Nipple piercings and nickel allergy

Br

Hey guys, so I’ve had my nipples pierced for like a year and a half.. they healed up fully around 8 months (6 after they were stretched from a 16g to a 14g). I have always worn titanium in them and I thought they were pierced with stainless steel but I can’t find that jewelry so I am not completely sure!

Anyways, I went to a shop and bought new barbells- the lady said they were 316L stainless steel and it was “impossible” to have an allergy to them. I wore them for 4 days and my nipples progressively got more and more sore. Finally yesterday I woke up and they were swollen and oozing like crazy. I couldn’t even touch them. I took out those barbells and put my titanium back in (45 minutes of excruciating pain. Literally crying trying to get them in, I guess because they were so swollen?) Well I SSS them twice yesterday and they are still oozing and now weirdly flat¿?

I was just wondering if anyone else had been through this and maybe it isn’t an allergy or has any advice. I don’t want to lose them but I’m seriously debating on taking them out because this pain is worse than having them pierced.