Medical tape

Tape Ouch!
It's a good thing to know and to let all that you see know it as well. I am also alergic and they didn't believe me until they took off tape and off came skin with it! Boy were they sorry for not listening to me!! It was luckly only a small issue and the area healed up fast. The paper tape worked the best for me and did not pull off the skin. Good luck and my thoughts are with you.

Kim

KathiM said:

Me too!!!!!!
Yup, my skin turns the color of tomatoe soup with steri-strips!!! After my abdominal surgery, the resident came in and removed my staples. Applied steri-strips, even tho I had shared my allergy. She only responded "Well, if anything, it will be a local reaction, and that will bring blood to the site to aid in healing". At my 1-week post-op appt with my surgeon (who happened to be chief of surgical oncology), responding to his dismay as to the condition of my skin around the wound, I shared what this gal had said. At my next visit, he assured me that she had been spoken to.

I ALWAYS remind my medical team, whether it be ER docs, lab draw nurses, or my own PCP as to my allergies. I am also allergic to Aloe Vera (along with 2 other people on the PLANET, lol!). They use paper tape. For my second surgery to clear a small bowel obstuction, my doc used surgical glue...WONDERFUL stuff! It was also used for my lumpectomy. It wears off as the wound heals...

Hugs, Kathi

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pinkflutterby said:

silk tape
all they can use on me is silk tape no other tapes when I was in the hopsital the nurse didnt believe me either and I whelped all up around the tape bag over my port. Its been 2 weeks and I am still burned from it!!!! paper tape does not work on me either. Just silk!

silk
Silk works best for me too, although it can be hard to remove the residue. The clear tape is the worst for me, but many prefer it. Tegaderm is a clear patch that they put over iv sites and that is also ok with my skin.

Marcia527 said:

where oh where did my little post go
This is strange. I swore I answered this thread. I don't see me tho.

I asked for paper tape. It is latex-free and is easier on the skin.

Wonder where my other ghost post went?

Me too Marcia.
I was the first or second to answer and my post is not there either. In fact it has happened another time during these past few days. And I was so brilliant too.....

Anyway, what I said was: I am also allergic and when they did my sentinel node biopsy that had so much tape and all my skin came off. So I told my surgeon but to be on the safe side I made a litle note and "taped" it to my breast (paper tape) that reminded them not to use regular tape but the non-allergic kind and they did. But I really didn't much tape and they took the dressing off the next morning before I went home.

Try the note thingy to remind them... Good luck, let us know how you make out.

Hugs, Judy :-)

same problem
I have the same problem. At first the paper tape worked and then it started rashing and removing skin also. A couple nurses and docs had said its the adhesive on the tape not the tape. Oh joy! I used big gauze and just tape on the edges. Changed often it seemed to help. I never heard of the silk, so can't say. Funny thing though, the clear tape with no threads was over my tube (2) incisions it was on the longest before changing and had the least bad effect.

katznc said:

same problem
I have the same problem. At first the paper tape worked and then it started rashing and removing skin also. A couple nurses and docs had said its the adhesive on the tape not the tape. Oh joy! I used big gauze and just tape on the edges. Changed often it seemed to help. I never heard of the silk, so can't say. Funny thing though, the clear tape with no threads was over my tube (2) incisions it was on the longest before changing and had the least bad effect.

clear tape does it to me as
clear tape does it to me as well, silk tape can be tough to remove.

Wolfi said:

Me, too
I also have very bad reactions to medical tape (bandages and paper tape included). After my surgery they wrapped me in gauze and held it in place with an ace bandage so no tape would have to be applied directly to my skin.

Good luck - the medical staff should have some other ideas for your situation.

Same here .. You can request ... FLEXIBILE
paper tape .. Also .. alert your pre-surgery staff, or take a red pen .. and mark up both outer arms before arriving at the hospital. Allergic to medical tape .. Paper tape only.

Wolfi .. has a great point .. talk to your medical staff, so that this information is charted in your medical file.

VickiSam

Another Suggestion
I am sure the medical professionals we encounter have a very hectic day, and can often forget something they've been told. It is important to us, but they have a hundred other things they are thinking of, and often something we have told them can slip away. (And they say I have chemo-brain!)

When my finace had hip replacement, the surgeon visited him in surgery before he went in. At that time, he took a magic marker and initialed the hip that was to be replaced, after confirming it with my finace. This way, all involved would not make a mistake.

So why not, when you are going in for a surgery, take a magic marker and write on the area to be cut that you need paper tape. That way, anyone who is your caretaker will not have any reason to use anything else. (Apparantly the magic marker on the skin did not affect anything in surgery, although he did write it off to the side of the incision.)

Just a thought that may help. Good luck. I am also alergic to adhesives in alot of bandages, but it depends on what part of the body they are applied. My hands can take alot more than my torso. I just hate it when I forget to take off the bandaid after accessing my port. itch itch itch!

Keep smiling Pink Sisters!

Dermabond
Which surgery are you having? If its not too large of an incision they can use Dermabond instead of stiches, then you may not need a dressing covering it.Unfortunately for me, I am alergic to Dermabond and most tape, too.