post-op allergic reactions

[Lavinia]

Has anyone else experienced multiple allergic reactions to medications after surgery? I had no allergies before surgery (Nov 2004). They started when I began to become allergic to opiates about 2 months post-op, developing into an intense skin irritation. This happened with the opiates from the hospital and also a weaker alternative prescribed at the time. They continued with the diarrhea medication for the opiate withdrawal syndrome - large fluid-filled weals migrating across my body, extremely itchy. One dose involved 10 days of symptoms. This symptom now seems to occur with any medication, including ibuprofen, the ranitidine that is supposed to protect the stomach, anything in the diazepam/temazepam group, and co-proxamol, an alternative painkiller. The only safe thing seems to be paracetomol - which unfortunately does not have any effect on my pain. I daren't try other drugs in case I set up a reaction and then need them in the future. I'm lucky that the symptoms aren't more serious, and can often but not always be dealt with by anti-histamine. But it does worry me for the future, and means I have to spend a lot of time lying down, as this is the only way to deal with the pain.

Has anyone else experienced this, and does the sensitivity lessen or worsen over time?

Lavinia

[Karen Ocker]

allergic reactions

Lavinia:
I am not sure it is multiple allergies. The reason is that ranitidine is a sort of antihistamine.

The only way to know for sure is to see an allergy specialist.

It could be a food or something else in the environment. A soap or an ointment. I was using an antibiotic ointment called neosporin; it caused blistering on my cut. It's in a large number of over the counter first aid creams and ointments. I found out that 30% of people who use this stuff get allergic to it. Some people are allergic to the preservatives in drugs namely the parabens. I had a patient today that's allergic to bananas, another allergic to eggs and an anesthesiologist I work with almost died from strawberries.

Get the picture?
Karen

[SandyC]

Livinia,
I also developed allergies after surgery....right after. The day after the second surgery (A/P) I developed blisters everywhere there was tape. The hospital used paper tape, which is supposed to be hyperallerginc. I had papertape before without any reaction. I woke up with huge blister across by eyelids, nose & mouth area where the endotrach was taped in place. Since they had me face down, I had blisters where the padding across my pelvic bones/under my breasts/where all the IV's were etc. It looked like burn blisters. It was bad enough that a burn nurse and the nursing supervisior was called in to take a look. The only place where I didn't have blistering was where the posterior incision bandages were.....heavy duty adhesive tape was used!
That was in 2002 and I still blister with papertape. Also the adhesive on old fashioned band-aids now also make me blister

[carebear23]

yikes!

Well that's nerve-wracking

I'm already allergic to cloth bandaids.

Have either of you had any other kind of surgery before where those tapes were used?

[lindabar]

allergy to tape

I became allergic to paper tape after using HRT patches.

[Lavinia]

Thanks (and commiserations) to everyone. My daughter also reacted to the steri strips holding the wounds together after her (teenage) scoliosis operation, but luckily I didn't. Karen - thanks for your information, the best bet seems to be the parabens in the drugs - I've been doing elimination and bringing one at a time back in, so I'm pretty sure it isn't anything else. Just testing out glucosamine now - hoping it isn't going the same way as I was taking it preventively. Will search out an allergy specialist at some point.

Best to all,

Lavinia

[SandyC]

Carebear,
Yes, I had harrington rods in '83 without a problem with the papertape...almost 20 years prior to the A/P surgery.
SandyC

[kathleensrose]

Liver protection

[Lavina: I'v not had an allergic reaction, but on coming home from the hospital,
the chiropractor put me on lecthin (one tablespoon per day in orange juice),
a soy product this will help protect my liver from all the pills, etc. Kathleen

[Karen Ocker]

protecting liver

While under the care of my pain specialist MD he recommended SAM-E which scientific research has shown does help the liver. It also helped me with withdrawal from narcotics and helps the joints.

I worry when chiropractors recommend supplements, especially if they sell them, because some have not been studied for efficacy.

I read a case study about a breast cancer patient who took all sorts of nutritional supplements and when she had her mastectomy the surgeon could not stop the bleeding because the supplements interfered with normal clotting.

Here is a link showing which problems chiropractic works best for and the education of chiropractors: http://www.chirobase.org/index.html

Karen

[sidrid]

I have a lifelong history of allergies. After surgery I itched like crazy where all the badges were. Then it was discovered that I am allergic to the titanium rods in addition to the tape. I used to get anyone and everyone who came into my room to scratch my back, including doctors, nurses, aids, visitors. I still itch all the time and am always getting people to scratch my back. Feels like heaven until they stop!! The itching is right where the rods are and the surrounding area. My surgery was three years ago!

Also, in the hospital they gave me morphine, and I had the most awful reaction everyone still talks about it, family and doctors, included. They also gave me pain patches that had an opioid, and it gave me the same reaction. I can no longer use any of the opioid family. Yes, I have developed allergies to other things, too, since my surgery. I live on allergy and asthma medications, and spend a great deal of my time scratching.