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Happy New Year and stuff.

I saw a really great allergist in December. We did some experiments and found that I was definitely allergic to the adhesive of my Cleo infusion sets (a little device that inserts and holds a catheter under my skin with a little plastic button that allows me to dock with my medication pump.)

It seemed that I was NOT allergic to the IV3000 dressing which is a very thin, sticky film that helps to hold the little infusion docking button in place.

So the first thing I tried was sticking the IV3000 stuff to my skin and then sticking the Cleo down on top of it. But my skin broke out right through the IV3000; I suspect that it’s porous and allowed the irritating Cleo adhesive chemicals to leach through to my skin.

So then I tried a square of plastic (cut from a Hydroseal shower guard) next to my skin with the Cleo on top of that, but my skin didn’t like to be next to non-porous plastic for days on end.

So then I thought I found a great solution: a double-layer of gauze next to my skin, then a square of clear plastic, then the Cleo infusion set (with the bad adhesive), and then the whole sandwich held in place with IV3000 dressing.

Worked for almost a month, but then a week ago I developed an allergic reaction, apparently to the IV3000 dressing. I switched sites to the other leg just to be sure — same problem.

GAHHHHHHHHHHH.

Starting this morning I’ve got a square of gauze, a square of plastic, and the Cleo infusion set, all held in place with some strips of paper tape. Which is not going to last long.

I just called the Accredo specialty pharmacy nurse, Angie B. She was super nice and sympathetic and is going to send me a variety of other kinds of adhesives and dressings and tapes on Monday. Steve suggested athletic tape, and while I was googling that I also found something called kinesiology tape — I’ll pick up those two tapes at Walgreen’s tomorrow and give them a try until my new dressings arrive on Tuesday.

Any other ideas? I need something flexible, sticky enough to stay in place for many days or weeks, non-allergenic, and THIN (so I can jab the catheter needle though it into my skin). Bonus if it’s just porous enough to magically let my skin breathe without letting the chemicals from the bad adhesive through… *eyeroll*

I was easing off of the hateful Prednisone and was almost all the way off when this new reaction started, so now I’m back on it, 5mg a day. Even that low dose makes me puffy and thirsty and irritable and hungry.

Thanks for all the sweet email and comments.