Do I have ink poisoning?
Alright listen. I don’t need comments on how stupid I am etc.
Well lately I’ve had horrible stomach pains and headaches. Pain in my sides. And I’m just a sick disaster. The reason I think I may have ink poisoning is because I gave myself a DIY tattoo. I used a sewing needle(sterilized) and sharpie ink. I repeatedly poked inside my skin with the needle until the tattoo was finished. I did this when I had a really horrible day and I was trying to find a way to avoid relapsing. I know I know, it was stupid, but I’m very seriously worried.
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8 Answers
(Sterilized. And yes, it was stupid.)
The danger is that of infection. There would be redness around the tattoo site, it would feel warm to the touch and you would be running a low-grade fever. Stomach pains would ensue if you drank the ink. (Did you have a sip?).
@gailcalled is right, if anything you might have given yourself a mild infection. Sterilizing the needle once wouldn’t really be enough because it could easily become recontaminated. You could also have the flu, who knows.
Here’s some info on Sharpie tattoos.
Do you have a thermometer? If you have a fever you need medical attention.
You should go to a doc and get checked out. Are you anxious? Sounds like you are and that can be enough to cause the symptoms you are describing (I know this first hand). Inking a tattoo with a sharpie sounds like depression/frustration to me. However, let me restate: go to a doc and get checked out. There used to be a couple of medical doctors here but they have not posted in a while so you should not really get medical advice from any of us. This is why again, go see a Dr.
When you get back from the doc check back in and let us know you’re ok. Sounds like a rough patch you’re going through. Get the help you need and get well.
You can have an infection, without having a fever.
Inspect the tatoo area for signs of infection as described above.
Your symptoms are too vague and could be symptoms of something else. Could be any number of things. None of us here can accurately diagnose you, best to get checked out by a doctor. If you decide to seek medical attention, please report back and let us know how it went.
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