Contact Dermititis?

Lots of questions, sorry....

How long has this been going on? How often does it occur?

I've had unexplained contact dermititis but it was of short duration and nonrepeating. Sudafed makes you sleepy? How much are you taking - one or two? You could try Claritin instead.

Have you made any changes to your health and beauty products? New soaps for body or laundry? Any new pets in your house or in the houses of friends that you've visited?

Are you sure it isn't food related? A rash across your face and the tightness around your nose and eyes is from the onset of the histamine but it could come from food as well as something external.

As far as trying to pre-empt a reaction I would say that depends on how often you're having one. If it's regular you might want to go for some allergy testing. If you decide to see someone and you can choose your own practitioners go for an allergist vs a dermatologist.

The medication to take for allergic reaction is Benadryl, not Sudafed, which is primarily for nasal congestion, and other sinus problems. Benadryl WILL make you sleepy, but it is very effective.

Some years ago, when my son was little, he got this weird rash on his face. The funny thing was, that the rash looked like he had a beard, and a moustache. Then I figured it out. He was using this stuff in his bath, called Crazy Foam. He would put it on his face, as guess what? A beard and a moustache. I took it away from hiim, and he stopped getting rashes.

Contact dermatitis means simply that. There is something that is getting on your skin, to which you are sensitive. It may me some chemicals in the garden, or even the fertilizer.

I think that this site may give you some answers:

http://www.mckinley.uiuc.edu/health-info/dis-cond/commdis/contderm.html

How long has this been going on? How often does it occur?

~ the dirt thing has gone on for a couple years, the hair thing for a few months. Happens everytime I play in the dirt (I'm a gardening fanatic) and everytime I use certain hair products.

I've had unexplained contact dermititis but it was of short duration and nonrepeating. Sudafed makes you sleepy? How much are you taking - one or two? You could try Claritin instead.

~ I take one sudafed when I feel a reaction coming on. That's all. Claritan is all-day, no?

Have you made any changes to your health and beauty products? New soaps for body or laundry? Any new pets in your house or in the houses of friends that you've visited?

~ No new changes. I'd been using the same hair stuff for years when it suddenly gave me a reaction. I think they changed the ingredients because it felt different on my hair and Dasha (who got the left-overs) said it made her itch too. Other than that - nothing is new, that I know of. No new pets or houses or cleaning products....

Are you sure it isn't food related? A rash across your face and the tightness around your nose and eyes is from the onset of the histamine but it could come from food as well as something external.

~ I guess I'm not certain, I thought it was from chocolate, but the timing works for dirt and hair care - it starts 1-4 hours after coming into contact with those things.

As far as trying to pre-empt a reaction I would say that depends on how often you're having one. If it's regular you might want to go for some allergy testing. If you decide to see someone and you can choose your own practitioners go for an allergist vs a dermatologist.

~ I brought this up with my doctor, she almost said nothing, I think she may have sort of shrugged. I need a new GP. I'm not sure if I have to be refered, I should see. Good idea!

Thanks for the questions and advice!

Oops! Yep, I meant benadryl. I'll check the site out. Thanks Pho.

Now to fix my last post.

I think that you have part of your answer. Don't use that product, and see what happens. I am sensitive to deodorant soap, especially Irish Spring, which I loved. Used to itch like crazy.

Oh, I stopped using that hair product after 3 or 4 days.

Here is an excellent website, with some dee-light-ful pictures:

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000869.htm

Do you wear gloves when you garden? Are the 'certain hair products' colorants that require a bag to retain heat:

I'm thinking latex that might be found in both gardening gloves and the band that holds the bag around your face...

How could I avoid dirt? Sigh. The dirt reaction happens in a variety of gardens in different regions. It could indeed be an additive in potting soil, but it also happens, though more mildly, in my mother's garden where she's not apt to use packaged potting soil.

If I wear gloves at all, while I garden, I use clothe gloves. I had one bad reaction to hair coloring a year or more ago (after the dirt reaction started and before the shampoo/conditioner reaction started) and I no longer dye my hair.

linking this thread with another one started a bit ago I'm guessing your age to be in the early 40s. I had a friend who developed numerous allergies at this age. Her allergist explained that people can be born with allergies or develop them at certain times in life. Adolescence and peri-menopause were the two most likely times for women. Not that this helps you two squats but at least it isn't unusual to develop new allergies around now.

Back to more questions...

Have you tried non-additive shampoos like Neutragena?

What do you wash you hands with after gardening? Do you use hand/face lotions?

It's so frustrating! I don't wear makeup, perfume, hair spray or gel. I buy shampoo/conditioner/laudry and dish detergents/deoderant/soap/toothpaste/lotion/etc which are 'all natural', 'organic', 'harsh chemical free'.....

JB - I'm 3- hmm, 36? My thought is that I'm having very early peri-menopause or some hormonal imbalance. I knew that allergies could happen anytime in one's life, but I didn't know that a common time to have them was at peri-menopause.

I'm trying to disassociate the dirt from what you might come in contact with afterwards. The reaction starts 1-4 hours after contact so it might not be the dirt. Of course it's possible to be allergic to just about anything but dirt would be horrendous so I'm hoping its something in your routine that you use after gardening.

The only way to really nail it down is to have some allergy testing. I'll keep my fingers crossed that it isn't dirt - I'm an avid gardener too and can feel your anguish.

I think I will try to be tested. Hopefully I'll get around to it by spring time.

The post-gardening procedure is to use my regular soap with a nail brush and wash all the way up to my elbows. If I'm just doing a little puttering with my houseplants, I'll skip the nail brush. I garden at three places, my house, my sister's house and my parents' house - the same thing happens at all three places with different soaps.

The interesting thing is that the reaction is much more mild at my mom's. And, me and my sister both shop at the same garden center, though she also buys from remote online sources.

Do you have the rash everytime you wash your hair? Have you tried skipping the conditioner?

Maybe you could write down the list of ingredients in your hair products and then start comparing them to things used in your gardening such as planting mixes, plant foods, etc.

I find I have more reactions to the organic-type skin/hair care products, cuz a lot of them have things in them I'm allergic to. Especially anything with plant products prominently featured - ya know, chamomile this and that. That stuff just makes me itchy all over.

hmmm, 36 isn't actually young for peri-menopause - since that can be the 10- 15 years before menopause.

I use a silicone glove on my hands and arms up to my elbows before I garden - way too much stuff in the soil to react to - little seeds, pollen and other annoying things.

I stopped using the shamp/condit within a week of the change. During those days, the reaction was getting worse and worse. I stopped for a week or 2 and then tried again, I got the prickly itchy feeling again, so I ditched them (so sad! I loved that stuff!).

Yes, I should write down the ingredients, another good idea!

Beth, didn't see you in there. I thought about chamomile, actually. But, that doesn't work with the dirt thing. Unless these are two different reactions.