Swelling around (not new) m31

edited February 2016 in Magnets

Hi all,

I'd like some input from you guys. First a bit of context: I have two magnetic implants - A paralyne one in my left ring finger for close to two years now, and an m31 in my middle finger for over a year. The m31 is one of the early original batch.

The m31 wound up settling pretty close to the surface of the skin so it created a visible rounded bump on the surface. Occasionally this bump got caught on things which would generally be painful for 5-30min then would stop. It is also not uncommon to have a faint bruise over it. Occasionally this would happen while I was sleeping (not sure what I'd manage to catch it on but I've woke up with it hurting more than once, always to be fine within 5-30 min)

Sunday morning I woke up and it was painful, but as this had happened before I didn't initially think much of it. However, I noticed that it was more painful than usual and swollen.

It's been about 72 hours now and the swelling has somewhat reduced but it remains painful to the touch and occasionally painful without touching. A portion of the pad of my finger was red, this now seems to have reduced to a ~1cm circle around the implant, and there is a slightly bruise over the location of the magnet. It seems to be asymmetric more mainful and swollen on the radial side than the ulnar.

At no point did the swelling appear to get worse than when I initially woke up, it just hasn't gotten significantly better. With the exception that it naturally increases a bit when I use the finger more and decreases after. The only other time I had swelling around a magnet was after I dropped a 60lb steel scuba tank on my ring finger (not from very high) and that went away after about 5-7 days.

Of potentially relevant note is that my hands frequently get cold easily and the weather here has been colder than usual the past few days. In the past I've noticed slight discomfort from the magnets when my hands have gotten cold, but certainly nothing like this

I can't imagine I could have done anything traumatic enough to compromise the integrity of the magnet or coating while asleep, so I'm inclined to think that's not what happened. Could I have some how?

Has anyone had a similar experience? Any advice? Any thoughts?


  • Swelling and magnets are never a good combination It sounds to me like it was not put in right. The two you really need to be talking to are @glims @cassox. But be prepared that it may need to come out.

    John Doe
  • edited February 2016
    You dropped a scuba tank on a parylene magnet, and it didn't reject? I'm... Almost impressed.

    If it's been in a year, it's probably not an infection issue. The procedure was done fine.
  • But should it be sticking out? And who's to say that the magnets coating wasn't flawed in the first place.
  • It would have rejected by now if it was flawed. It would've rejected a lot sooner, actually.
  • Yea I doubt that it was flawed to begin with as it would not have lasted a year as @TheGreyKnight points out.

    I'm somewhat okay with having to take it out, I was planning on it at some point anyway, but how urgent it is is the matter - my installer is an 8 hour round trip away and with limited availability generally, so if it's just a matter of "oh it shifted and tore some tissue, it'll be fine in a week" - cool I'll deal wit coordinating a removal "eventually" especially since it's probably going to be less physiological stress to cut it open when it's not already irritated swollen and unhappy. If it's a matter of a health risk, well other steps have to be taken. 

    Btw as far as dropping the scuba tank, yea I was impressed with the magnet's strength on that one too.. I made a post about it when it happened FYI http://forum.biohack.me/discussion/627/how-to-identify-a-compromised-implants#Item_2
  • Okay likely important thing I just detected. I looked at the previous post I mentioned and @DirectorX mentioned that a compromised magnet would likely lose strength so I just tested it's strength and it's actually stronger than it's ever been (by the amount of weight it can pick up). This would likely mean it's closer to the surface of the skin... not sure what would cause that though.
  • edited February 2016
    Hum so vary strange once you get it out/it comes out could you post pictures? If it is moving closer to the skin it will come out eventually. I am not sure how urgently it needs to come out. I am starting to wonder if it is rejecting just super slowly.

    John Doe
  • Just talked to my installer, looks like it will indeed have to come out. Making arrangements for that now. It appears to be rejecting slowly indeed. Will try to get some photos.
  • Photos. All the photos.

    As for taking it out... honestly, you don't need to make an 8 hr round trip for this procedure. That's the whole point of grinding, right?

    It seems like it's very close to the surface. Get yourself a nice strong magnet, sterilize your surfaces, and I believe you can get this done yourself. Most of my magnet removals were done this way. Breach the surface at the point were the magnet seems closest to the surface (where you can see edges) and then pull it out with a mag.

    Then take more pics
  • Ouch just ouch.... Is there any way you could get a scalpel and make a + incision and then use the magnet to pull it out?
  • Not sure if it's generally better etiqutte to post a link to the images or post them inline so I'll just play it safe and post the link http://imgur.com/a/0hVOz

    @glims I see you point but I'd rather play it safe, scheduled removal for tomorrow afternoon. Also it would probably be beneficial to have someone that knows what they're looking at assess it in person during the procedure.
  • @JohnDoe it's not too terribly painful as long as I don't bump it into anything. 
  • I think this goes with out saying to wait a while before you try to put a magnet back in. That digit has to heal and rest. Do you have any sensation?
  • Got it pulled. Coating was compromised - cracked down the middle on one of the faces and the coating lifted a bit. I'll post pictures and a detailed report tomorrow.. probably in it's own thread. 
  • @Raven
    add it to the m31 rejection collection thread.
  • edited February 2016
    I had to get one cut out of my tragus after several months. Got all bruised looking. The case got like cracked. I can try and remember to post pics later. The other one was hurting a bit but stopped. Might take that out this weekend. Oh yeah, and my ear is like still bruised/stained looking, I'm guessing there's going to be neodymium in there forever.

    Edit: maybe I should have read the whole thread before commenting. Sounds the same as mine
  • edited February 2016
    I will post it in the rejection thread, but for now here's a link to the close up pics, sorry a bit blurry hard to focus on something that close.
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