2 month old Nipple Piercing pain when cleaning.

Hi everyone!

I'm not new to piercings at all, and I feel like I know the answer already and am just letting my anxiety get the better of me here. I also am completely aware that these piercings take around a year to heal completely.

So I got my nips pierced end of January, and they've healed amazingly. First 2 weeks were super painful and sore, but no pain after that. I clean them every day with saline wound wash, and also in the shower. I only touch them when my hands are clean, and then it's only when I'm checking them out for any swelling or issues.

I don't move the jewelry, except the amount they naturally slide when I'm wiping them with the q-tip and saline. (All the q-tips are clean, don't touch anything but the spray and then my nipple after, and I don't share q-tips between each nipple) The first month or so they didn't move on their own, but now that the inside is healing they do slide/turn some.

Everything was good until about 3 days ago when I was cleaning one, it felt like some of the crusty bits got inside the piercing? It was this awful, searing pain like when I first got them done. Nothing is red or swollen, and the only stuff that comes out is the regular clear/white that comes from all piercings when healing. I know it's not infected.

Just wanted to know if anyone else had this where they weren't painful at all, and then it flared up again? I feel like it's just my anxiety making me worry, and the fact I had a massive life change recently that's stressing me out is making me more sensitive. I can't see my piercer, since I now live 1,200 miles across the country, lol.

Thanks!!

Edit: The jewelry is a titanium barbel, with the balls that screw on the end (externally threaded?) I've never removed them, it's way too early for that. They're the perfect size for swelling, and they're not too big or small for me.