Rash from steri-strips?

[AC13]

Hi everyone: Hoping someone has some thoughts on this. AC had posterior spinal surgery on 2/16 - almost 5 weeks post-op. Last week she started itching like crazy at site of steri-strips. (None had come off yet.) : I called advice nurse and she said go ahead and take them off - she could have a reaction to steri-strips or the spray they put under them. Well, she still has redness (like welts or hives) at each spot that the steri-strips were (about 15 in all) plus itching rash on sides. We've washed the area real well, have tried Neosporin and Benadryl. It's almost a week since she started complaining of the itching - not as bad it seems but still the rash and red marks. The incision itself looks pretty good and she feels good - no pain. Any thoughts????
Thanks!!
Melinda

[LindaRacine]

Hi Melinda...

The steri-strips caused a rash for me as well. It about drove me bonkers. As it turns out, I'm apparently sensitive to all adhesives. If AC's rash is like mine, it will go away relatively quickly. Be careful about putting things on the rash, as chemicals can dry out the area and actually exaserbate the problem.

Regards,
Linda

[blairf83]

I have the same thing. Allergic to adhesives.
My rash went away relatively quickly, though it did go through a dry scabby phase in the worst parts, where I left them on long enough to actually damage the skin. 5 weeks is a loooong time to have those buggers on! I actually didn't make it even a full week at home before itching them off!
I'd call your Dr and ask what to put on the areas, because like Linda said, you don't want a reaction to make things worse...

[Theresa]

I also am allergic to the adhesives. After my hysterectomy surgery that kept me on Benadryl pills every four hours for a few days. With my scoli surgery they used different products because we knew about it ahead of time.

[susannajon]

Hi Melinda,

I am terribly allergic to steri-strips. My skin blisters if they're put on me. Try cortizone topically, and benedryl pills at night. Stay away from the neosporin, as this sounds like a classic allergic reaction and neosporin won't help and could hurt (she could develop a secondary fungal infection). She should be better in a few days. Poor baby!

If she ever needs surgery again, she might have a worse reaction next time, so remind her docs to use crazy glue or some alternative to the steri-strips...

[AC13]

Thanks everyone - I knew I could count on you. She is getting better - the rash went from the site of the strips to her sides, to her chest to her neck and face. Ughhhh! Now she's got a couple spots but the itching is subsiding and the spots where the strips were are kind of scabbed over. I guess the good side of it is she's taking it easy and now we know in case it happens again - hope not! She had an allergic reaction in the hospital on her arms where the IVs were and they thought it was the morphine. Now I'm wondering if it wasn't the adhesive the whole time. They put her on Hydroxyzine and that seems to have helped - makes her sleepy too. We saw her surgeon at 3 weeks and he didn't say anything then about the strips - she wasn't having a reaction then though.
Thanks again!
Melinda