My right cartilege piercing is red, sore to the touch, swollen, and hot.  The problem is, I can't see the doctor until morning and I'm worried that my ear is going to swallow the labret post in my ear.  I know you shouldn't take out jewelry if you suspect an infection, but I don't think an embedded piece of jewelry will help things either.  I have a pair of circular barbells, but I don't know if I should put them in or not.  Should I take out the jewelry or replace it?  Please help!!!

 are you sure you didn't just bump it? infections usually come with being itchy too. is it a new piercing? more detail is needed. 

stay calm tho! if it really is infected i think changing the jewelry would be better than letting it close. especially in cartilege

I had a lobe piercing that became infected before.  It wasn't itchy, but it was red, hot, oozing blood and liquid and THROBBING!  It was painful without even touching it.  It went from fine to painful within 12 hours.  How old is your piercing?

 I had my ears pierced last August.  It was perfectly fine this morning and it felt a little odd at work tonight.  It's only painful when touched, but when I pushed on it a little (I didn't mean to), liquid and blood came out.  I'm really worried.

i hope someone can help you. :[ ive never had such a thing happen. 

 Thanks.  It really pisses me off because I've been extremely careful with them.  How many SSSs should I do per day until I can see a doctor?

i'd say twice a day. 

 Thank you guys so much for your help!  I really appreciate it.

If your cartilage really is infected you need to see a doctor now. It is very easy for it to go bad very quickly with deforming results. I don't mean to alarm you but is there any way to get to a doctor today?

 edit- completely different situation with some extreme results, but here's a link that has some info in it http://news.bmezine.com/2006/07/24/gun-piercing/

 When I woke up this morning, the piercing was no longer red, hot, sore, and the swelling had gone down.  Unfortunately, the doctor's office is not open until Monday but I will continue SSSs until then.  I'm wondering if the liquid and blood was from the pressure on the hypertrophic scarring on the back of my ear.

Did you go to the doctor??  Is everything okay?! 

sway:

If your cartilage really is infected you need to see a doctor now. It is very easy for it to go bad very quickly with deforming results. I don't mean to alarm you but is there any way to get to a doctor today?

 edit- completely different situation with some extreme results, but here's a link that has some info in it http://news.bmezine.com/2006/07/24/gun-piercing/

That article is SO scary.  I'm never getting pierced with a gun again, I regret having it done that way in the first place.

 I did not go to a doctor because my piercing returned to normal a few hours after I thought it to be infected.  The swelling has completely gone down; it is not red, sore, hot, or secreting any fluids.  I am still doing SSSs as a precaution, but I think it was irritated because I took a bath the day I thought it was infected.  I will supply pictures if wanted, but I think that my piercing is fine and I just overreacted.