Sudden allergy to surgical tape?

Jerz_0035

I had an excisional biopsy done on Friday with samples taken from 2 different areas of my breast due to skin thickening and changes. A little background. I had a breast reduction a few years ago and and another biopsy last year. I had the clear tape in both of those procedures with no issue. When I tookthe tape off yesterday, I noticed I had blisters on the outer edges of the tape. Is it common to suddenly develop a reaction? Also, I put neosporin on it. Any suggestions?

AliceBastable

I had a reaction to tape in just one spot when the radiology techs were putting the marks on (they'd cover the marks with clear tape so I couldn't wash the marks off). They just switched to another type of tape for that spot for the duration of treatments. They also joked that I was an oddball for having just one sensitive area.

Jerz_0035

I’m always the oddball! So weird that this is my third procedure and never had an issue

Lezza13

I would treat it with polysporin. I am allergic as well. We all must be oddballs!

ksusan

My skin sensitized to tapes over the course of treatment.

Peacetoallcuzweneedit

I developed skin sensitivity to tape as well when I was diagnosed 2 yrs ago....in fact I was just discussing this with my primary doc this morning. I thought/think this is pretty interesting that I started the sensitivity with my diagnosis....and it is interesting you are noticing the same.

sweetp6217

IMO, the adhesives may have a slight chance of being the culprit. Not to mention the adhesive's reaction to whatever else touched it. Just saying.

gb2115

Yes you can suddenly become allergic! And yes it could be the adhesive. What will be interesting to see is if you are now sensitive to other adhesives? I rash out with any kind of adhesive but only in the treated area. So a bandaid on my finger is ok, but anywhere that radiation scatter went will break out. Super fun, right?!

Jerz_0035

Thanks, everyone! I have been treating the blisters with antibiotic ointment. I am also putting the ointment on and gauze over the sites that were biopsied. No reaction to regular medical tape! 😀

OTMom

I thought I was reacting to the tape after my biopsy but after surgery it became clear that it was whatever they prepped the area with. Itchy nastiness all across my chest and armpit. Just another possibility to keep in mind if tape starts to look like a less likely culprit.

MelissaDallas

Jerz, was it tape or steri-strips? I blister from steristrips, but have read that part of that is because the create shear on the top layer of your skin when they pull. I am inconsistent on reacting to adhesives-I can use the same bandaids and react one time and not another. OTMom has a good point too. Whatever the vet uses as surgery prep on dogs and cats makes me break out & itch like crazy. Don’t know if it is iodine or what.

Wised

I too developed an allergy to adhesive later in life. it seems to mostly happen when I am in the hospital or getting blood work at a lab and a rub things down with Betadine or alcohol.I have in my chart now that I'm allergic to adhesive and latex so I just get wrappings and glue LOL.

MelissaDallas

The problem with glue instead of steristrips after an excisional biopsy is that you are more restricted for longer to keep from pulling the incision apart, or at least it changed my oost-op activity/lifting schedule. She had to send me home braless instead of trying to pull a sportsbra over it too, so I may have bruised more than if I had been compressed