Latex allergies?

[disykat]

Last week I got a raised welt after wearing a bandaid. (It was a new box, a stronger type than we usually buy) Yesterday, the Physical Therapist wanted to tape my ankles and I mentioned the bandaid. We did a test strip on my wrist and it seemed okay, so before I left she taped my ankles. Everything was fine until the itching woke me up in the middle of the night!

Anyway, I'm guessing I might be developing a Latex allergy? I emailed my doctor so he can note in on my records and call me in for testing if he thinks it's necessary. Anyone have any helpful hints for me? I know nothing about Latex allergies other than seeing signs in the hospital.

I did some reading last night and did find one interesting bit. They listed some foods which may be related. It included avocado, which I can't eat because they make me sick. (That's a sensitivity I've had for over 20 years, nothing new.)

 

[Christine]

More than likely you have an adhesive allergy.

I am allergic to all Band-Aid brand bandaids. I can only wear Nexcare and even then, I will have a problem to some degree.

I am allergic to most tapes (but not fabric tape because it has much less adhesive on it). I got horrible welts when I had surgery and had to be taped for two weeks. I also got welts when I had to wear a Holter monitor for 24 hours.

I have no problem wearing latex gloves (I do that routinely).

Adhesive allergies have become fairly common as I know a lot of people who have recently developed them. I think there is some change in the adhesive they use now.

 

[BCV513]

I'm allergic to latex. Like Christine said, Band-Aid brand is out. They all have latex in them. I can wear Nexcare if necessary but they still make me itch. Medical tapes are awful. I actually have a scar from the tape covering stitches. No scar from the cut, but a scar from where the tape burned me.

Avocados can cause a reaction too. So can bananas which I found interesting. I always get a funny itchy/tingling feeling in my throat when I eat bananas.

When I had my gallbladder out last year I was the talk of the hospital. I told them beforehand about the latex allergy so they cleaned the OR first. But the first thing my doctor told me afterwards was how sensitive my skin was. She said everytime they touched me I turned red and welted. She actually said they all experimenting with it.

 

[Christine]

But the first thing my doctor told me afterwards was how sensitive my skin was. She said everytime they touched me I turned red and welted. She actually said they all experimenting with it.

I have that too. It's calle dermagraphism.

 

[BCV513]

I have that too. It's calle dermagraphism.

Wow I never heard of that. I'm going to go look that up. I just thought I had sensitive skin

 

[NotUrsula]

It could be latex, or it could be adhesive. Try wearing a latex rubber glove for a little while and see if it causes a reaction; if not, then it's the adhesive. (I have adhesive issues, too. Like several others here, I do much better with the NexCare bandages, but I still can't wear them too long. I also have recently become reactive to neomycin, which is the usual antibiotic in topical antibiotic creams. I can use it, but only for one application; more than that and the spot will come out in hives.)

My mother developed a severe latex allergy when she was in her 60's, and she had to stop wearing bras because of it. The latex in the elastic caused severe pain wherever the stretch fabric touched her skin.

PS: I also have reaction issues with bananas and kiwi, though it isn't really severe; just enough to make eating them an unpleasant experience.

 

[cteddiesgirl]

Wow I never heard of that. I'm going to go look that up. I just thought I had sensitive skin

I'll have to look that up too. I also never realized that I might have a slight problem with bananas. Maybe that's why my mouth/throat always feels a little strange after eating one.

I have skin allergies to latex, chemical based fragrances (that's a fun one ), tea tree oil, aloe, most metals and other things. I always break out it itchy red rashes when I come into contact with these things.

 

[tigercat]

Wow that is me cteddiesgirls. I don't have many problems eating banana's but I can't eat a Kiwi. My tongue swells and my mouth swells. Yuck. Everything seems to get worse every year though.
tigercat

 

[chloelovesdisney]

I'm allergic to latex. My face swells and my eyes are completely swollen to the point where I can't open them. You might just get irritated from the tape/bandaids. I saw an allergist and they tested me for the latex issue because at that time I needed a doctors note to have non-latex gloves provided to me in the hospital where I worked, and to have all powdered latex products removed from the floor.

 

[Grumpy's Gal]

just an FYI -- if you are at Disney World and need a bandaid from the RX clinic in the park, they only carry LAYTEX-FREE bandaids.

 

[disykat]

Thanks guys. My mind immediately jumped to Latex, but I'm hoping it's just a contact thing with adhesives. I've NEVER done well with rubber gloves, but I always thought it was a heat issue. It'll be interesting to see how this plays out.

 

[LuvOrlando]

I have an allergy like that too, but only if the stuff lingers on my skin. I did try to work out if it was the latex or the adhesive but since more than one brand has bothered me I just skip that sort now. The flexible fabric band-aids are easy breezy to find and don't seem to bug me at all.

FYI, if you do have this problem make sure all your Dr's know about it because when you have some work done, like an MRI with contrast for example, they might have to give you a specific batch of medication that isn't stored in latex containing containers. Oh, and be careful at the dentist, they have latex everything which can make a person very un-pretty the next day

 

[flipturngirl]

FYI, if you do have this problem make sure all your Dr's know about it because when you have some work done, like an MRI with contrast for example, they might have to give you a specific batch of medication that isn't stored in latex containing containers. Oh, and be careful at the dentist, they have latex everything which can make a person very un-pretty the next day

I totally agree with LuvOrlando! Make sure all of your doctors know! And also even if the allergy is written in your chart make sure you double check with your dentist before they start doing work on your mouth! They do not always look in the chart and will change the gloves.. Mine always forgot but when I reminded him he would switch them!

 

[Christine]

It would be wise to go have an allergy test for latex.

Latex allergy is one of those "serious" ones. It is right up there with peanut allergy and can get worse with more exposure. I would get tested and if you have the allergy, you need to start carrying an epi-pen and get a medic alert bracelet.

 

[asta]

More than likely you have an adhesive allergy.

I am allergic to all Band-Aid brand bandaids. I can only wear Nexcare and even then, I will have a problem to some degree.

I am allergic to most tapes (but not fabric tape because it has much less adhesive on it). I got horrible welts when I had surgery and had to be taped for two weeks. I also got welts when I had to wear a Holter monitor for 24 hours.

I have no problem wearing latex gloves (I do that routinely).

Adhesive allergies have become fairly common as I know a lot of people who have recently developed them. I think there is some change in the adhesive they use now.

I too am allergic to adhesive. Most people automatically assume that it is a latex alergy but I don't react at all to latex, just the adhesive that is used. It doesn't matter if the bandage is latex or cloth. I can't even use the steri strips used after surgery. The last time I had surgery I developed these red, itchy welts in circular patterns. I finally figured out that they had used an adhesive to attach monitors and I reacted every where they had been placed.

I also wonder if there hasn't been some change in the adhesive that is used now. I never reacted to anything until I was about 30 years old.