Allergies to Dressings

Anyone else have Allergies to dressings, tapes etc? I find I have really sensetive skin and it gets more sensetive as the days go on.

My current list stands at:

Mepore, Mepore Ultra, Plastic tape, Micropore tape, Primapore, IV3000, Opsite, Tegaderm. Alyvn Heal doesn't stay on long enough to cause allergies, it just won't stick to my skin.

There is one dressing I am ok with-Mepilex and one tape-Scanpore.

Problem is the tissue people in the hospital who think they have a right to put patients health at risk (blistered skin or no dressing around my port-a-cath is not acceptable in my eyes) and they are refusing to allow me to use Mepliex as I'm not using it for the purpose intended and it's too expensive. If the issue doesn't correct itself soon, then I will be writing a complaint to the hospital cheif pointing out they haven't got patients best interests at heart and this is wrong even in the NHS.

Anyway, can anyone think of any dressings I've not mentioned, preferably silicone based or similar as I do much better with those? Someone once mentioned a barrier spray, but I have been told by dermatology that this won't make a difference to allergies. The other dressings I can't even wear for an hour or 2 without some sort of reactions.

Thanks

Gem x

Hi, and nice to meet you too!

My port is on the left side of my chest wall. I know my skin is very sensetive around it, so usually test any new dressings on the bend of my elbow so I don't have problems with the allergies around my port site.

I haven't officially seen a dermatologist about this, they were treating me some weird spot things (maybe erythema nodosum) that I have been getting for years. They decided to do a skin biopsy. After talking to them when I realised I'd left my mepilex in the car, they assured me that Scanpore tape, noone is allergic to. They use it on people they're testing for allergies as they've not had a problem with it yet. They gave me a roll of tape to take to my CF team to see if they will provide me with this rather than Micropore tape for blod tests etc. Annoyingly still doesn't solve the port problem, but that with a bit of gauze might be enough when I'm in hosp to protect my port during the day if they don't have any Mepilex for me (usually takes 7 days at least to order, and they won't order it until the day I go in.) They usually give me any new dressings they have for me to test on my arm, but I always have a reaction. Mepliex is brill anyway, as it is also water resistant. Even if wet as long as it hasn't seeped underneath, it is fine to keep on. It also doesn't tear your skin away because it's too sticky or leave any residue. One problem I had with IV3000 was it left the residue on as well as making the area blistered and very painful. It was hard trying to clean of the dressing residue when it was like that.

Thanks for replying, it would be interesting to hear what the dressing you can use is called. Then would just have to see if I could get tissue people to allow it. I've never met the tissue people, but I sometimes wish I could, I'd have a few strong words for all the stress they put me through when on IV's (I spend at least 2 days massively fuming that I have nothing to cover my port with.) Also for putting my port at risk, I have had my port for 6 years and I'm not ready to lose it yet. It's my best friend as cannulas still only last max 3 hours in me.

Hope you are well
Gem

Sorbaview made by Centurion Medical products offers many sizes
Of different dressings for ports, picc's and all other central lines.
Works great