Odd skin reaction to sticking plasters

[FairPlayPhyllis]

I got some rubbing on the backs of my heels from some new shoes and so I put a plaster on each heel yesterday. When I woke up today the skin underneath the plasters was itching like crazy and when I gingerly peeled them off I found that the areas underneath the sticky bits on both feet had turned into HUGE blisters (the bit under the gauze is normal). I've just looked at them again and a new blister has come up since morning despite the fact I took the plasters off hours ago and washed the skin. I haven't worn any shoes or socks that could have caused them.

Has anybody got any ideas? Could it be a reaction to the adhesive? I've used sticking plasters for donkeys years, including this brand, and have never had any problems.

You can be allergic to plasters. I get it with the cloth types ones - itchiness and skin reaction. Either that or maybe it's got a bit infected?

Thanks, no the blisters are definitely separate from the original wounds, which are scabbing over normally. I'm just a bit worried about whether I need to think about whether it's a reaction to the latex in the plaster.

Oh yes could be, or as you said, the glue.

DM had dressings for some years, stuck on with a variety of adhesive plasters and tapes. One by one she became allergic to them all except one. They caused marks that looked like burns exactly the shape where it was on her skin and often they blistered. Hope you find a brand that suits you though it looks like this original type is no go from now on.

my son gets this too. He can use hypo-allergenic ones though without this happeneing.

i can only use hypoallergenic ones, or i get the blistery excruciatingly itchy rash. the pink fabric ones seem the worst for me.

whenever i get blood taken etc i have to just ask for a bit of tape!

I've had this since i was very young.

Interesting. I'd never heard of people reacting to plasters before now, but perhaps it's not that uncommon. I'll look out for some hypoallergenic plasters now.

I have this, can't even use hypo-allergenic plasters but Mepore surgical dressings (the stick on ones) and plain dressings with micropore tape are okay, as are steristrips. Also watch out for reactions to other sticky stuff, such as duct tape. The reactions get slowly worse over time and I found that a new reaction (i.e. to a new type of plaster) is more likely to happen to if there's already a problem, so for the existing wounds I suggest surgical dressings held on with bandages.

My dd had this recently with a blister plaster, she came up in a huge blister under the plaster, well the original blister grew to the size of the plaster. The gP thought it was just a big blister, we were worried about infection, but now I think she reacted to the plaster in some way, as it was like a chemical burn- she still has a red oval on her heel, and it was about ten weeks ago. she has seemed fine with normal plasters.

allergy to sticking plasters is quite common. With the old fashioned fabric ones it was to the zinc oxide in the adhesive (I know this because zinc oxide is a fairly common ingredient in dental cement, and am a dentist to have to ask this question). I guess one could be allergic to other adhesives, or even to the material of the plaster. They might have changed the ingredients in the ones you are using (is it a new packet).

With people saying about fabric plasters being the worst, I've remembered that about 6 weeks ago I had a new brand of fabric ones on my heels (in the same place) that made a real mess of the skin - it was really hard to get them off and I couldn't get the adhesive off, despite scrubbing and scrubbing. I bet that is what started the sensitivity to it. How annoying. Thanks a bunch, Band Aid!

I'm going to leave the existing wounds and just wear socks over them - don't want to aggravate the area any more.

This has just happened to my husband! He put a plaster on a cut on his finger last Saturday, removed it on Sunday as it was itchy and it became red, swollen and blistered just where the plaster was and where it rubbed against the next finger and it still is! He finally went to the Dr's on Friday and he is now on anti biotics. Hope yours clears up without the need for the Dr's though.

My BF at school had this problem.

She got the most spectacular large straight sided blister once. It looked just like giant bubble wrap. She avoided plasters after that. She said it hurt far more than the little bite she'd stuck the plaster over.

DD2 is vaguely sensitive to waterproof plasters, but not fabric ones. They just make her itch and go a bit red.

I am allergic to certain types of plasters too, I come up in a red, raised, itchy, burn like rash in the exact shape of the plaster!

Starball Yes - giant bubble wrap! That's exactly what mine looked like. I actually screamed when I saw it because I'd never seen a blister so big.

Latex or glue allergy/reaction can be really uncomfortable. I know people who had severe reactions to bandages after surgery and used silver sulfadiazine, a burn salve, which helped. Hope you feel better soon.

Yes, I think latex may have something to do with it. DD2 doesn't like latex swimming hats either.

I have a latex allergy which is getting worse as I get older. I can't even have condoms now.

It's pretty common - I'm another. Fabric plasters only usually; itchy bumps in the pattern of the plaster. I think blisters are possible; mine are plasma filled but have not got big enough to date to do that.

Me too, it's only the thick old fashioned fabric sort though, gives me tiny blisters that itch intensely and last for days, although a bit of hydrocortisone takes the worst out of it (so long as the skin isn't broken). I'm fine with either the waterproof or hypo allergenic type though and never had any reaction to rubber gloves etc.

i'm allergic to the glue on steri strips, had minor surgery on the inside of my arm (contraceptive implant removed) a few years ago and the scar i have is from the resultant blisters not the scalpel!

the blister is a burn, so burn salves will help immensely

hope yours heals soon OP, but watch out for infection

I'm allergic to plasters too. I think it must be the adhesive because I get an itchy, red mark in exactly the shape of the plaster.
When I give blood I have to get a huge wad of dressing held in place with micropore tape. Makes it look much more dramatic!

Another plaster allergic here and again, it's usually the fabric ones. On the occasion that I have had to use them, the reaction to the plater has been worse to what I had to use it for. I usually take them off very quickly because of the itching so don't normally get too severe a reaction.

Both DS and I are allergic to some plasters. I fine the proper blister plasters dont give me a problem.

When DS was younger he had an accident at school and they put a huge plaster over it. He had an awful reaction and was left with a plaster shape scar on his stomach for over a year. Thankfully it did go eventually.

I've been using micropore tape ever since I was a child, however I've been using it recently to help cover a nasty burn on my ankle and I seem to have had some sorry of reaction to it!

The area where the pad was is fine, however there's a perfect outline of the tape around it. It's terribly itchy and extremely red.

Does anyone know what's going on?

Regards