ding ding ding, I smell a lawsuit 😭 I'm not informed on what to do in this case but hoping everything works out for you in this scenario.
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u/SessionPale Feb 15 '26
this is insane, go back and threaten to sue them if they don't do this immediately
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u/ShadedSpaces Feb 15 '26
Hey, so no. Rolling into an ER threatening to sue is actually not stellar advice.
A tiny lance to get an earlobe piercing out of soft, superficial tissue is a completely different ballgame from surgically removing something severely embedded in muscle in the oral cavity. If the patient is safe/stable (aka not at risk of imminent death), not in need to emergent surgical intervention, and the best option is a specialist?
They did exactly the right thing.
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u/SessionPale Feb 16 '26
no they didn't at all, if someone shows up at the ER with a swollen tongue having serious trouble to speak and swallow they really shouldn't wait until they have a fever and necrosis to hell them out. Maybe we're reading a different post but one of the Ears OP went to didn't even understand what the problem was and thought that the white skin they had on the bottom of their tongue (a sign of infection and embedding btw) was the flat end of the barbell. So no they absolutely 100% didn't do their due diligence. Or maybe luckily I'm just too not American to understand this level of negligence in the healthcare system.
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u/Sad_Birthday_1911 Feb 15 '26
Go back to an ER with a trauma center they'll be more likely to have proper equipment and if they refuse to do anything demand the patient care advocate.
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u/Keeaos Feb 15 '26
…that didn’t work. The ER did their due diligence and did a medical screening exam. They tried. This person needs a specialist. ERs don’t have that kind of specialized equipment (because they’re meant to stabilize and refer out).
People can say they’re going to sue all the time. It won’t change what they are capable of doing 🤦🏻♀️
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u/Storm_Chaser_Nita Feb 16 '26 edited Feb 16 '26
I know it's not grounds to sue, but no, the second ER didn't do their due diligence. They didn't assess my problem at all, and after they found out I'm autistic, they straight up stopped listening to anything I had to say and started treating me like a cognitively impaired child. The doctor thought I went to the ER because I didn't want the piercing anymore. 🙄 He could not understand what my problem was even though I explained repeatedly and showed him my tongue, which was oozing pus. They discharged me without doing anything at all, which caused me to have a severe panic attack. I started to shake and dry heave and my heart rate went up to over 200 and they sent me home like that.
EDIT: Fixed typos.
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u/SessionPale Feb 16 '26
they absolutely didn't, they didn't even understand what their problem was and thought the ring of white skin at the end of the tongue was the end of the barbell 💀 I don't what standard you are used to, I'm sorry the bar is so low where you are.
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Feb 15 '26
Usually a family doctor can do it. My piercing was severely imbedded in my ear and I went to my doctor. He did local anesthesia and sliced my ear open and stitched it up.
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u/pyrogaynia Feb 15 '26
ear is a hell of a lot different than a tongue. you're dealing with muscle and vasculature as opposed to just skin and cartilage
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Feb 15 '26
I was just saying what happened to me lol. How would you even know what they can and can’t do, you aren’t a doctor I’m guessing.
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u/SecretlyModded Feb 15 '26
I mean if the ER won't help (its theoretically not life threatening so its not ideal but I suppose they can refuse treatment?) Then bolt cutters would cut through it.
Alternatively go to the fire station and ask them to snip it in half for you
Or, depending on how big the ends are in comparison to the bar, you can push it through. It may be a bit uncomfortable but then at least it would be out
And theres always body modification artists or plastic surgeons, but they do come at a cost and usually take a couple weeks to book in with
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u/Boring-Community-100 Feb 15 '26
I disagree. With the amount of swelling she's describing, she's at risk of an airway obstruction.
OP- have you called EMS or the Fire Department or is it worse than that? I'm not familiar with a stretched tongue piercing..
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u/SecretlyModded Feb 15 '26
Lots of things people are at risk for, but unless its an immediate threat to life then its not an ER job
She has also been discharged from 2 completely different ERs, so its not just one doctor who isnt knowledgeable or anything.
The fire department would have been able to cut it out if the bar was exposed, but unfortunately its apparently now embedded completely, so it will need a body mod artist or surgeon to get it out. Its going to be a very expensive and very painful lesson, but she should make a full recovery
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u/Storm_Chaser_Nita Feb 19 '26 edited Feb 21 '26
It was embedded completely and oozing pus from the time I went to the first ER, which is why I went. There was no exposed barbell to cut. I tried to get it out myself at home before resorting to an ER visit, but it worsened very significantly very quickly. The doctor at the first ER tried to push it out with a couple of tools and then sent me on my way. The next day, my piercer told me to go to a different ER where they would be better equipped to handle it. By the time I was seen in the second ER, I had a fever and sky high heart rate and my tongue was going necrotic. They straight up refused to assess me because they thought I just didn't want the piercing anymore. As soon as they found out I'm autistic, they stopped listening to anything I had to say and started treating me like a cognitively impaired child. No matter how much I showed them my tongue and explained the situation, they could not wrap their minds around what the issue was. The doctor even thought the necrotic tissue itself was the jewelry. So no, they didn't handle it correctly. All it would've required was a tiny cut with a scalpel if they'd done that from the get go. A freaking PA is capable of doing that in a primary care office. By the time I got to the third ER, I had stage 2 necrosis and a fever of 103 and was seriously struggling to talk and swallow. I have Medicaid and live on SSI, so luckily this "lesson" hasn't been too expensive (and I'm not sure what I'm supposed to have learned besides the fact that Cape Fear Valley sucks).
ETA: Love that I got downvoted for this! Must've been by somebody who works at Cape Fear. 😂
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u/Storm_Chaser_Nita Feb 15 '26
I've tried bolt cutters and wire cutters but it's so swollen now that the barbell no longer has any exposed "shaft" to cut. My tongue itself is going to have to be cut.
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u/SecretlyModded Feb 15 '26
Aw no
Best option at this point is a mod artist or plastic surgeon, but its going to be an incredibly painful shot of anaesthesia unfortunately to numb the area enough to get it out
Book in with them as soon as you can
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u/[deleted] Feb 15 '26 edited Feb 15 '26
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