Allergic Reaction to Fabric Bandaids (Ouch) All Help Greedily Accepted!

Updated on January 21, 2011
M.M. asks from Seattle, WA
13 answers

So with the onset of the pouring rain last week I decided to make a oven dinner last week - but forgot that ovens get hot! So I burned my forearm while grabbing dinner from the oven.

Here is where my stupidity comes into play. I know that I had an allergic reaction 20 years ago to the adhesive in fabric bandaids, but they were the only ones I had that were big enough to cover up the leaking burn. So I had my daughter help me put them on (meanwhile she is scolding me to NOT to use the bandages - gotta love the tweenies) Well, just like mom, she was right! For a week now my arm is swollen exactly where the bandages were. Red, raised, burning and dear god the itch! I am trying so hard not to take my claws and shred my arm off - but oh how I want too! (Insert pathetic sobs here)

Any ideas? I am going to go to the Dr. tomorrow (if they can get me in) but I need to still have an arm when I get there. I have been up since 4am today trying not to itch. Tho I will admit to you that I just had a very satisfying itch moment.

Please help...not above begging...

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R..

answers from Austin on

try lemon juice... It should help with the itching AND it's an anti-inflammatory. Baking soda mixed with water until a paste, Oatmeal mixed with water into a paste, and Aloe Vera are also good. (Aloe Vera would help the burn too...)
:)

3 moms found this helpful

V.W.

answers from Jacksonville on

Did you take any Benadryl?

I had a horrendous!!!! itch from a horsefly bite a few weeks ago. (I STILL have a mark there right now). I've never experienced anything like this from any kind of bite before. It blistered up HUGE about 2 days after the bite happened. Anyway... my SIL, who is a nurse, said I should take some Benadryl. I only had the spray on topical variety.. she said I needed to take oral, for the reaction was systemic not just topical (I had an area 7 inches across red and swollen and itching and blistering up). Well, not having any, I took Atarax (a prescription antihistimine I had just a month before been prescribed for a recent run in with poison oak). I took some, and it helped a lot. Both with keeping it from continuing to swell (I seriously had out the sharpie pen and was drawing circles on the growing red area) and with the itching. If you have any oral antihistimines, take a dose and also use cold packs on it. That can help numb the itch away.

Good luck!

2 moms found this helpful

D.M.

answers from Denver on

I am also allergic! I have found the best thing for burns is Burt's Bees Diaper Ointment - and I'd bet it would help with that rash too.

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L.R.

answers from Seattle on

I do want to respond to the burn in the kitchen, I recommend to
always keep a small bottle of Emu oil in the kitchen it is miraculous.
I do lots of cooking, ran a daycare this has been a life saver. But the
way it is best used is on any burn oil, heat,etc. immediately pour the
oil over the burn. With any burn you will feel pain but you will feel the
sensation slowly going away and the next day or so you may see a scab
where it stopped any severe inflammation. Depending on the degree of
the burn you may get some inflammation but continue to put as much
as needed and you will see the severity of the burn lessen. Have used it many times can be found at Fred Meyers or any health food store. As
for the bandaid reation, you can find a product that is also at both locations
called Sovereign Silver that has aloe and silver which is best for healing burns and allergic reations.
Hope this will help

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T.M.

answers from Medford on

I had my appendix out about 7 years ago, and since then have become, or discovered that I'm allergic to latex and adhesives. A few years ago we were doing a burn pile and I discovered that I'm allergic to pine tree sap, got a rash on my arms like poison oak. Doing a little research I have discovered that they use pine tree sap in a variety of products, everything from adhesives to some mascara! I don't know what hidden names it goes by, but one brand of mascara had been giving me a mild rash on my eyelids, and I'm guessing that is why! I also found out the hard way I'm allergic to antibiotics that end in "cillin" - break out in hives all over my whole body, but I don't know if that is often related to the other two things.

Other than that I don't have any food allergies or sensitivities.

I am ok with non-latex bandaids, and the medical tape that is clear with little bumps all over it so you can rip it off easily, so you could use that with gauze.

The topical benedryl gel helps with the rash. Good luck!

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M.M.

answers from Washington DC on

My daughter has a latex and adhesive allergy too. We keep a prescription cortisone tube around for when she has to have the large bandaids, which was just Monday. So now I slather the area around the booboo with cortisone,. As soon as the arm stops oozing just leave it uncovered.
We have also used gauze and just wrapped the gauze, tightly with the surgical fabric tape. You can twist it around after securing the bandage gauze and then tie it. THat way the sticky side isn't on your skin. Or fold it in half to tie it.

L.G.

answers from Eugene on

First of all when you get burned put the burned arm, leg, finger in cold water or even ice water. On your face put a ice cold compress and change it every few minutes.
This way the burn won't go deep.
They make Latex free bandages or you can buy big cotton ones and use non-allergic adhesive tape on them.
You have to keep these items on hand all the time or you will suffer. Find the pharmacies that have them and replace often once used.
Do you have any salves or creams that soothe the skin?
Next get Cantharis 30 c it is a homeopathic against burns and skin stuff. Also Apis. Apis 30c is for bug bites, poison oak that has broken out and rashes. Take 4 x a day for four days.
I have a special lamp to sit under when not well. It has a variety of gels. But get a green glass jar. Put water in it in the sunlight. After 8 hours you can drink the water and it will calm your skin. I have used it for severe burns on my patients and for general healing.
If you can find a copy of my book Sound Medicine. Not the first printing but a later one...second or more, methods of healing with light are in it.
I'm a woman whose been in practice a long long time and everything in the book is time tested.

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M.L.

answers from Seattle on

Try some aloe vera. It will heal the burn and sooth the itch. It is the only thing that stops insect bite itches on me, and it heals them much quicker, too. A bonus - you can't use too much, so you can reapply as often as needed. Also try ice. It will calm the itch and reduce any inflammation.

K.N.

answers from Austin on

I'd take some Tylonal to see if that will block the itchy nerve signals, although I wouldnt mix pain med and Benedryl--one or the other. If you have any diaper cream (Triple Paste is my first recommend; A&D my second), that should help soothe. Since it's a burn in addition to an allergic reaction rash, anything that is too acidic will hurt.

By the way, I am allergic to latex. Your allergic reaction sounds familiar... I'm not sure what you mean by "big fabric bandages". Some fabric bandages contain latex (the elastic, stretchy material). It's made from rubber (aka the rubber tree), and the allergic reaction is to the rubber tree plant protein. If you think you might be having a latex allergic reaction, tell the doctor to use non-latex exam gloves at your appointment tomorrow; avoid contact with exposed elastic (cheap bras, cheap panties, etc.), some shoes/soles of shoes, balloons, latex paint, bananas... Because your body would be overly sensitive to even the slightest contact with more latex. The next phase of an latex allergic reaction (after the itchy rash) is respiratory/coughing/flu-like symptoms. Latex allergies are kind of like bee stings, in that the more exposure you get, the worse the reaction is; your body's reaction to contact with latex gets progressively worse--the rash is the least worrisome, while anaphalatic shock/not being able to breathe is the worst. Best to avoid the next stage if you think you might be allergic.

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M.L.

answers from Seattle on

How about long sleeves? Could you put your watch over the end of your sleeve? It might look weird, but if it helps?

And for future reference, pickle juice will help pull out the burn. I know it sounds crazy but I had a physician at urgent care tell me after I burned my hand in a similar manner as you and tried it. Within a few minutes, it felt much better!

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D.L.

answers from Seattle on

I'm allergic to latex (which is the adhesive on most bandages) and to non-latex adhesive bandages, too. It sucks. When I've absolutely had to use bandages (such as post-surgery), I get welts and sores. Hydrocortisone helps me the most (especially with the itching) and if the sores are open, I use a little antibiotic ointment instead. Unfortunately, I always just have to wait it out until it's done healing. Good luck. I hope your arm is better soon.

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M.P.

answers from Portland on

Take an antihistamine. It's OK to mix acetaminophen or any other pain meds such as ibuprofen with an antihistamine and slather your arm with a cortisone cream. I've taken that combination many times.

I suggest that doing this will reduce the itching and pain and you won't require a doctor's appointment. I'd call first and ask if there is actually anything else that they can do for you.

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