Latex allergy to neoprene

Hi,

I think I have finally figured out what cause my last outbreak of orticaria:
My suit. I had previously worn only a short top as pool shorty and then
developed this murderous itch, turned red and couldn't sleep at night
because of the itch. It seemed to be confired to the areas where the shorty
was, but my dermatologist didn't believe it was an allergic reaction.
I then tried it again a few weeks later, just using wetsuit booties for the
fins in the pool. It did get a reaction as well, but wasn't sure it wasn't
only psychosomatic. Well, yesterday the dive season eventually kicked off
and boy am I in trouble. As I was of course now wearing the full suit, I am
inflamed everywhere. I'd say definitely a case of rubber or latex allegy.
Funny that I was diving a whole season last year without any problem.

I wonder now, I was wearing swimming togs under my suit, but yet the area
covered is as inflamed as elsewhere where the suit was in direct contact
with the skin. I read some old postings about people suggesting to wear a
lycra skin underneath the wetsuit for protection. Will that work if a pair
of swimming togs didn't.

I guess I need to invest in a cordura drysuit with silicone seals, but
before I invest that much, I want to ensure there are no cheaper
alternatives that don't mean I have to sell the wetsuit I just bought last
season.

Cheers,

Marcus

"Marcus Viertel" wrote ...
> I read some old postings about people suggesting to wear a
> lycra skin underneath the wetsuit for protection. Will that work if a pair
> of swimming togs didn't.

Wow, someone who actually reads the archives before asking a question...
Congratulations... <grin>

Seriously though, you've probably got a neoprene allergy... Not necessarily
the same as a latex allergy... I'm not allergic to latex, but I'm somewhat
allergic to neprene... Of course, it could be the glue that is used to glue
the lining to the neoprene... I'm currently using a wetsuit with a slick
finish on the inside and it doesn't seem to cause a rash... There are
different types of neoprenes and you might not be allergic to all of them...
Unfortunately, it is a painful experimentation process in attempting to find
out which ones you might not be allergic to... The rashes on the nether
regions are especially irritating...

On Mon, 8 Mar 2004 07:15:22 -0600, "Grumman-581"
<grumman581-YYYY-MM@cox.net> wrote:

>"Marcus Viertel" wrote ...
>> I read some old postings about people suggesting to wear a
>> lycra skin underneath the wetsuit for protection. Will that work if a pair
>> of swimming togs didn't.
>
>Wow, someone who actually reads the archives before asking a question...
>Congratulations... <grin>
>
>Seriously though, you've probably got a neoprene allergy... Not necessarily
>the same as a latex allergy... I'm not allergic to latex, but I'm somewhat
>allergic to neprene... Of course, it could be the glue that is used to glue
>the lining to the neoprene... I'm currently using a wetsuit with a slick
>finish on the inside and it doesn't seem to cause a rash... There are
>different types of neoprenes and you might not be allergic to all of them...
>Unfortunately, it is a painful experimentation process in attempting to find
>out which ones you might not be allergic to... The rashes on the nether
>regions are especially irritating...

I wonder if you could ask a wetsuit company for some small samples and
then strap them to your leg/arm/netherregion for a day to see what
happens?

Gareth

"Marcus Viertel" <mviertel@bluebottle.com> wrote in message
news:c2hen0$clt$1@kermit.esat.net...
> Hi,
>
> I'd say definitely a case of rubber or latex allegy.
> Funny that I was diving a whole season last year without any problem.

Please don't think I am making accusations, but there is a possible
alternative explanation to your problem which you ought to consider. Some
years ago a friend also suffered what appeared to be an allergic reaction
after each dive. After tolerating the problem for some months he consulted
his doctor who diagnosed nappy rash! It seems he often pissed in his wetsuit
and assumed, wrongly as it turned out, the sea water would wash it out.

Cliff.

"Cliff Coggin" wrote
> Some
> years ago a friend also suffered what appeared to be an allergic reaction
> after each dive. After tolerating the problem for some months he consulted
> his doctor who diagnosed nappy rash!

I think I had that on my shoulders one summer holiday. Wandering
about with a small child perched up there seemed to be the cause.
There are advantages and disadvantages, when you have little
children, of having no sense of smell.

nigelH

"Marcus Viertel" <mviertel@bluebottle.com> pounded away at his
keyboard resulting in:
:I wonder now, I was wearing swimming togs under my suit, but yet the area
:covered is as inflamed as elsewhere where the suit was in direct contact
:with the skin. I read some old postings about people suggesting to wear a
:lycra skin underneath the wetsuit for protection. Will that work if a pair
:of swimming togs didn't.

I don't know. What's a swimming tog and how much skin does it cover?

Dan Bracuk
If at first you don't succeed, you run the risk of failure.
The Best of rec.scuba http://www.pathcom.com/~bracuk/RecScuba/


-----= Posted via Newsfeeds.Com, Uncensored Usenet News =-----
http://www.newsfeeds.com - The #1 Newsgroup Service in the World!
-----== Over 100,000 Newsgroups - 19 Different Servers! =-----

"Gareth A." wrote ...
> I wonder if you could ask a wetsuit company for some small samples and
> then strap them to your leg/arm/netherregion for a day to see what
> happens?

I've done that... The larger name wetsuit companies will do it, but the
offbrand wetsuit companies apparently don't do their own wetsuits and don't
have samples of the material... When you appear to be allergic to various
neoprene flavors, you are willing to try *any* brand of wetsuit in the hope
that you can quit developing a rash... It seems that the offbrand companies
are just relabeling products that are made overseas... I tried taping
samples of neoprene from the various companies to the inner parts of my
forearms and biceps for a test since the areas wtih the more tender areas of
skin and without as much hair tend to be affected more than the areas with
more hair... It doesn't seem to work as well as just wearing the wetsuit,
but when you have to wait a week or two between tests because of your being
apparently allergic to that wetsuit's flavor of neoprene, it takes a long
time to test a lot of different wetsuits...

"Marcus Viertel" <mviertel@bluebottle.com> wrote in message
news:c2hen0$clt$1@kermit.esat.net...
> Hi,
>
> I think I have finally figured out what cause my last outbreak of orticaria:
> My suit. I had previously worn only a short top as pool shorty and then
> developed this murderous itch, turned red and couldn't sleep at night
> because of the itch. It seemed to be confired to the areas where the shorty
> was, but my dermatologist didn't believe it was an allergic reaction.
> I then tried it again a few weeks later, just using wetsuit booties for the
> fins in the pool. It did get a reaction as well, but wasn't sure it wasn't
> only psychosomatic. Well, yesterday the dive season eventually kicked off
> and boy am I in trouble. As I was of course now wearing the full suit, I am
> inflamed everywhere. I'd say definitely a case of rubber or latex allegy.
> Funny that I was diving a whole season last year without any problem.
>
> I wonder now, I was wearing swimming togs under my suit, but yet the area
> covered is as inflamed as elsewhere where the suit was in direct contact
> with the skin. I read some old postings about people suggesting to wear a
> lycra skin underneath the wetsuit for protection. Will that work if a pair
> of swimming togs didn't.
>
> I guess I need to invest in a cordura drysuit with silicone seals, but
> before I invest that much, I want to ensure there are no cheaper
> alternatives that don't mean I have to sell the wetsuit I just bought last
> season.
>
> Cheers,
>
> Marcus

Neoprene is a substitute rubber used when one has latex allergy, so it cannot by itself
cause latex allergy.

Adam

On Mon, 08 Mar 2004 17:56:19 -0500, "Dan Bracuk, CTHD"
<NOTbracuk@pathcom.com> wrote:

>"Marcus Viertel" <mviertel@bluebottle.com> pounded away at his
>keyboard resulting in:
>:I wonder now, I was wearing swimming togs under my suit, but yet the area
>:covered is as inflamed as elsewhere where the suit was in direct contact
>:with the skin. I read some old postings about people suggesting to wear a
>:lycra skin underneath the wetsuit for protection. Will that work if a pair
>:of swimming togs didn't.
>
>I don't know. What's a swimming tog and how much skin does it cover?
>
They are similar to the togs in a duvet, which manages to cover both
me and her indoors.

Pete S.

In article <Mf83c.33821$UU.19182@lakeread01>,
"Grumman-581" <grumman581-YYYY-MM@cox.net> wrote:

> "Gareth A." wrote ...
> > I wonder if you could ask a wetsuit company for some small samples and
> > then strap them to your leg/arm/netherregion for a day to see what
> > happens?
>
> I've done that... The larger name wetsuit companies will do it, but the
> offbrand wetsuit companies apparently don't do their own wetsuits and don't
> have samples of the material... When you appear to be allergic to various
> neoprene flavors, you are willing to try *any* brand of wetsuit in the hope
> that you can quit developing a rash... It seems that the offbrand companies
> are just relabeling products that are made overseas... I tried taping
> samples of neoprene from the various companies to the inner parts of my
> forearms and biceps for a test since the areas wtih the more tender areas of
> skin and without as much hair tend to be affected more than the areas with
> more hair... It doesn't seem to work as well as just wearing the wetsuit,
> but when you have to wait a week or two between tests because of your being
> apparently allergic to that wetsuit's flavor of neoprene, it takes a long
> time to test a lot of different wetsuits...
>
>

Might try a peice of neoprene seal for a drysuit first - might tell if
it was the raw rubber or the lining.

--
--Chandler --