Need advice from people that know about excema - TMI maybe

[ThornyRose]

Is it possible that I ahve become allergic to our leather sofas?

When my bare skin touches them it starts to burn and itch and I have to place a cushion or balnket under my arm or leg so it stops.

I've had the sofas about 3 years and I never had a problem, but a year ago, just after giving birth, my excema exploded into spots all over my body, like small blisters. They appear like a rash, I scratch them and they bleed and then scab and I have this indescrible need to scratch until I have taken the scabs off. Then they blled and the cycle continues.

Is it possible my sofa is causing this?

Sorry for typos, I was rushing as dh is calling me

More likely something you are cleaning them with

yes, it's well documented

first link I googled

do you use polish on sofa? maybe you are allergic to something like that, rather than the leather

Yes - I know someone who is allergic to the dyes that are used in leather dyeing - she can't have bare feet in shoes as she gets terrible eczema from it.

You need to get some allergy tests to confirm this, and get some good treatment for your eczema

it's probably more likely a sweat thing??? sitting on leather and the like always makes me sticky, and if you have excema then that could be making it flare up?

probably is
isn't there all sorts of chemicals on them to cope with the change in climate when it is shipped?

I bet sweat [like heat rash meets prickly heat] with chemicals and dirt rubbed in [dirt grinds into the grain of leather]. Maybe sit on a throw and see if helps?

I'm back now.

I only use water to clean it because of my skin. I'm very careful about what I use. Its driving me absoluty crazy and it looks awful. I have red spots/blisters everywhere and they scar as well.

I think it probably is a sweat/heat thing, I'm just desperate to find out the cause.

How do I get allery tested?

doctor, referral to specialist, blood test, then patch test.

doing this with my dd, who's eczema has flared up badly this autumn.

waiting for appointment for patch test - lots of "essences" of known allergens will be applied to her skin, kept on for 48 hours, then the results looked at to see which has caused the worst reaction.

specialist seems to think her eczema is caused by pet fur, even though we've always had pets, and it's never been this bad.

I had a referral twoluvly but I didnt go as the doctor said there wasnt much they could do as thier wasnt a cure and put me off.

I should back to the doctors and get another one

there

no, no cure, just management of eczema, apparently.

annoying. I'd push for another referral. The specialist we saw last week was so understanding and kind.

I showed her photos I'd taken of DD when the eczema was over her face, and the specialist said something had to be done (DD is 13, and was very upset by eczema on her face)

quick note on the tests - my dd has allergy tests every 6 months and they wait about 20 mins for results - not 48 hours as suggested - the reaction is pretty quick and goes down quickly too so doesnt last very long at all - nothing to be worried about!

Watchdog ran a piece earlier in the year about people having bad skin reactions to leather sofas. Apparently down to anti-fungicides in the sofas. Might not be the issue here, but more info is here...

Thanks for the reassurance newgirl

How for your dd twoluvly esp. at her age. If it is petfur, will you have to get rid of your pets?

Is it eczema or is it hives? (Urticaria) are you sure it is eczema? It seems rather too much of a rapid reaction if it's eczema.

You need to get a referral to a dermo and ask for allergy/skin patch tests.

I've had excema since I was a baby, but that has always been in patches on the joints of my arms/legs with the occasional flare up on my neck, face etc.

This is more like little spots and coers everywhere. Doctor says it is excema but I'm not convinced