Author Topic: Alergic reaction to model chemicals? (Read 2417 times)

Bob Reeves · « **on:** March 21, 2008, 11:04:25 AM »

Typing and mousing with my left hand so don't be too critical, my right hand is all but out of commission..

Last weekend I had two small tender bumps come up on palm of my right hand, couple days later it got worse and has turned into what looks like a blood blister and my whole hand is swolen. Also have quater size areas up and down my right arm with little bumps like look like what started in my palm. BTW all this hurts like heck.. Went to a docter yesterdy, young kid that told me he had no idea what it was and gave me a antibodic prescription. Too early to tell if the antibodic is working or not..

Latly I have been doing alot of filling, sanding, painting and have been exposed to all the normal stuff, laquer thinner, acetone, Aero filler, (that zinc stuff I can never remember the second part of) and various epoxies CA etc..

Anyone ever been daignosed with a reaction to the chemicals we use? If so what were the symptions and what fixed it?

Thanks

bruce malm · « **Reply #1 on:** March 21, 2008, 11:57:00 AM »

Bob,
I haven't confirmed any problems myself but a couple of times I wondered if the CA glues were affecting me. I'm sure you'll receive a lot of information
from our friends in the next day or 2 as I have seen several reports on the various CL sites about reactions to long time use of ours supplies. Hope your
doctor can trace it down and give you a definitive answer.
Get well soon and stay healthy. I'll need your help when we move out that way to find the best property and contractors to put in the circles, runways, etc.

Bruce

Mark Scarborough · « **Reply #2 on:** March 21, 2008, 01:04:13 PM »

Bob,
not sure if it applies to you here, but Epoxies are one of the most common allergins that we come in contact with. THe allergy is developed by exposure not typically a born with condition. A lot of people that were doing composite homebuilts were never able to finish their planes because if allergic reaction developed whild building. You might want to look that direction. Nitrile gloves are much much more effective at preventing skin reactions that latex gloves are
Hope this may be of some help.

Rob Killick · « **Reply #3 on:** March 21, 2008, 02:19:07 PM »

Hi ,

Like Mark mentioned , Nitile gloves work well and are usually impervious to laquere thinners and the such .
If you're not prone to using gloves when modelling , a good barrier type creme will sometimes do the trick ( Travabon or Debba for dry work) .
Unfortunately , the chemicals we "play" with are harmful and over the years they can lead to a systemic problem .
I'm at the point where I wear a respirator when sanding balsa , due to irritation inmy lungs and nose .
I also wear a respirator when spraying any paint or doping .
Hope your condition clears up

ash · « **Reply #4 on:** March 21, 2008, 02:22:22 PM »

Epoxy is a highly likely culprit. Also anything containing isocyanates like two-pack auto paint, moisture curing polyurethane or foaming polyurethane adhesive. They are sensitising allergens that get worse with every exposure once you get bit. Breathing and skin protection is advisable for both. Gorilla glue make my hands itch if I touch it before it cures. Cyano gives me no problems...yet.

Balsa can also be troublesome. I have recently developed a reaction to balsa dust. Its like having the 'flu and comes on after sanding balsa with coarse sandpaper. I need to wear a mask every time I sand now.

Probably my worst one is Silky Oak (Grevillia Robusta) which I have used for guitars. One exposure to the sawdust put me into an all-over rash for weeks. My face and hands were so swollen for the first week I couldn't go to work. The itching didn't stop for more than a year, and then started again when some workmates brought some silky oak into the workshop. Three years later my forearms have rarely been itch-free, probably because of lingering dust in the workshop from this one job. Most people have zero problem with this stuff, others get it bad. Even fairly innocuous woods like maple can bring on bad reactions in some individuals. Take care!

ash · « **Reply #5 on:** March 21, 2008, 02:26:01 PM »

BTW, my doctor was next to useless with all this. Go see a dermatologist if you feel you're not getting anywhere.

kdheath · « **Reply #6 on:** March 22, 2008, 01:46:01 PM »

Odds are the antibiotics were a waste.If you have ab allergy, it's from your immune system, not an infection. Get a good dermatologist and showw hin what you have byoou've using. Be ready for a slow patient search...een

Bill Little · « **Reply #7 on:** March 22, 2008, 05:58:45 PM »

One of my buddies has a severe reaction to epoxy! If it is cured and then sanded he breaks out. And he cannot get near fresh epoxy! At one time he built countless combat planes and used a ton of epoxy. His allergic reaction just *developed*. he has awful sores if he comes into contact. They can become fairly widespread and open.

Chris Edinger · « **Reply #8 on:** March 22, 2008, 08:14:42 PM »

Bob...

This may sound a bit far fetched... but it could be... MERSA... a staph infectioin... youve probably heard or read about it as being a killer staph infection.. and I guess it has in cases.... My son got a small .. almost pimple size sore.. or maybe blister on his arm... within a day.. the redness had grown to nearly 3 inches in diameter.. he went to a clinic.. they said it was a spider bite.. sent him home... and it..was very sore.. so next day he goes to the doctor his company uses.. again.. some type of bite .. or a boil.... I guess now the pain was very severe...and it was growing in size.... so he went to the emergency room... the nurse took one look at it and knew it was MERSA.... she lanced it open.. and cleaned it and trimmed away some of the skin from the ... infection.. and gave him a salve and dressed it.. along with special antibiotics...he had to clean it and change the drressing daily... it took about 3 weeks for it to completly heal..

The nurse said MERSA is much more common than most people think.. and of course the Media has played up as a killer infection, as it well could be.. however most cases are like my sons and just slowly aggressive.. the killer one is the same stuff but finds some way deeper into the body where it wreaks havoc.. Sooo... if your not haviing any luck with doctors... i would suggest you try a good Emergency Room...yes more expensivee.. but.. it solved the problem before it got worse..

Chris

Randy Powell · « **Reply #9 on:** March 22, 2008, 09:25:24 PM »

Chris could be correct and you're more likely to get a good nurse practitioner to diagnose it than a doctor. Often docs are just too busy to really look at stuff. Happened that way with my son. He spent 4 years going to docs that misdiagnosed a problem. One night he was having a particularly difficult time and we went to an emergency room. The nurse practitioner on duty took one look at him, did a couple of tests and prescribed some medication that finally, after years of misery, worked. He is completely recovered.

On the nitrile gloves. They are more fragile than the latex jobs (tear somewhat more easily) and are not as flexible, but they do a better job as a barrier to chemicals. I like them.

Bill Little · « **Reply #10 on:** March 22, 2008, 10:50:07 PM »

My wife, Gail, is the Infection Control Specialist for the Regional Hospital. (sounds great but they don't pay much! Just like everything else around here! LOL!!)

She has told me about MERSA on several occasions. It can get NASTY. On the other hand, when i blew out my knee, I ripped a hole in my other knee. The Dr was more worried about that injury than the ruptured ligaments! I developed a pretty bad infection and was confined to bed, immobile, with the leg elevated for 48 hours with massive amounts of antibiotics. It was determined to be an anarobe, but unidentifed! Not even the Sate Lab knew what it was.......... hmmmmmm... I am pushing for a notation in the Medical text books... *Little's Anarobe*

(I can tell ya that when the Dr. said that tit could lead to loosing a foot, he got my attention!)

So, Bob, if you don't get better REAL SOON, get it checked by a dermatologist or the ER. (ED as it is now referred to!

)

Chris Edinger · « **Reply #11 on:** March 24, 2008, 09:49:25 PM »

Bob...

Its been a couple days since a post... I think evreryone would like to hear how this malady is progressing... I sure hope not having a post from you doesnt mean that it was serious stuff... Hopeing and praying for a great recovery from what ever it is... Keep all of us posted.

Chris

Roger Vizioli · « **Reply #12 on:** March 25, 2008, 06:55:34 AM »

Quote from: Chris Edinger on March 24, 2008, 09:49:25 PM

Bob...

Its been a couple days since a post... I think evreryone would like to hear how this malady is progressing... I sure hope not having a post from you doesnt mean that it was serious stuff... Hopeing and praying for a great recovery from what ever it is... Keep all of us posted.

Chris

Bob,
I second all Chris said.
Please let us know how you are doing.!
Roger V.

Bob Reeves · « **Reply #13 on:** March 25, 2008, 10:49:24 AM »

Thanks gang,

My right arm and hand still hurt so am not spending allot of time on a computer. Good news is, am on the down side of whatever it was. The antibotics seemed to have worked, either that or whatever it was has ran it's course. My hand is back to normal size and the rash spots are starting to heal.

Still have no idea what it was, Did all kinds of different things the weekend before it flaired up from painting to working in dirt for the new circles and cleaning up downed tree limbs. I could have easily poked or scratched my hand with who knows what and not even known it at the time. About all I can do is be careful in the future and hope.

RandySmith · « **Reply #14 on:** March 25, 2008, 01:16:38 PM »

Bill Wrote """I can tell ya that when the Dr. said that tit could lead to loosing a foot"""

WOW!! BILL I had no idea those things were that dangerous........

Randy

Steve Fitton · « **Reply #15 on:** March 25, 2008, 01:33:21 PM »

Quote from: RandySmith on March 25, 2008, 01:16:38 PM

Bill Wrote """I can tell ya that when the Dr. said that tit could lead to loosing a foot"""

WOW!! BILL I had no idea those things were that dangerous........

Randy

....nice rack

Bill Little · « **Reply #16 on:** March 26, 2008, 09:22:59 PM »

Thanks, guys, I appreciate it............ now y'all know what kinda *man* I have always been............

(geez, one little innocent typo!

)

phil c · « **Reply #17 on:** March 28, 2008, 08:26:53 AM »

Good luck getting better Bob. The fact that the bumps hurt makes it very likely that you've got a staph infection, hopefully no the MRSA sort. Staph causes pain. Allergic reactions, which in this case would be hives, rarely are painful, just very itchy. Skin infections seem to be getting nastier. I just nicked the skin on my left thumb in the shop. Unfortunately I didn't do my usual thing with triple antibiotic ointment and a bandage and after a day or so it got red and infected. Then the skin around it got red and sore and I ended up with about a half in area that sloughed off. Took a week of antibiotic ointment and hot soaks to finally get it healing up.

Bob Reeves · « **Reply #18 on:** April 10, 2008, 11:27:23 AM »

Would you believe it's shingles.. Had nothing to do with my modeling or a spider.. Finaly went to see a dermatologist and the nurse knew what it was before the docter even looked at it. Doctor gave me enough antiviral pills from his sample stash to fix the problem and a prescription for Tylenol #3 so I can get some sleep. Said if I had came to him first it would be mostly fixed by now..

What a relief to know it isn't some exotic incurable creeping crud.. I feel better already..

EddyR · « **Reply #19 on:** April 10, 2008, 12:07:09 PM »

I went and had the Shingles shot. I was the first one in my area to get it so they watched me real close for several days. I had no reaction at all.The drug they give you is frozen and it must be used within 30 minutes of removing it from the freezer. The drug store has to do the giving of the shot and not many do it in my area.
Ed

minnesotamodeler · « **Reply #20 on:** April 10, 2008, 04:26:18 PM »

Shingles...it's the re-awakened Chickenpox virus most all of us carry. Infects a nerve trunk and follows it all the way to its terminal. I had a bout with it and it ain't fun, very very sensitive and painful. Glad it's clearing up well. Sometimes it doesn't.

Steve Scott · « **Reply #21 on:** April 10, 2008, 08:55:15 PM »

I've never had any kind of skin reaction to modeling chemicals but am careful to limit my exposure.

Now my sinuses... I can't even sand balsa without days of sneezing fits. CA affects my sinuses as well as epoxy in a more limited way. Even while flying the exhausted fuel/oil residue causes me problems. Shoot, even the grass on the field bothers me adversely.

And some people think I just have a "snotty" attitude.

Louis Rankin · « **Reply #22 on:** April 10, 2008, 08:59:40 PM »

Bull Halsey had a case of shingles so bad that it took him out of participating in the battle of Midway.