Re: Which types of EDS has the adhesive allergy and skin itching ...

[Guest guest]

Hi Caro,

I am very familiar with itching as a Psoriatic who also had atopic

eczema in the past (still get a bit now and then)... I also react to

different adhesives.

But this type of allergy is very common. I truly don't think it is

EDS related at all. What is common with EDS though, is that since our

skin often is so fragile, taking a band-aid off and on creates an

irritation of the skin, somewhat as a graze. This in its turn do

create itching as the skin start to heal. So if he maybe even has

both these things going on at once, of course it itches a lot...

But please ask him _NOT_ to use alcohol to help with the itching. It

really works for like 2 seconds, then makes it even worse. What he

should try instead is either a moisturizer. A lotion is fine, one

with quite a bit of water in it. That cools a bit and soothes the

itching. These things itch much more when the skin gets dry,

something it sure gets with alcohol. He can also try e.g. Aloe Vera

gel, many find that very helpful for itching. Other options are e.g.

Rite Aid Anti-Itch Clear Lotion, has an external analgesic in it. My

favorit is something I am not sure if you can get, it is called

Xylocain here in Norway. It is a clear lotion with a lot of Lidocaine

in it. I put it on a compress, and put the compress on the spot that

itches way too bad, or put it on the skin with a piece of plastic on

top. Let the plastic sit on for an hour and the area goes numb. But

this you can just do for small areas of skin. I do think you can get

Embla cream over there though, the hospital should have it. If it is

just on the site where a Duragesic patch has been, he could apply

that cream to see if it would work.... If you do use one of the OTC

anti-itch lotions like the one I mentioned, you could also try to

apply plastic on top for a while to increase the effect by occlusion.

To prevent his skin from getting really irritated, he should apply a

good moisturizer all over every day. Then he can wash the area where

a pain patch is going with alcohol before application, so that the

moisturizer won't prevent the patch from sticking properly.

I hope some of these things helps for him. If not, let me think

again... I probably forgot some options now...

Good luck!!!!

Aase Marit

>Hi all,

>

>My husband Bill, still in the hospital is still having grief over his skin

>reactions to adhesives on his skin. [DURAGESIC is one too.] An

>ordinary piece of

>tape leaves its outline on his skin.

>

>His other problem is that the various medications especially pain medications

>is making him itch terribly. He tries to treat his itching by swabbing with

>isopropyl alcohol.

>

>QUESTION: Is it any particular type of EDS that has this type of skin

>reaction?

>

>Caro

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Hi Caro,

I am very familiar with itching as a Psoriatic who also had atopic

eczema in the past (still get a bit now and then)... I also react to

different adhesives.

But this type of allergy is very common. I truly don't think it is

EDS related at all. What is common with EDS though, is that since our

skin often is so fragile, taking a band-aid off and on creates an

irritation of the skin, somewhat as a graze. This in its turn do

create itching as the skin start to heal. So if he maybe even has

both these things going on at once, of course it itches a lot...

But please ask him _NOT_ to use alcohol to help with the itching. It

really works for like 2 seconds, then makes it even worse. What he

should try instead is either a moisturizer. A lotion is fine, one

with quite a bit of water in it. That cools a bit and soothes the

itching. These things itch much more when the skin gets dry,

something it sure gets with alcohol. He can also try e.g. Aloe Vera

gel, many find that very helpful for itching. Other options are e.g.

Rite Aid Anti-Itch Clear Lotion, has an external analgesic in it. My

favorit is something I am not sure if you can get, it is called

Xylocain here in Norway. It is a clear lotion with a lot of Lidocaine

in it. I put it on a compress, and put the compress on the spot that

itches way too bad, or put it on the skin with a piece of plastic on

top. Let the plastic sit on for an hour and the area goes numb. But

this you can just do for small areas of skin. I do think you can get

Embla cream over there though, the hospital should have it. If it is

just on the site where a Duragesic patch has been, he could apply

that cream to see if it would work.... If you do use one of the OTC

anti-itch lotions like the one I mentioned, you could also try to

apply plastic on top for a while to increase the effect by occlusion.

To prevent his skin from getting really irritated, he should apply a

good moisturizer all over every day. Then he can wash the area where

a pain patch is going with alcohol before application, so that the

moisturizer won't prevent the patch from sticking properly.

I hope some of these things helps for him. If not, let me think

again... I probably forgot some options now...

Good luck!!!!

Aase Marit

>Hi all,

>

>My husband Bill, still in the hospital is still having grief over his skin

>reactions to adhesives on his skin. [DURAGESIC is one too.] An

>ordinary piece of

>tape leaves its outline on his skin.

>

>His other problem is that the various medications especially pain medications

>is making him itch terribly. He tries to treat his itching by swabbing with

>isopropyl alcohol.

>

>QUESTION: Is it any particular type of EDS that has this type of skin

>reaction?

>

>Caro

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Hi again,

Reading your posting Sharon, you reminded me about one thing I also

heard about somewhere. To take a gauze cloth or pantyhose and fill it

with either oats or wheat bran. Then use it as a body scrubber to

wash yourself. And again, only use this, no soap is needed. If you

for some reason can't stand taking a shower with no soap, use a

non-perfume pH 3.5 one, e.g. Lactacyd.

I also use several things I use on myself on my dog Peanut. She has

sensitive and dry skin, but I have managed to get it under control. I

also bought her a tar shampoo which I discovered was great for myself

too. It is so much cheaper than one meant for humans...

I have also used the bandaid I have mentioned in another post on her.

That was where I first saw it, at the vets, they use it a lot on

animals.

Aase Marit

>Vets also use it on ANIMALS with itchy skin complaints etc. As

>animals do not have any placebo effect it is pretty good indication

>that it works.

>I am an atopic person (allergic) and have had eczema since birth

>(literraly, I was allergic to the baby wash they washed me in at

>birth) and have tried many thing for eczema and itchy skin, salt

>water (i.e sea water always helpd and we used to use salt baths as

>kids to help). The oaTMEAL IS ONE MY DOGS VET SUGGESTED AND HAS

>WORKED BEST OF ALL.

>By soaking the oats in a bowl yopu could also use the

>resulting " water " mix to wash in and if you soak it for a short time

>until the mix startes to exude the white starchy mess then you can

>also use it to wash with in the shower (but no soap) to help ease the

>itch, yhis is not as good as the bath but I know some here can't use

>baths and in hospital showers are more likely.

>Try the compresses with the water mix added as well as Aase Marit

>suggested, anything that helps is a good thing and the less drugs

>used the better.

[Guest guest]

Hi again,

Reading your posting Sharon, you reminded me about one thing I also

heard about somewhere. To take a gauze cloth or pantyhose and fill it

with either oats or wheat bran. Then use it as a body scrubber to

wash yourself. And again, only use this, no soap is needed. If you

for some reason can't stand taking a shower with no soap, use a

non-perfume pH 3.5 one, e.g. Lactacyd.

I also use several things I use on myself on my dog Peanut. She has

sensitive and dry skin, but I have managed to get it under control. I

also bought her a tar shampoo which I discovered was great for myself

too. It is so much cheaper than one meant for humans...

I have also used the bandaid I have mentioned in another post on her.

That was where I first saw it, at the vets, they use it a lot on

animals.

Aase Marit

>Vets also use it on ANIMALS with itchy skin complaints etc. As

>animals do not have any placebo effect it is pretty good indication

>that it works.

>I am an atopic person (allergic) and have had eczema since birth

>(literraly, I was allergic to the baby wash they washed me in at

>birth) and have tried many thing for eczema and itchy skin, salt

>water (i.e sea water always helpd and we used to use salt baths as

>kids to help). The oaTMEAL IS ONE MY DOGS VET SUGGESTED AND HAS

>WORKED BEST OF ALL.

>By soaking the oats in a bowl yopu could also use the

>resulting " water " mix to wash in and if you soak it for a short time

>until the mix startes to exude the white starchy mess then you can

>also use it to wash with in the shower (but no soap) to help ease the

>itch, yhis is not as good as the bath but I know some here can't use

>baths and in hospital showers are more likely.

>Try the compresses with the water mix added as well as Aase Marit

>suggested, anything that helps is a good thing and the less drugs

>used the better.

[Guest guest]

Hi again,

Reading your posting Sharon, you reminded me about one thing I also

heard about somewhere. To take a gauze cloth or pantyhose and fill it

with either oats or wheat bran. Then use it as a body scrubber to

wash yourself. And again, only use this, no soap is needed. If you

for some reason can't stand taking a shower with no soap, use a

non-perfume pH 3.5 one, e.g. Lactacyd.

I also use several things I use on myself on my dog Peanut. She has

sensitive and dry skin, but I have managed to get it under control. I

also bought her a tar shampoo which I discovered was great for myself

too. It is so much cheaper than one meant for humans...

I have also used the bandaid I have mentioned in another post on her.

That was where I first saw it, at the vets, they use it a lot on

animals.

Aase Marit

>Vets also use it on ANIMALS with itchy skin complaints etc. As

>animals do not have any placebo effect it is pretty good indication

>that it works.

>I am an atopic person (allergic) and have had eczema since birth

>(literraly, I was allergic to the baby wash they washed me in at

>birth) and have tried many thing for eczema and itchy skin, salt

>water (i.e sea water always helpd and we used to use salt baths as

>kids to help). The oaTMEAL IS ONE MY DOGS VET SUGGESTED AND HAS

>WORKED BEST OF ALL.

>By soaking the oats in a bowl yopu could also use the

>resulting " water " mix to wash in and if you soak it for a short time

>until the mix startes to exude the white starchy mess then you can

>also use it to wash with in the shower (but no soap) to help ease the

>itch, yhis is not as good as the bath but I know some here can't use

>baths and in hospital showers are more likely.

>Try the compresses with the water mix added as well as Aase Marit

>suggested, anything that helps is a good thing and the less drugs

>used the better.