Does anybody know if it is ok to have a piercing if you are taking pred? I have been on a reducing dose for the past 4 weeks - am currently taking 25mg, reducing by 5mg every 5 days. I wanted to get a piercing tomorrow - is there added risk of infection or bleeding? Should I wait till on a lower dose? May need to have maintenance pred at 5/ 10mg.
Thanks
Sarah
Hi sarah
you are only at risk of infection if the place where you get the tattoo is dirty or they don't use sterile equipment, prednisolone only increases your risk of infection if you are exposed to infections in the first place because it lowers your resistance levels. therefore if the tatoo place is clean then you wont be at risk.
and you are only likely to bleed excessively if you take medicines like warfrin or you drink alcohol before getting it done as both of these thin the blood making you more likely to bleed when getting a tattoo.
hope this helps, but if you are still concerned talk to your gp
Lejaya
sorry I meant to write the word peircing not tattoo!
can i ask what your intending to get pierced?
i agree with Lejaya, if the place is dirty then AVOID
heres some guidelines from a trainee piercist to be:
1. Is the place tidy and well laid out. Can you see the piercist's autoclave? If so then you know your are getting clean jewellry
2. Are the staff friendly and willing to let you look around?
3. Do you get to see the needles and jewellry opened and possibly sterilised in front of u?
4. Do they change the gloves in front of you
5. Do they handle money after after piercing you?
if the answers here are all yes, this studio is a good one, i start my course soon so people in the west mids might be needed for test dummies LOL!!
Lejaya is right in a way, but infection doesn't just come from dirty equipment etc. There are huge numbers of bugs that live on your skin - in fact this is where a large number of skin infections come from.
Maintainence pred at 5-10mg shouldn't do much harm to your susceptibility to infection, but if you're worried you need to speak to your GP.
Sorry should have said - want to get the middle bit (tragus) of my ear pierced. I will be going to a studio I've been to before and it is extremely clean. Thanks for all your replies
Cathbear is right its the infections that live on your skin that are the main worry. I'm not sure how long ears take to heal. I'm sure when I had my piercing the second time the woman asked me what medications I was taking. As with all piercings while they are healing you have to take great care and follow the aftercare instructions given by your piercer (which it sounds like you've done successfully before). I've had infections and inflammation with both my belly button piercings I had to take one out it was so bad however I now know I shouldn't have done this! I've found the thing that really helped clear them up was being able to go to a good piercers and take advice, incidentally it wasn't the place where I got it done. I finally managed to establish that I can't wear metal jewelery and I have to be very careful what I clean my piercing with. Now it has healed and all is fine.
I would be very, very carfeul about getting that part of your ear pierced, particularly whilst taking pred. Getting the tragus (middle part) or indeed the pinna (firm upper part) of your ear pierced is associated with more risk of problems because they contain cartilage rather than just soft tissue like the lobe of your ear.
I would wait until you can speak to your doc, or until you've dropped down your pred.
Pred does increase risk of bleeding?
No, thankfully, that's one thing pred doesn't do - although it causes a myriad of other effects, it doesn't affect the blood's ability to clot.
don't do it gloomyeeyore! if you get an infection your ear might never regain its natural shape. you know pred interferes with healing so wait a while and don't risk spoiling your looks
Bumped for xx-Nicki-xx
Good luck x
4th course of Prednisolone this year
Royal Brompton admission
Asthma not well controlled 
How long for Clenil to work?
Prednisolone/palpitations 
