help please with # sign

I have a text input field in my form. I need the user to be able to enter something like: Hello, I need # help. After which they click on a submit button. The succeeding page then takes this text and tries to display it and tries to store "Hello, I need # help" in a varchar field in a mysql table column. The mysql database is truncating the # sign and the text succeeding the # sign. Also, absolutly no text is being diplayed on the succeeding web page. I've tried using addslashes() and I was warned against using htmlentities(). Also, I'm not sure if I'm dealing with 2 issues: A mysql issue and a html issue. Or, am I dealing with one issue: A mysql issue or an HTML issue. Thank you, John __________________________________________________ Terrorist Attacks on U.S. - How can you help? Donate cash, emergency relief information http://dailynews.yahoo.com/fc/US/Emergency_Information/