Allergic to compression sleeve?

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heatherot
heatherot Member Posts: 4
edited June 2014 in Lymphedema

I am a lymphedema therapist treating a woman with arm lymphedema. She has worn a compression sleeve for 12 years and within the past 3 years has been struggling with an allergy to the sleeve. She has tried Juzo, Miro and Lymphedivas. She has been hospitalized with hives 3 times in the past 3 years. She appears to have developed an allergy over time. She feels it is the spandex in the garment. Does anyone have any experience with this or have any suggestions for us? Thank you!

Heather

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  • Binney4
    Binney4 Member Posts: 8,609
    edited March 2011

    Heather, welcome -- and yikes!Frown What a crummy development! She must be so frustrated/panicked. There are women here who have had reactions to various kinds of sleeves, and I hope they'll be along soon to share their experiences.

    Has she tried the non-elastic garments, like the Circaid Juxta-fit? They're comfortable (I tried one and was pleasantly surprised at both the fit and the feel) and can be used for both day and night wear. I'm thinking of ordering one for my next go-round with new garments. Here's specific information on Juxta-fit fiber content from the StepUp-SpeakOut website:
    "Circaid's Juxta-Fit garments are made of a Breath-O-Prene and lined with SilverTec to fight odors; it is anti-microbial. (NO LATEX!) Juxtafit comes in standard sizes but can also be custom sized for individual patients."

    I believe Breath-O-Prene is a lycra/nylon/foam construction, but not specifically spandex, but you could check with Circaid before ordering, or ask them for a sample to test on her skin. (On the other hand, according to Lymphedivas, their fiber is also 81% nylon and 19% lycra, but with aloe and a wicking agent added, so if she hasn't tolerated the Lymphedivas there may be more to this than spandex.)

    You might also want to check with Juzo, Miro, and Lymphededivas for their fiber content so you can come up with what they have in common (besides spandex) that could be causing the problem. Then you can query other manufacturers to see who can offer something without the offending fiber. Here's a garment page index that might help you organize a search:
    http://www.stepup-speakout.org/Lymphedema_garments.htm

    Looking forward to learning what others here have to contribute from their experiences. Please do let us know what you discover.

    Be well!
    Binney

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  • Binney4
    Binney4 Member Posts: 8,609
    edited March 2011
    bumping in hopes of more commentsSmile
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  • Lynkoura
    Lynkoura Member Posts: 50
    edited March 2011

    I am not allergic to my Juzo sleeve. However, I sometimes get hives from the elastic binding on the leg of my bike shorts. I am also allergic to aloe vera. It sounds like a latex allergy.

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  • moogie
    moogie Member Posts: 499
    edited March 2011

    Is there any chance she is allergic to the detergent she washes the sleeve in?

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  • mrsnjband
    mrsnjband Member Posts: 1,409
    edited March 2011

    Has she tried any kind of skin prep.  I don't have to use it for my LE sleeve but if I us tape or tegedrem, I have to use a skin prep or my skin will break out.  NJ

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  • kcshreve
    kcshreve Member Posts: 1,148
    edited March 2011

    I doubt my experience is related, but I tend to get more of a heat/irritation rash.  I've done better when I've used Lymphoderm, which is pH balanced and has some anti-candida properties.  It does sound like you are describing more of an allergic reaction rather than a sensitivity, which is what I think mine is.  Bless you for being so supportive of your client!

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  • Estel
    Estel Member Posts: 3,353
    edited March 2011

    I had the same thought as moogie ... I've noticed that I get itchy when I use a certain detergent.  When she started getting the hives ... had she changed what she washed the sleeve in?

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  • heatherot
    heatherot Member Posts: 4
    edited March 2011

    Binney - She hasn't tried the Circaid yet. I'll mention that to her as an option. I'm glad to hear that you've liked it in the past for both day and night wear.

    And, she has tried "fragrance free" detergent. However, her dermatologist said she should use "Dreft" detergent. So, she's giving that a try. She state that she wore a brand new Miro sleeve without washing first and still broke out - so there was no detergent on that particular sleeve.

    We haven't tried skin prep before donning the sleeve - my experience with the prep was that it is used to provide some "stickiness" to the skin to hold wraps in place or to place at the top of a sleeve to hold it up. Is there a different type of skin prep than I'm thinking of?

    And thank you for the Lyphoderm info as well. I've heard of this product, but haven't used it with any clients. 

    This is all great info to pass onto my client/patient. I've only been in touch with her via phone as she lives farther away from me. But, I will keep you all posted on what we find.

    Heather

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  • Mantra
    Mantra Member Posts: 968
    edited March 2011

    I have tried several custom made sleeves. After trying them on for 5 minutes, my arm and hands get rashes and welts.

    I don't have LE so I really just bought the sleeve as a precautionary measure in case I need to fly. The sleeve I kept is a Mediven. Still causes rashes but ran out of options so I kept it.

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  • Suzybelle
    Suzybelle Member Posts: 920
    edited March 2011

    Hi, Heather:

    I don't have an allergic reaction to my compression garments, but I do to kinesio tape, and because it works so well for me, I continue to use it.  As long as I put down a barrier, I do great.  Your patient could use milk of magnesia - just dip a cotton ball in it and lightly spread a thin layer on the arm and let it dry.  It only takes a minute or two to dry and acts as a great barrier.

    I use a skin barrier from Smith and Nephew that's really good - here's the link for the product on bandages plus's website:

    http://www.bandagesplus.com/prd/100/938/Skin-Prep-Spray-4oz.html

     I have the spray, but prefer the wipes.  I buy them off of amazon.  They work great for kinesio tape.

    Hope this helps!
    Suzanne

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  • KittyDog
    KittyDog Member Posts: 1,079
    edited March 2011

    I will bring this one up since I had a sever reaction to it when I first went to my therapist.  Eucerin Lotion.  Turns out that after 20 years of using this stuff oft and on my new chemo-radiated body became allergic to it.     

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