Adhesive bandages

[luvscowznh]

Just got back from my dermatologist - he said that the fluorescent test they did to measure the antibody levels showed no antibodies. Well - DUH - I've been GF for the last two months, so it wouldn't show the antibodies. But, based on the rash I got at the biopsy site - he says I'm allergic to bacitracin. Joy. Another allergy. Oh well. He told me alternatives to bacitracin - just use petrolium jelly to keep the site moist. And I bought some GF bandaids too. (Thanks again for the list, Al..)

[Patty C]

[skbird]

Thanks Manda! Isn't it crazy what we consider fun anymore? Ha!

I have not had many stories lately as I have been trying to track down another health issue... sigh!!!!! (Can you sigh loudly???) It looks like I might have a connective tissue disease on top of gluten intolerance. Frankly what I have been reading is pretty scary. But I've absorbed nearly enough to find the humor in it all. For example, I am going to see a rheumatologist soon and have told my husband and a coworker they can call me "rheumy" if they want. It's possible it's lupus so I have also been telling them they can call me "loopy" or "wolfie" (lupus is for "wolf").

But from my initial test results it looks more like I might have some form of scleroderma which is a skin thickening/tightening disease. I don't have any skin symptoms but I never fit the mold anyway! I have found correlation to scleroderma and the two genes I have (the ones that indicate gluten intolerance). Anyway, since whatever this is is autoimmune, I think it's interesting that the genes for gluten intolerance can be some of the same associated with connective tissue disease, and while I see no obvious evidence of articles stating gluten free helps, I believe this connection only underlines the importance of gluten free eating.

Anyway, if it turns out I have some form of scleroderma, you guys can insult me all you want because I'll be certifiably "thick skinned"... Ha, again!
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Stephanie

[Andi]

Wow! I can't believe other people have this reaction to bandaids! I tried the latex free ones thinking it might be the latex (even though I've never reacted to any other kind of latex) and I got an itchy rash that eventually made my skin peel til raw and I had to live with a raw thumb for a week....that was fun!
This happens every time I wear bandaids anywhere on my body. I don't have DH, by the way.
Andi

[Judy]

Nikki,

My husband has the DH and it appears as water filled blisters. Not really what you think of as a "rash". They are very itchy, usually break within a day of appearing, get a small scab and then disappear in a week or so. Mostly he gets them on his face now, but before diagnosis he got them on all of the thin skin - elbows, knees and butt. We usually know he's been glutened by the blisters before the stomach issues. He has a prescription for a antibiotic cream which seems to help some - it doesn't take them away, but I think it at least helps prevent infection.
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Judy

[GFSarahSmiles]

My skin doesn't like bandaids or that medical tape stuff either. The skin under and around the bandaid itches and then when I take it off, it is bright red and clearly irritated. A day or so after I take it off, it almost looks like a burn. It's really weird. It looks kinda like there's a thin layer of red and ready-to-peel-off skin on top and that mark stays there for several weeks before slowly going away.

My back looks awful right now. I had to have a biopsy done in my back two weeks ago and the whole upper part of my back is red, itchy, and broken out (yuck!) from the first ten days of keeping the stitches covered with gauze taped across my back and now the bandaids. The stitches come out tomorrow, so I'm thrilled with the notion that it might be the last day I have to keep it covered! I never imagined the bandaids would be more itchy and irritating than the stitches themselves.
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Sarah
Birthday: December 6, 1982
Gluten-Free Birthday: March 2, 2004
Remission & Dx Confirmed: March 30, 2004

[Fawn in CA]

Some drs think you can't have a gluten reaction on your skin, but my daughter (CD) had a reaction to the gel used to stick telemetry monitors to your chest in the hospital. A GI saw it later (took months to heal and marks are still there) and said that is WAS from gluten. We avoid all kinds of gels: cosmetics, toothpaste, acne meds, hair products, etc.
My sister (CD) has a bad reaction to adhesives, also. I do too, but not like being glutenized.
Thought I'd throw out a possible LATEX (natural rubber) allergy, in case you need to consider that, in addition to gluten.

[Fawn in CA]

My last reply was after reading only Page 1 - now I see that latex was addressed on Page 2!
Anyway, our family seems to think that gel products are more likely than others to have gluten.