Medical sports/athletic sticky tape reactions?

[Guest]

MODNOTE: Multiple topics on issues relating to sticky tape of various sorts merged.
Hi everyone.

I like to ice skate and work out gently in a gym. My ankles are completely shot and I wrap them in sports tape for protection. When I remove the tape, I wind up with red, itchy, painful ankles. I think I may be pulling off the top layer of my skin along with the tape. I have only mild skin involvement, but I'm the only one I know who can't use sports tape without an underwrap.

Has anyone else experienced this? Am I removing skin along with tape?

Thanks. :)
Deb

[nonyanomemory]

Hi Deb, you may be! Or it may be an allergic reaction. I have thin skin associated with my diagnosis of HEDS and I can only give information regarding being my shoulder being taped by my physiotherapist. This left me bruised and cut - low adhesive tape may help if it is supportive enough - my physio ended up lining my strapping with cotton and just using the edges for support.

Hope thats helpful in some small way.

nonya

[gila]

Hello,
Like Nonja I had my shoulder taped and had an allergic reaction. Red and itchy and as tape didn't get removed at that stage, I'd developed little pustules/blisters. And as tape got removed it did take the skin off those.
Messy and v unpleasant.
If there isn't any flakes of skin on the tape or any bleeding, I reckon it's an allergic reaction. So looking for a different type of tape or lining it, sounds like a good idea.
Good luck
Gila

[Retro]

I'm assuming sports tape uses the same or similar adhesive to plasters so yes it is most likely an allergy. Are you allergic to plasters?
Elastoplast fabric plasters are the worst for it.

Lindsey

[nonyanomemory]

The bruising and skin tearing I experience I have been told is definately because of thin skin and having ehlers danlos hypermobility - the redness and associated problems are due to allergy.

nonya

[hannah]

Strange question, but what would be normal for skin that has been taped up for a week, then the tape removed? (I have a softer tape with the strong stuff on top)

Translated as:
I have had my shoulder taped up for the last week and a half by my physio to try and stop it misbehaving for long enough to make some real progress with exercises. I took it off today. All the area under where the tape was is peeling like it does after sunburn (I thought this was probably fairly normal for skin thats been hidden for 10 days), but there are also lots of patches that are 'flake free', red and sore. In one place it almost looks like carpet burn and was a bit weepy.

I never thought I had much skin involvement, but I was wondering whether I had actually taken off more skin than a non-EDSer? i.e. I do have EDS-y skin??

(I did soak it in the shower before removing it to try and reduce how stuck it was)

[roqchiq]

Have you tried using a protective film like Comfeel under the under-tape? I used to tape my knees on a daily basis and the combination of film and tape protected my skin - a little.

Also, you can get wipes soaked in some sort of solvent that helps dissolve the glue when you're removing tape; can't remember what it's called. I don't find it that helpful but others might...

[Retro]

Hi Hannah,

Don't know if it's anything to do with EDS skin but I'd expect any skin that's been under tape for a long period of time to be a bit sore.

Lindsey

[Shadowlady]

It would be normal to get some peeling skin I reckon, because normally, skin sheds a lot, so being taped would stop this happening. The sore bits definitely sound EDS-y to me, especially the bit that's weeping. I get sore itchy skin from anything that sticks 'hard', not from weak micropore though. I used to think this was an allergy, but I never get a 'reaction' whilst it's on, only after I take it off, so now I reckon it's fragile skin. The Prof confirmed that my skin is a wee bit thinner than normal folks. Maybe next time, do you think you could soak it in the bath? It takes a while for the water to soak through properly, and the heat should help 'melt' the glue a bit. When I had my shoulders taped (before I even knew about my skin), I'd soak in the bath, peel a little off, let it soak more, peel a little more off and so on, else I'd get very sore red skin. My Grandad used to have a 'magic potion' that took plasters off incredibly easily, so much so that I'd always want to go over to my Grandparents house so that he could do my plasters for me. I'm afraid I can't ask him , but maybe a chemist would have an idea? There must be some sort of solvent that dissolves the glue better than warm water.

[Retro]

In theory some kind of solvent sounds great but...do you really want to use any chemical on skin thats weeping???

Lindsey

[paw]

My Grannie had and Mom has severe problems with tapes of any type. Grannie would tear her skin so easily (suspected EDS -- never tested) and anything sticky would pull the skin apart.

As Mom get older, she is the same way. Right now I don't have a lot of problems adhesives, but I also don't leave anything on longer than a day.

We used baby oil (scented mineral oil) to remove adhesives. Just let it set for a minute or more and then wash away. If you have broken skin, this might irritate it more or cause infection. I suppose you could use an ointment with antibiotic in it which would both be greasy to dissolve the sticky stuff and not lead to infection.

I have had EKG tests done and they put SUPER sticky pads on your chest, sides and back of shoulders. I had to use the oil and scrub at it a bit to get that mess off. (I don't like that!) I prefer elastic supports to taping because it is easier on the skin but we all need to find what works best for each of us.

[grey owl]

Dear Bendy Bods,

I wonder if anyone has experienced similar things with medical sticky tape. I became allergic to elastoplast adhesive as an adult and so use hypoallergenic plasters at home. When I was in hospital recently for a Haemerrhoid op. I told the staff about this. After the operation I had a large dressing on my ! This wasn't a problem until I needed the loo when it was absolutely in the way !! I therefore had to remove it which I did as gently as possible although it was not easy. Afterwards I asked a nurse to check if everything was O.K. and to my great embarrassment she asked if I had been scratching . Scratching what ? I asked. Your bottom she replied (I mean really!!). She said there were huge scratch marks all over my bottom.

I thought about it a moment and then remembered that when the physio tried to tape my shoulder into the correct position and I had removed the (Hypoallergenic) tape because it was making my skin itch I was left with strange scratch like marks which looked as if it had been bleeding in a line just under my skin. I also find that the white tape used to keep the piece of cotton wool in place after a blood test makes my skin itch after a short period of time. I think this was the same tape. I told the nurse that it was the tape and she said that she had never seen such a thing before and that I was probably better off without it.

I wasn't to well after the op. (temperature and fast heart rate) so stayed in hospital for 6 days. However when I finally got home and looked for myself the effect was indeed quite dramatic.

I just wondered whether anyone else had experienced the same thing and whether you think it is a reaction to the tape, trauma caused by removing it or a combination of the two. Also does anyone have any idea what the medics could use instead?

All the Very Best
Grey Owl

[shellbell]

i'm not sure that this will help you in anyway, but i recently had an arthroscopy done, which they covered with steri strips instead of stitches. Alost immediately it felt sore, but I just assumed that it was the tape pulling where it was sticky, nothing else. When I actually had a look, I had massive water blisters where the tape had been put.

sounds like a similar thing, just a different form of reaction.

[EmilyG]

I'm allergic to elastoplast, micropore and every other medical tape I've ever used. I come out in red bumps all around the area, little blisters and it's just really itchy! Haven't yet found a substitute, other than gauze and bandage! x

[aninja]

When I had my shoulder taped, I got reall itchy and sore.
When I took it off gently, it actually ripped my skin.
I'd only had it on for a few hours.

aninja
xx