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Tattoo pain - any ideas?

Messages
56
Hi,
recently when I had my 1st & 2nd tattoo sessions I didn't know I had CFS/ME, which I gather can lower your pain threshold considerably.

Well, that turned out to be my experience - I couldn't believe how painful it was. The tattoo artist couldn't believe my intolerance/wimpiness as well.

Anyway, anyone have any tips for alleviating the pain? I've been told that Dr. Numb/Inkeeze only works for like 25 mins which isn't long enough (it's a 3 hour session...). I'm considering ibuprofen or beer but don't have great hopes for either. Tips before Weds evening appreciated!

Pete
 

minkeygirl

But I Look So Good.
Messages
4,678
Location
Left Coast
Another issue besides the pain (I got my tats pre-ME) is the ink. I believe they contain mercury, or did. Or something toxic It's escaping me now.
 
Messages
33
Location
United States
Hi,
recently when I had my 1st & 2nd tattoo sessions I didn't know I had CFS/ME, which I gather can lower your pain threshold considerably.

Well, that turned out to be my experience - I couldn't believe how painful it was. The tattoo artist couldn't believe my intolerance/wimpiness as well.

Anyway, anyone have any tips for alleviating the pain? I've been told that Dr. Numb/Inkeeze only works for like 25 mins which isn't long enough (it's a 3 hour session...). I'm considering ibuprofen or beer but don't have great hopes for either. Tips before Weds evening appreciated!

Pete
Hi Pete - A similar thing happened to me with acupuncture. I used to be able to tolerate the needles without barely noticing them - now, even the tiniest needle feels like an ice-pick - and my last treatment even caused a migraine!

If it were me, (and I have a few tattoos), I would take an anti-inflammatory 30 min before your session. I would also take a high (but safe) dosage - say 600 mg of ibuprofen. Extra strength tylenol (acetaminophen) might work for you too.

Does anyone think magnesium could help??

.....but NO BEER - that will just make you feel worse in the long run, and a lot of tattoo artists won't work on you anymore if you have been drinking.

Best!!

P Kat:cat:
 
Messages
56
Hi P Kat, can you give an example of such an anti-inflammatory? I checked with the artist and he's happy for me to have a few beers if that helps. I'm just not sure it'll help!
Thanks for the post!
Pete
 
Messages
33
Location
United States
Hi P Kat, can you give an example of such an anti-inflammatory? I checked with the artist and he's happy for me to have a few beers if that helps. I'm just not sure it'll help!
Thanks for the post!
Pete
Hiya Pete!

My choice of anti-inflammatory would be Advil liquid gel caps. If it were me, I would take 3 gel caps 30 minutes before you session. That is 600 mg - and be sure to drink lots of water. If you have stomach issues with your CFS/ME, you might want to explore something else - I have a good stomach and can tolerate most medications that cause some people to have abdominal cramps and nausea.

I never mix alcohol with anti-inflammatories - it worries me.

Regarding the beer :lol: here is a good, short article I found on http://tat2duck.com/ :


One of the biggest misunderstood comments I have come across is, "If you drink alcohol before getting a tattoo you will bleed too much." My answer to this is 'yes' and 'no'.

There are two main reasons why thin blood would be a problem during a tattoo proceedure. The first is the annoyance factor. As an artist trying to render a piece of art onto your skin, it is very annoying to have the work obsured by too much bleeding. The second is a technical problem. The blood, when mixed with tattoo ink thins the ink too much and causes the resulting color to appear faded or translucent and 'washed out'. Any subsequent bleeding has the potential to flush out ink that has been tattooed into the skin which can cause light spots or 'holidays' in the color.

While alcohol is a known blood thinner, during a tattoo procedure there are other factors that come into play. For one, time plays a factor in how much you'll bleed. Having a drink or two just before getting a tattoo will not likely thin your blood out enough to become a problem. Drinking heavily the night before on the other hand could cause a problem.

Your health plays an important role as well. Not enough iron in your diet will thin your blood. Blood thinning medication such as some muscle relaxers and pain relievers will also. Let us not forget those with high blood pressure too. These factors, coupled with alcohol, can cause some rather severe bleeding during a tattoo proceedure.

Finally, I would also like to note that no tattoo artist wants to work on someone who is drunk. Drunken people tend to not keep still, act beligerently and seldom appreciate what the artist has done. With all this working against you, it makes better sense to get your tattoo work done while sober.

Bestest!

P Kat :cat:
 
Last edited:

jerrymcfadyen

Senior Member
Messages
123
Location
East Bend, NC USA
Hi Pete - A similar thing happened to me with acupuncture. I used to be able to tolerate the needles without barely noticing them - now, even the tiniest needle feels like an ice-pick - and my last treatment even caused a migraine!

P Kat:cat:

WoW! Glad that's not an issue for me. I'm now taking insulin shots every day and B12 once a month and Testosteron shots twice a month.

Anyway as for tattoos one of mine was done after getting CFS/ME and did not hurt any more than the others. It could be just that is something that's going to affect you.
I agree get Advil gel caps they and you can check on this but I'm sure you can take more than normal dose to get you through.
 
Messages
56
Hah, thanks for the post, I managed to see it before tonight's session. I ended up taking 600mg ibuprofen and it definitely took the edge off - thanks for the suggestion.

That said it was still no cake walk, especially around the armpit - oof. Just 2-3 more sessions to go...
 
Messages
33
Location
United States
Hah, thanks for the post, I managed to see it before tonight's session. I ended up taking 600mg ibuprofen and it definitely took the edge off - thanks for the suggestion.

That said it was still no cake walk, especially around the armpit - oof. Just 2-3 more sessions to go...

I can't believe it took me a year to see this. Anyway....tattoo in the armpit (!?!?) YOWWCCCCHHHH! I think that would hurt ANYONE...that's some tender, tender skin in there!

I hope everything healed ok and is lovely,

P-Kat:cat: